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PITTSBURGH, February 17, 2022 - Loss prevention professionals, as well as those who aspire to work in loss prevention in the United States and Canada, can apply for Vector Security Networks' annual Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) scholarships now through March 31, 2022.

Details and application information can be found at www.vectorsecurity.com/lpf-vs-scholarship.

The scholarships provide financial support to loss prevention professionals or hopefuls seeking to obtain LPQ and LPC certifications. Vector Security began awarding the scholarships in 2009 in support of career development and continuing education for professionals in this important and rapidly-evolving industry.

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More Retailers Adopt RFID as Theft Surges
Retailers take shoplifting into their own hands with online readers

Retailers are using more radio frequency identification tags to identify stolen goods in stores and online.

Months after a string of high-profile retail thefts, retailers are looking to turn the itchy tags attached to the back of a blouse or new pair of jeans fresh off the rack into a more sophisticated piece of covert tracking technology used to set off store alarms or help identify stolen products being sold online.

While there is no specific data about how many retailers are using the radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology to track shoplifters, an estimated 15 percent of retailers have adopted it, according to retail security experts.

Victoria's Secret, among other retailers, attaches the tags to online orders to track merchandise across its supply chain, Brooke Wilson, a company spokeswoman, said. It also is testing the tags to prevent theft, she added.

"What you're seeing now across retail and the staffing challenges for law enforcement is a greater need for retailers to package the cases to do all the investigation," Joe Coll, vice president of asset protection, operations and strategy at Macy's, said during a webinar last week hosted by the trade publication RFID Journal. "RFID gives you that ability."

Retail's demand for more robust security technologies has increased over the last two years, according to asset protection experts.

While the technology is limited, these tiny RFID tags allow retailers to track when inventory goes missing, which helps alert store managers to a potential theft, he said. Stores have real-time insight into what inventory is on the store floor or if an employee gave a refund or a store credit to someone for the tagged merchandise that was never actually purchased. It can also be used to spot returns fraud where someone steals an item from one store and attempts to return it at another store for a refund or store credit.

Tony D'Onofrio, Global Retail Influencer & Prosegur's CEO & Managing Director, Global Retail Business Unit, said retailers are working with the company to upgrade their tagging systems so that they can gather more information to help police with their investigations.

"Retailers want to move faster," he said. "With the way communication is now, we have to move much more aggressively."  nbcnews.com

Crime Closures? Washington Post Explores Factors Driving Store Closures
Opinion: Are retail closures caused by shoplifting or other factors? Well, yes.
The right likes to share viral videos of brazen shoplifters, and blames store closures on feckless progressive cities that have stopped prosecuting these scofflaws. The left says the real culprit is corporate consolidation.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the only people who actually know why these stores are closing - the executives at major drugstore chains - aren't necessarily going to tell the public the whole truth.

When conservatives hear that Walgreens is closing five San Francisco stores, blaming shoplifting, they should keep in mind that the company announced a major wave of store closures two years ago for reasons unrelated to theft - and that major retailers are currently pressing California to crack down on shoplifting, which gives Walgreens some incentive to emphasize theft over other explanations. But progressives should exercise the same caution when retailers say shoplifting has nothing to do with closures: Retailers don't like to offend local governments, which control everything from building permits to sales tax rates, so they might choose to emphasize other issues that won't embarrass the city council.

And while it would be nice if we could resolve the question by examining shoplifting statistics, shoplifting often goes unreported, because most retail insurance doesn't cover it. Both retailers and individuals are probably not disposed to bother filing a report in jurisdictions where the local district attorney is unlikely to prosecute, further fogging up the data. And the coronavirus pandemic had all sorts of odd effects on crime, making it even harder to know whether there is a problem and, if so, how big.

All that said, shoplifting does seem to be on the rise, and lax prosecution has probably made that problem worse in some areas, though other factors are also contributing, such as the opioid epidemic, and the ability to resell goods on the Internet.

So, for all the energy that has been poured into debating this question, we don't really need to answer it to know that shoplifting is bad - or that authorities should probably do what they can to keep it at reasonable levels. washingtonpost.com

NYC Retailers Fight Crime Wave
New York Supermarkets Add Security Amid Shoplifting Crime Wave

Supermarkets in NYC take extra measures as theft surges in the city

A crime wave in New York City has been making national headlines, and it's spilling over into food retail, with more grocers reporting retail thefts. Some now are even taking matters into their own hands: John Catsimatidis, chairman and CEO of Gristedes/D'Agostino's Supermarkets, said last week that he's adding extra security measures -nearly 100 security personnel, some from the ranks of retired police officers - to his approximately 30 Gristedes and D'Agostino's stores throughout the city.

From Jan. 1 through Sept. 12, 2021, the NYPD reported that there were more than 26,000 complaints for shoplifting compared with the same time period in 2020, which was more than 20,000. This is the highest level since the early 1990s.

