A locally owned grocery store fed up with a rise in theft in its Inland Empire community is trying to crack down on the problem by restricting the use of large personal shopping bags in the store.
On a Facebook post in April, Matthew and Allison Whitlow announced their ownership of the Grocery Outlet on East Florida Avenue in Hemet. Less than a month later, the owners noted on social media that a personal bag policy will be strictly enforced citing “an influx of theft.”
In the post, the Whitlows asked that customers leave their reusable shopping and personal bags — including anything larger than a small handbag — in the front of the grocery store with a cashier.
“While this has always been posted on our front door, we have had some take advantage and walk out of store without stopping by the register,” according to a Facebook post.
The Whitlows declined to speak with The Times about the incidents that led to their decision.
But asking customers to leave their reusable bags at the front of the store could create confusion for shoppers who are trying to follow state law and help the environment.
Since 2014, California has worked to eliminate single-use plastic bags from grocery stores and have recently taken a step further by passing legislation that would do away with the thicker plastic bags made of high-density polyethylene, or HDPE. Grocery stores have been offering the thicker HDPE bags to shoppers instead of the banned thin plastic bags.
In response, shoppers across the state have stocked up on reusuable grocery bags, made of canvas or cloth.
The new bag policy is in response to an uptick in retail theft across the state, an issue so problematic that state officials have dispatched California Highway Patrol officers to help local police get a handle on retail crime and car theft and help bolster traffic enforcement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent officers to Oakland and Bakersfield, cities that have had immense issues with smash-and-grab retail crime.
Customers who leave their large bags at the front are allowed to take out and carry their smartphones and wallets while they shop.
The Whitlows are encouraging their customers to use store-provided hand baskets instead.
“With us being locally/independently owned, when theft occurs, it not only hurts us, but the community,” the post stated. “We know this is inconvenient for everyone, but we want to ensure that we have products for you all as well as not lose any so we can keep pricing affordable.”
Rather than resort to theft, the owners suggested in the post that shoppers who are struggling to make ends meet ask for help.
“Please ask for one of the owners, Matt or Allison, and we will see what we can do to help,” the post stated.
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