Grocery chain boosts security due to 10x increase in theft.
Giant Food Increases Security Measures to Combat Theft and Violence
“To say [theft has] risen tenfold in the last five years would not be an understatement,” said Giant Food’s President, Ira Kress.
Giant Food, a popular grocery store chain on the East Coast, has been forced to take drastic measures to combat the exponential increase in theft and violence in recent years. According to company president Ira Kress, theft has risen tenfold in the last five years, making it necessary to ramp up security measures to ensure the safety of both customers and employees.
New Security Protocols
As part of their new security protocols, Giant Food has limited self-checkout to 20 items, posted security guards at the door, and put high-theft items such as razor blades in wall dispensers that alert employees when the items are removed. While these measures may inconvenience honest shoppers, Kress believes they are necessary to ensure the safety of everyone in the store.
Rampant Crime and Store Closures
Giant Food is not alone in their struggle to combat crime. Dozens of retailers across major Democrat-run cities have been forced to close their doors due to rampant crime, rising inflation rates, and employee shortages. Walmart, Whole Foods, Nike, Kroger, Nordstrom, Old Navy, and Target are just a few of the major retailers that have announced store closures in cities such as Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Portland, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle.
Organized retail crime has increased by an average of 26.5 percent in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. Kress believes that politicians cannot ignore the impact of crime on businesses and communities, and that blaming businesses for leaving is embarrassing.
The Alternative is Worse for Customers
Kress acknowledges that the new security measures may inconvenience honest shoppers, but he believes that the alternative is worse. “We used to chase shoplifters,” he said. “And you’d get the product back, and nobody would ever fight you. … I didn’t worry about somebody pulling a knife or gun on me [40] years ago.”
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