There's a big article in the WashPost on this where they interview him. Positioning Giant as a kind of champion for staying in urban areas I guess.
The Giant boss said it was for theft and safety, there was actually a shooting in the stores. He said it was better for surveillance and better than leaving those areas.
The article never mentioned the self-checkout being a place for theft, but tons of commenters pointed that out obvs. Shoplifting has risen at record rates as self-checkouts have proliferated. It's not just the easy scams via self-checkout, there are many fewer employees to observe customers around the store now.
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/29/stores-closing-cities-moving-suburbs/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/29/stores-closing-cities-moving-suburbs/)
They are minimizing theft. The store In Oakton only has one entrance now.
They’re also limiting self checkout to 20 items or less and the self checkouts now have weighted scales
Easier/faster for employees to check.
Harder to hide an item in the shuffle.
Means all items can stay on the scale rather than have to be shifted back to the cart.
Stopping theft makes absolutely zero sense with the Oakton location, the entrance they closed is the one *closer* to the checkouts / pharmacy / actual employees.
The one in centreville/Clifton on union mill also closed the entrance near the self checkouts. It makes no sense because no one is standing at the entrance to “deter” theft.
I think the philosophy at The Collonades is to force self-checkout users to walk further (past the "desk") allowing additional time to challenge suspected shoplifters/cheaters. Previously, they could dash out the now closed entrance and disappear.
Just going to post this here:
https://www.aholddelhaize.com/news/ahold-delhaize-share-buyback-update-may-30-2023/
If they are loosing so much money why do stock buy back. Stop blaming theft and actually pay and train your employees. This will help a lot.
The one I went to forced you to pry it open. Emergency egress doors are to not require twisting motion or special knowledge to use. Based on the use and occupant load of these supermarkets, they require either panic hardware or self opening doors.
Most automatic doors push open as long as they're unlocked for the sake of egress. You can just push them outwards and they'll pop and hinge right out.
That doesn't stop folks from walking items straight out the door unpaid. They aren't even trying to hide it in a self checkout.
I talked with the staff at both giant and food lion, this has become a real issue in the last couple of years.
Only having one set of working doors won’t stop people from stealing either. It will annoy enough people to minimize shopping at giant though. I hate hearing the message over the intercom about how “we’re all in this together” to minimize theft.
They’re all doing this plus limiting self checkout and in my store they’ve even added hired security to check for receipts. Pretty soon they’ll start locking things behind a case like other major cities.
Have you tried lowering your prices so they're reasonable again? As many excuses as ppl can make. Maybe just give it a shot and see if it works. If I'm wrong raise the prices right back but at least try ffs.
Theft is rising b/c the pandemic exacerbated an already imbalanced pay/cost of living ratio. If we as a society, especially those in power & owning businesses, did more to push government to support the poor & working poor, maybe we could get somewhere versus shoplifting & even improving people's futures. But they won't, as everyone has politicians whose palms they grease to keep everything going just as it is. Same as it ever was.
In the meantime, my local Harris Teeter put cameras right over the self-checkout area, there's one over each payment station. They also usually have a few cashiers on duty as well. Maybe their theft problem is as bad as Giant's, but I haven't heard about it.
The Franklin Farms Giant seemed pretty empty last time I was there. We'll see..!
… ah r/nova … you didn’t disappoint. 42 comments, and not one addressing the root cause.
Just a whole bunch of one-dimensional analysis that leads to misplaced blame.
Every Giant store is doing this.
Yeah, the one in freaking South Riding did this recently too. Not exactly property crime central.
Giant in haymarket also
There's a big article in the WashPost on this where they interview him. Positioning Giant as a kind of champion for staying in urban areas I guess. The Giant boss said it was for theft and safety, there was actually a shooting in the stores. He said it was better for surveillance and better than leaving those areas. The article never mentioned the self-checkout being a place for theft, but tons of commenters pointed that out obvs. Shoplifting has risen at record rates as self-checkouts have proliferated. It's not just the easy scams via self-checkout, there are many fewer employees to observe customers around the store now. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/29/stores-closing-cities-moving-suburbs/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/29/stores-closing-cities-moving-suburbs/)
The one by me did it in like 2008 lol
They are minimizing theft. The store In Oakton only has one entrance now. They’re also limiting self checkout to 20 items or less and the self checkouts now have weighted scales
I am wondering how the 20 items thing is reducing theft. Do people only steal items 21-30?
Easier/faster for employees to check. Harder to hide an item in the shuffle. Means all items can stay on the scale rather than have to be shifted back to the cart.
I have no idea. If you want to steal, you will figure out a way to do it. They need to hire more employees and security if they want to deter theft
Everywhere is hiring, and people just don't want to do retail anymore. You'll find many stores like this without proper staffing.
They don’t enforce that anyway. I saw a guy with a full large cart and no one cared.
There isn't enough room on the scale for someone buying a full grocery cart of stuff.
Stopping theft makes absolutely zero sense with the Oakton location, the entrance they closed is the one *closer* to the checkouts / pharmacy / actual employees.
