BALTIMORE — Giant Foods continues to find new ways to combat theft at its retail stores.
On Aug. 22, the grocery chain will implement a new store policy that will prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from shopping after 6 p.m. unless accompanied by an adult.
For now, the rule only applies to certain locations, two of which are in Baltimore.
Store No. 145 – 5150 Sinclair Ln, Baltimore, MD 21206 Store No. 303 – 601 East 33rd St. Baltimore, MD 21218
Giant said selected stores were experiencing “unprecedented levels of merchandise theft, making it unsustainable for our business.”
The new rules are similar to those that have been in place for years at local shopping malls and strip malls.
In another effort to reduce theft at these two stores, Giant began a pilot program in May to prohibit customers from carrying large bags while shopping. The program is still ongoing.
“Retail theft in our market areas affects everyone – limiting product availability, reducing shopping convenience, and most importantly, putting our employees and customers at risk,” Giant said in a statement.
Over the past few years, WMAR-2 News has reported on numerous violent incidents that have occurred inside Giant Food locations in Maryland, some of which were the direct result of theft.
In June, an employee at the Arlington Road Giant in Bethesda was punched in the face by a man after he refused to refund stolen items.
In November 2022, a security guard at a Giant Foods in Oxon Hill was killed in a shootout with a suspected thief.
In July 2021, another security guard killed a man he attacked inside the Giant store in Reisterstown Road Plaza.
Another local Giant store, a staple of Edmondson Village since 1998, recently closed, while another store at Wilkens Beltway Plaza on the Baltimore County line was renovated.
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