Interface "Ask Our Expert" video series What Are Video Verified Alarms? Sean Foley, SVP Enterprise Security, Interface Systems explains the benefits of video verified alarms when compared to traditional alarm monitoring. With video verification of alarm events, enterprises can secure their locations more effectively and avoid paying false alarm fines. To learn more, read this case study.

Recap of NRF 2022: Retail's Big Show
NRF's Big Show Wraps Up in New York City

20,000 attendees & 750 exhibitors expected at NRF 2022: Retail's Big Show in NYC

Check out the video recap, daily summaries and on-demand sessions from NRF 2022 below.

Day 1 - Sunday, January 16

The first day of NRF 2022: Retail's Big Show kicked off at the Javits Center in New York City with Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Qurate Retail Inc., Mike George.  PHOTOS | NRF BLOG | PRESS

Day 2 - Monday, January 17

The second day of NRF 2022: Retail's Big Show included a keynote address from President and CEO of Walmart U.S., John Furner, who became the new NRF Board Chairman. PHOTOS | NRF BLOG | PRESS

Day 3 - Tuesday, January 18

The third and final day of NRF 2022: Retail's Big Show began with a keynote session from the President and Chief Brand Officer of Nordstrom Inc., Pete Nordstrom. PHOTOS | NRF BLOG | PRESS

NRF 2022 On Demand Sessions

Experience insightful conversations from industry leaders by purchasing the NRF 2022 On Demand Package. Gain access to 25 videos, including select sessions from the Keynote Stage, FQ Equality Lounge and DE&I Stage and Showcase. Now available for purchase through January 31. Watch at your convenience through March 31. Learn more. nrfbigshow.nrf.com

     

     


Click here to see more NRF Big Show photos
 

City by City Gun Violence in 2021 Stats
A National View - 1 Big City Every Day

NYC's 2021 Murder Surge
Grim Apple: NYC murders in 2021 to near 500 for first time in a decade
The Big Apple is on pace to hit nearly 500 murders before the close of 2021 - a bleak milestone not seen in a decade. As of Dec. 26, the NYPD recorded 479 slayings, driven by a startling surge in gun violence across the city, data shows. The Big Apple hasn't recorded more than 500 murders since 2011 when there were 515 on the books, according to the data.

In 2012, homicides dropped to 419. In the following years, they plummeted into the 300s each year, except for 2017 when the city recorded 292 murders. 2021's total already topped the tally of 462 in 2020 - a year that saw a spike in fatal incidents in major cities nationwide as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly every aspect of life. That trend continued into 2021 with New York City seeing a late-year spike in murders.

Over the last month, nearly double the homicides were reported over the same four-week span - 41 between Nov. 28 and Dec. 26 compared to 24 during that same period in 2020, NYPD data shows. The latest homicide statistics don't include two men who were gunned down in separate incidents earlier this week.

Quelling the mounting number of murders will be just one of the challenges the new Mayor Eric Adams faces as the cop-turned-lawmaker takes the reins as mayor.

Other major cities across the US have also struggled to reverse the troublesome crime trend. In Chicago, murders were approaching 800 with days left in the year, according to the Chicago Tribune. Philadelphia is expected to surpass 550 homicides, the highest total on record dating back to 1960, according to ABC. nypost.com

Prop 47 Under Fire As California Theft Explodes
Prop 47's reforms back in the spotlight as lawmakers tackle crime & punishment

It's what voters passed in 2014 to make retail theft a misdemeanor when someone steals anything below $950. Stats from the California DOJ show theft is overall down.

California's legislative session just started back up this month, and Proposition 47 is once again in the spotlight. It's what voters passed in 2014 to make retail theft a misdemeanor when someone steals anything below $950.

It's important to note that since voters approved this in 2014, it'll ultimately still be up to the voters to decide if any changes are made. If the legislature passes any bills, the people will vote on them again.

Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) introduced AB 1599 to overturn much of what's in Proposition 47.

"I think that the people of California, at least in the area in Central California I represent, are -- they're just fed up with it," Patterson said. "They know that the crime spikes are real."

No statewide 2021 numbers are in yet, but the Public Policy Institute of California reports that, overall, property theft has steadily declined over the last 20 years. However, the PPIC does link Prop 47 to temporary increases in some crimes after the law was enacted.

Attorney General Rob Bonta declined an interview for this story, but his office sent a statement saying "California law is clear: Organized retail theft is a felony. Prop. 47 doesn't change that."

