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A D.C. grocery store is removing Tide, Colgate and Advil to deter theft

To avoid shutting down an unprofitable store in Southeast Washington, Giant Food will check receipts and remove products

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September 2, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
A sign at a Giant Food market in D.C. announces a new receipt-checking policy. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
5 min

In the coming weeks, a Giant Food market in D.C. will clear its beauty and health aisles of all national labels. No more Tide, Colgate or Advil, only store brands. Shoppers also will have to present their receipts to an employee before exiting the store.

It’s the regional supermarket chain’s most overt gambit against the rampant theft that’s plaguing retailers of all sizes. It’s also a potential last-ditch effort to avoid shutting down the unprofitable store on Alabama Avenue SE — the only major grocer east of the Anacostia River in Ward 8.