BALTIMORE (WBFF) — With profit margins already razor-thin, many businesses are struggling to survive against a growing wave of shoplifters.

The Giant Supermarket in Edmondson Village announced this week that it'll soon close.

Last year, Lidl Supermarket in Brooklyn shut down too.

While neither publicly blamed theft for their shutdowns, retailers say almost every store is taking a severe hit.

"The laws that are on the books are not strong enough to handle what's going on," said Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retail Association.

For the eighth time, Locklair lobbied state lawmakers for a measure aimed at stiffening penalties for shoplifters, however, it failed to pass.

Click here to watch the interview with Fox45.