A Grocery Outlet store in Hemet has implemented a new policy requiring customers to leave their reusable shopping bags and personal bags with a cashier due to an increase in theft. The store, located on Florida Avenue in the Inland Empire city, announced the change on its Facebook page on Monday. Customers are now expected to use only store-provided hand baskets or carts.
The store management explained that although the policy had been posted on their front door, some individuals took advantage of it, leading to theft. “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,” the store stated in its post.
In a show of support for the community, the store also offered assistance to customers struggling to afford groceries. “If anyone is struggling, please do not resort to theft. Please ask for one of the owners, and we will see what we can do to help,” the management wrote, as reported by KTLA.
This policy change comes amid a significant surge in retail theft across California, which has seen shoplifting increase nearly 40% in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. In response, many retailers have started locking up a wider range of products.
California voters approved Proposition 36 in 2024, which reinstated stricter penalties for theft and lowered the felony threshold for shoplifting back to $450. This was a rollback of aspects of the 2014 Proposition 47, which had reclassified nonviolent offenses, including shoplifting goods valued under $950, as misdemeanors, according to Yahoo News.
