A large supermarket chain is closing one of its significant stores in Center City Philadelphia within the next few weeks, according to a published report.
The closure of the Giant Heirloom store at the corner of 8th and Market comes as 2024 draws to a close, just three years after it opened. Giant Co. President John Ruane cited the store’s performance, stating, “Unfortunately, this store has not performed to our expectations and when coupled with the challenges we and others have faced in the neighborhood, it no longer makes sense to continue operating at this location.”
The decision means fewer grocery options in the heart of one of America’s largest cities, requiring shoppers to alter their routines and find alternative stores, including places for adult beverages. Employees at the closing location will be offered positions at other Giant stores in the region.
Challenges cited in the neighborhood context include the visible presence of individuals experiencing homelessness near the store’s entrance and cafe area, a long-standing issue in Center City. Inside the store, public records indicate a steady stream of retail theft and persistent pest issues.
Reports to the Philadelphia Police Department from the 801 Market St. building between March 2021 and November 2024 included 73 dispatch calls for various theft issues. Fifty-two of these calls were for thefts valued at $200 or more, indicating a minimum estimated retail loss of over $10,400 over the period.
This Philadelphia closure highlights broader issues facing retailers, including escalating theft. Ira Kress, President of Giant Food, which operates 165 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., described theft as a “spiraling problem” that has “escalated immensely—five to 10 times what it was just a mere three to five years ago.
Retail executives, including Kress, often attribute the surge in losses to Organized Retail Crime (ORC), defined as large-scale theft for financial gain. ORC was reported to be up 26.5% in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) National Retail Security Survey.
Kress noted that ORC involves individuals who have learned to profit from theft, often targeting higher-priced items like razor blades, baby formula, and detergent. He described instances where people come in with lists of specific items to steal for resale on various marketplaces, including online platforms and even physical locations like front lawns, citing an example of Tide detergents being sold from a yard in Rehoboth, Delaware.
Retail shrink, which includes theft, is estimated to cost the industry $100 billion annually, according to the NRF. A June NRF survey found 51% of consumers believe law enforcement and courts are too lenient on shoplifters, and 79% think retail theft impacts the prices they pay.
In response to rising theft, Giant Food has implemented measures such as increasing security, locking up popular products, closing secondary entrances, and limiting items at self-checkouts. Kress, however, feels these steps alone are insufficient, stating, “In my mind the solve for what we’re seeing, both in terms of theft and violence, comes by way of laws and the enforcement of them.
Other incidents underscore the challenges, such as an attempted ATM theft caught on video at a Germantown Giant Food store on Leaman Farm Road. Security footage showed a truck ramming through the entrance early one morning. Three suspects fled after failing to access cash from the ATM, leaving behind the damaged, stolen truck. No one was hurt as the store was closed at the time.
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Additionally, two Giant grocery stores in Baltimore are implementing a youth supervision policy, effective August 22, requiring shoppers under 17 to be accompanied by an adult after 6 p.m. This measure targets “high shrink” to mitigate “unprecedented levels of product theft that have become unsustainable,” according to a company statement.
Shoppers in Baltimore shared mixed reactions to the policy, acknowledging the problem of theft but questioning enforcement and noting that adults also steal. Some linked theft to high prices. Experts suggest companies need robust community engagement and innovative approaches, like Wawa’s kiosk-only model at one location, to address challenges like theft.
While one Giant Heirloom store in Philadelphia is closing, Giant Food President Ira Kress has stated, “I have zero intention of closing stores as a result of the escalating theft or violence,” adding, “Everything I’m doing is to prevent having to do that.” The pervasive issue of retail theft continues to shape operations and strategies for grocery retailers across the country.
Related posts:
Large supermarket chain closing big store in Philadelphia: report
Giant Heirloom Market took a gamble on Philly’s Market East. Here’s why it failed
Giant Food president: Theft and violence is a ‘spiraling problem’
