DC grocery store removing major name brands from beauty, health aisles to crackdown on theft

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Giant grocery store threatened by shoplifting: 'Enough is enough,' DC councilman says

Despite spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on upgrading its security equipment, theft is out of control at this Giant Food chain. (Credit: DC Councilman Trayon White)

A Giant grocery store in Washington D.C. is removing brands like Advil, Colgate and Tide from their shelves in an effort to avoid shutting down due to high rate of theft. 

The grocery chain has already taken drastic steps to increase security. Giant shoppers will also be required to show their receipts before exiting the store, according to the Washington Post.  

"We want to continue to be able to serve the community, but we can’t do so at the level of significant loss or risk to our associates that we have today," Giant president Ira Kress told the Post. 

Giant introduced widespread changes to their stores in May by increasing security, limiting entrances and locking down some of their products.

Advil products, which are a Pfizer brand, are pictured at a Walgreens store in Pasadena, California, U.S. January 31, 2017.  (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

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Kress said at the time that he's seen theft rise at least "tenfold in the last five years" and violence increase "exponentially."

"The alternative is worse for customers," he told the Post in May. "The last thing I want to do is close stores. But I’ve got to be able to run them safely and profitably."

The Giant Food president told the Washington Post on Saturday that at the D.C. location on Alabama Avenue, things have only gotten worse. 

"And we’ve invested a significant amount of money here, even more security here than any other store," he said.

In this rear view, an unrecognizable woman stands with a shopping cart in front of a shelf full of food in the bread aisle of a grocery store. (iStock)

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The store would be removing Tide laundry detergent, Schick razor blades, Dove soap, Degree deodorant and Pantene shampoo, according to the outlet. 

"I’ve been leaving it out for our customers and unfortunately it just forces all the crime to come to us," senior vice president of operations Diane Hicks said, noting that other stores have been locking up some of their merchandise. 

"I don’t want to do this — I’d like to sell [those products]," Kress said, according to the Post. "But the reality is that Tide is not a profitable item in this store… In many instances people stock the product and within two hours it’s gone, so it’s not on the shelf anyway."

Tide laundry detergent is shown on display in Compton, California, U.S., January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

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Major stores such as Whole Foods have shut down locations in San Francisco due to rampant theft and safety concerns as well.

"We are closing our Trinity location only for the time being," a Whole Foods spokesperson said in a statement in April. "If we feel we can ensure the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate a reopening of our Trinity location."

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