Some of the other bills in place are AB1597, which makes the punishment for repeat shoplifters stricter, and another which was introduced by a Democrat would bring the threshold back down to $400 instead of $950. abc10.com

San Francisco's Retail Exodus Continues Amid Crime Surge
Union Square Feeling the Brunt of ORC

Abercrombie & Fitch to close S.F. store at Westfield mall next week
Abercrombie & Fitch plans to close its San Francisco store at 865 Market St. in the Westfield mall next week, becoming the latest large clothing retailer in downtown or Union Square to shutter during the pandemic.

The store at Westfield San Francisco Centre will close Jan. 26, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday. A manager at the store told me the retailer had decided not to renew the lease and is seeking a smaller location nearby for the store. The store opened in 2006.

Retailers including Uniqlo, DSW, Marshalls, Gap and H&M have also closed San Francisco locations since late 2020 as the area has struggled with the absence of international tourists and office workers as well as crime and homelessness.

Abercrombie & Fitch's nearest location is at the Sunvalley Shopping Center in Concord. Management at another Abercrombie & Fitch outlet in San Jose's Westfield Valley Fair mall said the team isn't expecting their location to close.

The Ohio-based company, which also owns brands Hollister and Gilly Hicks, has cut locations by 20% since 2019 when its store count was about 854. The company closed 137 stores in 2020 alone as digital sales grew to encompass about half of overall revenue, with an emphasis on larger stores averaging about 8,300 square feet compared with the smaller, omni-channel locations it has opened in recent years at about half of that size. bizjournals.com

   Other Recent San Francisco Stores Closures

   ● CVS Identifies 6 San Francisco Stores Closing in January

   ● Walgreens to Close 5 San Francisco Stores Due to Increasing Retail Theft

   ● Gap Closing 3 Stores In San Francisco's Embarcadero, Market Street, Stonestown

   ● Lowe's To Close 2 Bay Area Stores Deemed Underperforming

   ● Marshalls to close S.F. store, adding to Market Street's retail woes

   ● H&M Closes Its Massive Union Square Store

   ● DSW in San Francisco's Union Square to permanently close

   ● Uniqlo is Closing Its Flagship Union Square Store


George Floyd Federal Civil Rights Trials
Begin Thursday & Could Last Weeks

FYI Just in Case: Keep an eye on Minneapolis/St. Paul this week!
St. Paul takes security measures.

What you need to know about the federal trial of three ex-Minneapolis police officers in George Floyd's death

The federal civil rights trial is set to begin Thursday in St. Paul.

The federal civil rights trial for three former Minneapolis police officers indicted in connection with George Floyd's killing is set to begin Thursday. The men, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, all face Justice Department charges of abusing their position as police officers to deprive Floyd of his constitutional rights when another officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes and the others did not intervene during an encounter on May 25, 2020. "This offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of George Floyd," the charges state.

They are also awaiting trial on state charges, but the date has not been set. You can read the charging document here.

St. Paul to close streets for federal trial

What security measures are in place at the courthouse?

The federal building has been reinforced with metal perimeter fencing and parking will be limited in the surrounding area. Federal authorities will be responsible for security inside the building and on the property.

St. Paul police are planning to increase the presence of officers downtown during the trial. The department is coordinating with the East Metro Response Group that formed ahead of Chauvin's trial last spring - and consists of municipal and county law enforcement groups in Ramsey, Washington and Dakota counties - to help with extra staffing needs if they arise. startribune.com

St. Paul Spending Millions on Security
St. Paul prepares for ex-officers' federal trial in George Floyd killing
Although security won't reach the level of the Derek Chauvin trial, business owners and residents say preparations are unlike anything they've seen.

In a presentation to the council, St. Paul Assistant Police Chief Robert Thomasser said the department will increase police staffing downtown — both on the streets and in the skyways — during the trial and when a verdict is announced, mostly to help people navigate road closures and to fulfill the requests of businesses that asked for extra security.

Towering metal fences surrounding the federal courthouse. The cost of adding patrols and overtime shifts to respond to the trial could cost the city "in the neighborhood of a couple million dollars," said Thomasser, who added that Chief Todd Axtell is seeking some reimbursement from federal agencies.