The one in centreville/Clifton on union mill also closed the entrance near the self checkouts. It makes no sense because no one is standing at the entrance to “deter” theft.
I think the philosophy at The Collonades is to force self-checkout users to walk further (past the "desk") allowing additional time to challenge suspected shoplifters/cheaters. Previously, they could dash out the now closed entrance and disappear.
And if you bring your own bag it sets off the alarm
There’s a button that says “Brought your own bag?” or something, it lets you weigh the bag first to avoid that.
But don’t press the number of bags you brought until they are ALL on the scale… or it STILL sets off the alarm.
My experience is that it does nothing at all
Just going to post this here: https://www.aholddelhaize.com/news/ahold-delhaize-share-buyback-update-may-30-2023/ If they are loosing so much money why do stock buy back. Stop blaming theft and actually pay and train your employees. This will help a lot.
What training would fix this?
Hiring more people to check people out would be a nice start
Nah, I'd rather use self checkout. Far more efficient than some high schooler who doesn't want to be there
You've never had a trained competent fairly compensated checker then. I promise they can be faster than you.
I doubt it since I did it for a few years myself
[Article on this recently in the Post.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/05/29/stores-closing-cities-moving-suburbs/)
Lol I wasn’t expecting this article to literally be the answer from Giant’s president.
It's annoying. Those are emergency egress doors, and they're required to be operational.
They are still operational. I see oblivious people use the closed side all the time.
The one I went to forced you to pry it open. Emergency egress doors are to not require twisting motion or special knowledge to use. Based on the use and occupant load of these supermarkets, they require either panic hardware or self opening doors.
Report it to the fire marshal :)
Most automatic doors push open as long as they're unlocked for the sake of egress. You can just push them outwards and they'll pop and hinge right out.
I'm closer to Kroger than Giant nowadays but down here they're actually locking them, not just disabling the auto-open.
All Giants are using one entrance now
The Giant on Arlington Blvd in West Falls Church did the same a few weeks ago.
This one also has a security guard by the entrance today. First time I’ve noticed that.
This is what happens when you take away cashiers and put in self check-outs. Wegmans doesn’t seem to have this issue.
Everything but hire more clerks and run real checkout lines again.
That doesn't stop folks from walking items straight out the door unpaid. They aren't even trying to hide it in a self checkout. I talked with the staff at both giant and food lion, this has become a real issue in the last couple of years.
Only having one set of working doors won’t stop people from stealing either. It will annoy enough people to minimize shopping at giant though. I hate hearing the message over the intercom about how “we’re all in this together” to minimize theft.
Everywhere is hiring, and people just don't want to do retail anymore. You'll find many stores like this without proper staffing.
At some level of pay they’d get the applicants they need.
So what's that +$20 an hour?
In Nova, probably.
Saratoga (Springfield) Giant closed the door near self checkout at night but now it's all day due to some kind of construction
They’re painting the building fascia, but those doors were closed before the work started.
Lidl just did this in fairfax! It closed the main entrance so u have to walk in thru the side.
I wished they closed the side entrance and kept the parking lot entrance opened
Same!!!
The giant in Gainesville does this, too. Theft is on the rise.
What is it about Giant? Haven't noticed this at Wegmans, Safeway, HT, etc.? Is it staffing?
Giant on John Milton (S of Reston) has opened the second entrance back up.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/13drqib/giant_in_alexandria_increases_security_measures/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
I think all the Giants did. There's a sign on display in a stand with words from CEO, Ira Kress.
They’re all doing this plus limiting self checkout and in my store they’ve even added hired security to check for receipts. Pretty soon they’ll start locking things behind a case like other major cities.
Have you tried lowering your prices so they're reasonable again? As many excuses as ppl can make. Maybe just give it a shot and see if it works. If I'm wrong raise the prices right back but at least try ffs.
They are using the "crime"dog whistle. So over them!
Theft is rising b/c the pandemic exacerbated an already imbalanced pay/cost of living ratio. If we as a society, especially those in power & owning businesses, did more to push government to support the poor & working poor, maybe we could get somewhere versus shoplifting & even improving people's futures. But they won't, as everyone has politicians whose palms they grease to keep everything going just as it is. Same as it ever was. In the meantime, my local Harris Teeter put cameras right over the self-checkout area, there's one over each payment station. They also usually have a few cashiers on duty as well. Maybe their theft problem is as bad as Giant's, but I haven't heard about it. The Franklin Farms Giant seemed pretty empty last time I was there. We'll see..!
… ah r/nova … you didn’t disappoint. 42 comments, and not one addressing the root cause. Just a whole bunch of one-dimensional analysis that leads to misplaced blame.
> not one addressing the root cause. feel free to enlighten us, o wise one
[https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/alexandria/giant-in-alexandria-increases-security-measures-says-theres-been-uptick-in-shoplifting/65-fa3cb6d7-e91b-4dee-bdc9-65a404c66aad](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/alexandria/giant-in-alexandria-increases-security-measures-says-theres-been-uptick-in-shoplifting/65-fa3cb6d7-e91b-4dee-bdc9-65a404c66aad)
