Police respond to another assault at Rockville Giant store

The Giant grocery store at 625 Hungerford Drive in Rockville is making news again, and not for the hyperinflated food prices. Rockville City police were called to the supermarket yet again early Thursday afternoon, December 7, 2023, after a 2nd-degree assault was reported there. The assault was reported at 1:00 PM Thursday. 

Three assaults were reported at the store in five weeks late this past summer, including an incident where a store employee was punched. Even Christmas Day hasn't been off-limits for assailants at this store in recent years. At least one person was accused of shoplifting in Thursday's incident.

Rockville Giant store to add electric vehicle chargers

The Giant at 9719 Traville Gateway Drive will soon add two electric vehicle charging stations outside the store, which is located at the Traville Village Center in Rockville. Giant began a partnership with Volta Charging to provide EV charging stations at its stores in 2020. The alliance was expected to eventually deliver more than 200 charging stations at the Ahold-owned supermarket chain's locations.  

“Providing our shoppers and communities free electric charging services is part of Giant’s larger sustainability efforts,” Giant Food President Ira Kress said in a statement. “We are excited to offer our customers who opt for electric cars the satisfaction of quick and free charging while they shop. It’s a value for our shoppers that also benefits the environment.”

Giant limiting self-checkout to 20 items or less, due to "a significant increase in crime"

The other shoe has dropped in Giant's changes to its self-checkout system, and it's landed directly on the shopper's head. Self-checkout will now be limited to 20 items or less, due to "a significant increase in crime and theft that we and many other retailers are experiencing across our market area," Giant President Ira Kress said in a message to customers. He said the new limit, along with the weighing scale recently added to the self-checkout units, will "mitigate the impact of theft to our business."

Under the new system, parents shopping for large families, or anyone who prefers to get their shopping out of the way once a week, will essentially be forced to go through the traditional checkout lines. However, Giant has tended to shut those down as the evening goes on, angering customers who were averse to self-checkout machines. Kress did not specify if Giant will now keep cashiers at the old checkout lines until closing at stores. But he did acknowledge what will be a major impact on many Giant customers.

"We know that these changes may cause some inconvenience or be disruptive to the experience you are used to," Kress said, "and I assure you we are making these changes out of necessity to prioritize the safety of our associates and customers." A shoplifter was recently caught on video assaulting a security guard at the Bethesda Row Giant store. Corporate policy appeared to limit the guard's ability to escalate his response; even after being struck in the face, he could only plaintively continue to ask the shoplifter to show him a receipt. 

Once again, we see how the failure of our elected officials to respond to increasing crime - one of the most basic responsibilities of their offices - creates negative impacts for the law-abiding residents of our community. It's interesting that business leaders will admit crime is increasing, and is a major problem, before our elected officials will.

Giant ends Senior Tuesdays discount

Senior Tuesdays usually find an increase in shoppers at local Giant stores. That was because of the 5% discount for seniors. About two weeks ago, however, some seniors discovered the popular promotion is ending.

While the 5% discount was honored that Tuesday, the shoppers were informed that they could sign up at the customer service desk for a new promotion where coupons would be mailed to them at home. I asked the corporate office at Giant, and they confirmed that the Senior Tuesday promotion is being axed.

Giant said they are introducing a new plan for seniors, a personalized monthly mailer with targeted coupons and nutrition advice. As store employees told shoppers two weeks ago, you can sign up for the mailings at the customer service desk using your Bonus Card and mailing address.

Union reaches tentative agreement with Giant, likely avoiding strike

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400 has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with Giant parent company Ahold, averting a strike if the agreement is approved by members at a meeting today. A marathon negotiating session that ran late Tuesday produced the breakthrough.

According to a UFCW Local 400 spokesperson, the deal will preclude takebacks Ahold had sought in the new contract. If successful, the agreement will avert a damaging holiday-season strike.

ROCKVILLE GIANT DEMOLISHED! (PHOTOS)

The classic architecture of Rockville's venerable town center Giant grocery store is gone forever.

A store design familiar to longtime area residents, one could find contemporaries at one time in DC and in Bethesda. The latter was located where Upstairs at Bethesda Row stands today.

It's sad to see it go. Many of the classic postwar Safeway stores are now gone as well. I managed to get the Damascus Safeway on tape for posterity, just before the wrecking ball arrived.

No such luck with this Giant, but here is the aftermath.

The Giant will be replaced by a low-rise retail development, to be delivered by developer JBG early next year.

DIGIORNO PIZZA DIPPING STRIPS REVIEW (VIDEO)

Just in time for the weekend, I have a video review of the newest DiGiorno frozen pizza product at Giant, DiGiorno Pizza Dipping Strips.

This is basically a DiGiorno pepperoni pizza sliced into 4 breadstick-size strips. You get a small, plastic pocket of marinara sauce to dip the strips in. All of this you can heat up in the microwave.

The serving size per person is 2 strips, but that portion is unlikely to satisfy a grown adult. Yet eating all 4 strips is a tremendous amount of salt and fat.  So, you will definitely want to pick up a somewhat healthier side item to have with these, if you are trying to reduce your salt and fat intake.

NEW GIANT APP LETS YOU SELF-CHECKOUT WITH YOUR SMARTPHONE (PHOTOS)

Grocery shopping just got faster and easier at Giant.

Giant has a new smartphone app for iPhone and Android that can replace the self-scanner device you may have used in the store previously.

The Scan-It Giant app helps you with your shopping list, scans each item via your smartphone camera, and then checks you out when you're done.  Best of all, app users get special deals beyond the sales and Bonus Card prices.

In Rockville, the service is currently available at the Giant on Hungerford Drive by N. Washington Street, and at the Montrose Crossing Giant further down Rockville Pike.

LAY'S CHICKEN AND WAFFLES POTATO CHIPS REVIEW (VIDEO)

Lay's Chicken & Waffle potato chips have just arrived at Giant. Watch a video review and find out how they rate.

This new chicken and waffles flavor is competing against Cheesy Garlic Bread and Sriracha in the Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest.

FREE SLICE OF BIRTHDAY CAKE TONIGHT AT ROCKVILLE GIANT!

Is today your birthday? Well, it doesn't matter, you're getting some birthday cake anyway.

Today is the birthday of venerable grocery store chain Giant Food - its 77th birthday.

In honor of this, and odd-numbered birthdays, every Giant store in the whole chain will serve you a FREE slice of birthday cake today between 3-8 PM.

I hope it's one of their fabulous sheet cakes.

LITTLE DEBBIE BE MY VALENTINE CAKES ARRIVE AT GIANT - VIDEO REVIEW EXCLUSIVE!

Little Debbie Be My Valentine cakes have hit the shelves at Giant in Rockville early for Valentine's Day.

Watch my exclusive video review to find out how they rate.

JUMPIN' JACK DORITOS VIDEO REVIEW

Today, I review the just released Jumpin' Jack Doritos. Are they still as great 23 years later? Watch and find out!

A new video every day, through January 6.