The police department's biggest challenge, he said, will be managing staffing at a time when the already shorthanded force has dozens of officers — 56 as of Tuesday — out sick, many with COVID-19. startribune.com

Editor's Note: This doesn't mean protesters could show up at the location in Minneapolis where this all took place - now the Floyd memorial spot. Just a thought Gus Downing

How Body-Worn Cameras Could Impact LP Store Detective Behavior?
See how they're impacting police officers

The DOJ's National Institute of Justice - Crime Solutions Publication

Practice Profile: Body-Worn Cameras' Effects on Police Officer Behavior

This practice involves the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement. The aim of this practice is to record interactions from an officer's point of view to improve accountability and positively affect police officer behavior. The practice is rated No Effects for its effects on officer use of force, officer injuries, officer-initiated calls for service, traffic stops, field interviews, and arrest incidents.

Practice Theory

The use of body-worn cameras is rooted in two theories: deterrence theory and perceived social surveillance. Deterrence theory states (in part) that the certainty of getting caught and punished for wrongdoing decreases the likelihood of engaging in wrongdoing. In the case of body-worn cameras, the camera serves as a "credible threat" in the detection of negative behaviors, such as the use of excessive force by police officers, and thus decreases the likelihood of those behaviors (Ariel et al. 2016). Additionally, research proposes that people are more likely to adhere to social norms and change their conduct in a socially desirable direction when they are aware of being observed (Farrar and Ariel 2013). When civilians are aware they are being monitored through a body-worn camera, they are less likely to be aggressive and more inclined to cooperate with law enforcement officers. In turn, police officers would be less likely to react inappropriately by behaving in a rude manner or using excessive force.  crimesolutions.ojp.gov

Hot Topic: COVID-Era Consumers Have More Than Doubled Returns
Houston, we have a problem

Lenient Return Policies Backfiring With Dire Financial Consequences
Holiday Gift Returns Are Choking Retailers and Landfills

Merchants won customers' hearts with lenient return policies.
Now the strategy is backfiring, with dire financial and environmental consequences.

One in four Americans expects to return at least one holiday gift by next weekend, according to a report by UPS. That's at least 60 million packages in a single returns season for the world's largest package shipper alone, and a 10% increase over 2020 holiday returns. As the costs of shipping and handling those returns increases, retailers and consumers are facing an expensive and unsustainable shopping future.

They knew perfectly well that unscrupulous customers could exploit no-questions-asked or receipt-optional refund policies. But the success of retailers like Nordstrom Inc. and Target Corp., both of whom have famously permissive return policies and loyal customers, highlighted the countervailing benefits. In a recent survey of apparel companies, 86% of respondents agreed that returns are a "necessary evil."

Online retailers recognized the necessity early, adopting lenient return policies and free return shipping to build trust and loyalty with consumers new to e-commerce. Perhaps the most aggressive proponent was Zappos, the online shoe retailer now owned by Amazon.com Inc. Early on, the company encouraged customers to order shoes in multiple sizes and then return the ones that don't fit - and paid for the shipping. As far back as 2010, Zappos was happily telling reporters that its best customers are the ones who return the most products.

It's an expensive way to gain market share. In 2020, U.S. consumers returned around $428.6 billion in merchandise, or 10.6% of total retail sales. Now online retailers, buffeted by picky Covid-era consumers, face return rates between 15% and 30%.  Continue Reading

Organized Crime Hits U.S. Pharmacies
Fakes slipping through the supply chain

Suppliers/Distributors Sold Fake Medicines to Pharmacies
Drugmaker Gilead Alleges Counterfeiting Ring Sold Its HIV Drugs

Gilead says HIV drugs were replaced in some cases with an antipsychotic drug or an over-the-counter painkiller

Drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc. said that a network of little-known drug suppliers and distributors sold illicit and potentially dangerous fake versions of its HIV medicines that ended up in pharmacies and in the hands of patients.

In all, Gilead identified 85,247 counterfeit bottles of its branded medications worth more than $250 million that were sold to pharmacies over the past two years following an intensive investigation and court-approved civil seizures, a company spokesman said.

The Gilead spokesman said that many of the counterfeit drugs were purchased from homeless or drug-addicted HIV patients and then resold using falsified documentation.

"Gilead has uncovered and stopped a complex and criminal enterprise distributing counterfeit Gilead HIV medication through the legitimate U.S. supply chain," the spokesman said.

The company uses the word "counterfeit" to include genuine medications that have faked documentation or altered packaging, as well as fake pills.

The U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain is considered among the world's safest, and counterfeits most commonly make their way to patients via online pharmacies or sometimes after being smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. But U.S. counterfeiters can sometimes exploit gaps in the supply chain to distribute prescription drugs via secondary wholesale distributors, companies that purchase and resell medicines to pharmacies, often at cheaper prices. wsj.com

Open Hiring Model: Only 1 Question - Are You Authorized to Work in U.S.?
Help Really Wanted: No Degree, Work Experience or Background Checks

U.S. companies are downsizing the hiring process.

