Giant Food Store is banning unaccompanied minors inside select stores after 6 p.m. and large bags in Washington, DC, and Maryland as part of a new policy aimed at curbing rampant retail theft. The supermarket chain made the decision to mitigate the unprecedented levels of product theft that has made business unsustainable. The chain’s new policy went into effect last Thursday and will affect all 7 locations in DC, 2 in Baltimore, and 3 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The measure bans those under 18 from entering its stores without an adult after 6 p.m. and bans bags larger than 14" x 14" x 6". In stores that allow large bags, customers must consent to having the bag tagged before entering and searched before leaving. Retailers in Washington, DC, lost $120 million in revenue to theft in 2022, causing the city to lose $7.21 million in retail sales tax dollars.