Beauty product retailer The Body Shop is dropping educational requirements and background checks for job applicants. United Parcel Service Inc. is making some job offers in as little as 10 minutes. CVS Health Inc. no longer requires college graduates to submit their grades.

A shrinking American workforce could recast hiring practices. The U.S. labor force has declined by millions since the Covid-19 pandemic, and some economists say workforce participation rates will never return to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, more employers have reconsidered the value of college-degree requirements, focusing instead on skill-based hiring.

In retail and fast-food industries, keeping employees for even 90 days is difficult, human-resources executives said, one reason some companies offer bonuses to workers who stay on the job that long.

Open call

In 2019, when the U.S. unemployment rate hovered around 3.6%, The Body Shop introduced a pilot program at a distribution center in Wake Forest, N.C., to remove nearly every hiring requirement, from drug tests and background checks to education and work experience.

Last year, The Body Shop expanded open hiring to all seasonal entry-level retail jobs. Since its launch, the rate of performance-related terminations of people hired in the pilot program has been about the same as the rate among people hired through the routine screening process, said Nicolas Debray, The Body Shop president for the Americas.

Open hiring became the model for all of the company's entry-level retail and warehouse hires this year. By mid-September, 733 employees had joined the company this way, and 80 joined the company's permanent staff. Under the system, recruiters ask candidates only if they are legally authorized to work in the U.S.; whether they can lift 25 pounds (50 pounds for distribution center work) and work an 8-hour shift. For retail jobs, applicants are asked why they want to work with customers.

Companies often worry that loosening job requirements will create a perception among customers or employees that businesses are lowering standards, said Alicia Sasser Modestino, a labor economist at Northeastern University.

"The biggest challenge is that people second-guess a person's ability to do the job, and maybe they have some doubt or suspicion and biases also because we don't do the background check," The Body Shop's Mr. Debray said. Though some managers worried that instances of employee stealing or fighting would increase, he said, "We have not seen any pickup of incidents at all." wsj.com

Grocery Industry Faces Shortage of 120,000 Workers
Supermarkets face empty shelves from labor shortages, shipping costs
A combination of labor shortages, shipping costs and cold weather has left grocery store shelves across the country empty, according to reports. Produce growers on the West Coast are paying nearly triple trucking rates, according to Reuters.

On the East Coast, snow and ice storms have created massive food delivery delays. Grocery stores and other retailers face a 12 percent out-of-stock level on many household staples, compared to 7-10 percent in regular times.

Compounding the problem is inflation. The rate jumped 7 percent since December 2020, according to CBS News.

Katie Denis, vice president of communications and research at the Consumer Brands Association, blames the shortages on lack of labor and expects the situation to continue for at least a few more weeks.

She said the industry is missing around 120,000 workers, while the National Grocers Association said many grocery stores were operating at less than 50 percent workforce capacity. nypost.com

Burger King Security Lawsuit
Mom of slain NYC Burger King cashier may sue restaurant over lax security
The mother of an East Harlem Burger King cashier killed during an armed robbery is calling for more security at all fast food restaurants in the city - and said she's considering suing the outlet for failing to protect her young daughter.

"I'm working in fast food too. I don't want to go back. I'm very scared," said Kristie Nieves, whose 19-year-old daughter, Kristal Bayron-Nieves, was fatally shot Jan. 9 while working an overnight shift at the eatery on E. 116th St. and Lexington Ave.

"With regard to civil liability, we are looking at the issue of Burger King, the owner of the property, and any security company that was involved with supposedly doing security for Burger King," Rubenstein said. Winston Glynn, 30, a former employee of the same Burger King, was charged with Bayron-Nieves' slaying.

Samantha Martinez, 20, who worked alongside the teen and quit after her death, said the store's management ignored pleas for more security and didn't even fix the lock on a door that lets people get behind the counter. news.yahoo.com

In Case You Missed It
Holiday hiring in retail dropped 7%

The drop was the largest since 2016, when hiring fell nearly 9.6%.

Transportation and warehousing jobs also fell - but very slightly (less than 1%) - after last year's 67.4% growth, according to Challenger.

"The onslaught of COVID cases, the difficulty parents are having securing child care, the sheer availability of jobs kept many from taking retail roles," Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement.

This year retailers hired 684,000 and last year hired 736,300. hrdive.com

Cracker Barrel ordered to pay $4.3 million after serving Tennessee man sanitizer