Many of these retail thefts are being caught on camera in broad daylight. Last month, actor and comedian Michael Rapaport even videoed an alleged thief at Rite Aid passing a store security guard as he walked out the front doors holding bags of stolen loot.

What are these thieves stealing? As meat prices continue to rise, meat items have become a hot ticket item for shoplifters. According to the NY Daily News, to combat meat thefts, Gristedes/D'Agostino's store managers are putting fewer packaged meat SKUs on store shelves, and replenishing them as needed. Other popular items that are being stolen from these food chains include Tide laundry detergent, soap and ice cream, specifically the smaller containers.

Food retailers in other areas of the country are also stepping up security efforts to prevent in-store crime. For example, Midwestern grocer Hy-Vee recently introduced its Hy-Vee Retail Security team to stores across its eight-state region.

D'Agostino's and Gristedes supermarket banners are members of the Allegiance Retail Services LLC cooperative. Meanwhile, employee-owned Hy-Vee operates 285-plus retail stores across eight states. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based company is No. 34 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. progressivegrocer.com

Bail Reform + Felony Threshold Changes = Theft Surge
'No silver bullet' to stop wave of retail thefts, industry expert says

From nationwide chains to mom-and-pop shops, retailers have been up against a wave of thefts building for years and has proven difficult to fix.

According to the 2021 National Retail Federation Security Survey, 57% of retailers reported a rise in organized retail crime. According to NRF, organized retail crime costs retailers an average of $700,000 per $1 billion in sales.

NRF vice president of government relations and political affairs Jason Straczewski said bail reform and changes to felony theft thresholds helped send signals that non-violent crime would not receive the same kind of attention from authorities as violent crime.

Since thieves often sell the items they steal, retail groups like NRF have been urging Congress to pass the INFORM Consumers Act, which would require online marketplaces to verify high volume third-party sellers' information and make that information available to customers. Versions of the bill were introduced in the House and Senate last year but haven't gone anywhere since.

Straczewski said passage of the bill would be a "key part of the puzzle" but more needs to be done.

"We need coordinated support. We need federal law enforcement agencies to help share intel and share resources on some of these gangs that are being tracked across state lines," Straczewski said.

On a local level, Straczewski pointed to what was done in California after a series of smash-and-grab thefts.

"You've seen quickly how elected leadership there reallocated resources, they've taken funding from the American Rescue Plan and shifted it toward community policing and proving support to district attorneys to make sure that they can help retailers with their investigations and go after these organized criminal gangs," Straczewski said. komonews.com

54% of Small Retailers Report Shoplifting Increases
Fed up with the rise in thefts and shoplifting, small biz owners across U.S. are taking action
Shoplifters are hurting big retailers and chain stores, even reportedly forcing some locations in New York City and San Francisco to close up. But unlike many big retailers that can absorb the loss, some small business owners say the crime wave is devastating to their business. Especially now, with many still recovering from a global pandemic.

″[When] you see ... several thousand dollars just walk out the door - there really aren't words that you can put to a situation like that. It's just tough. It's very, very difficult," said small business owner Derek Friedman.

Friedman, who owns two retail clothing chains in Colorado and Texas - Sportsfan and Sock Em' Sock Emporium - said four out of his 10 stores in the Denver area have seen a significant increase in theft since mid-2019, with losses totaling more than $200,000 in less than three years.

He's not alone. According to a recent survey of 700 small business owners by Business.org, 54% reported an increase in shoplifting last year, with one in four saying they're dealing with the issue on a weekly basis.

Last week, Friedman implemented a 1% crime-spike fee to help offset his losses at four of his hardest-hit Denver stores, which will be added to all transactions indefinitely. And that may be just the starting point.

According to Jason Straczewski, the National Retail Federation's vice president of government and political affairs, if someone comes into a store and steals below that state's federal theft threshold, it's highly unlikely that law enforcement will go after them - unless it's part of a frequent occurrence or it's a group that law enforcement is tracking. cnbc.com

Updates on Georgia's ORC Effort
Bill aims to crack down on organized retail crime, online sales of stolen goods
Georgia lawmakers are looking at ways to stop illegal online sales of stolen and counterfeit items. The state attorney general says those sales are directly linked to gangs, drug trafficking and human trafficking, too.

When you go online to say, eBay or Facebook Marketplace, you assume that what you buy is legal. But it may not be. The sellers could actually be criminals who stole those items in a violent smash and grab. This bill tries to make those sellers reveal who they are and not sell things anonymously.

Albers authored the Inform Consumers Act to try and cut down on that activity by hitting the criminals where they're trying to sell their goods: online marketplaces. The act would do things like require third-party, high-volume sellers to provide accurate information like their name, address, and prevents them from being anonymous.

The act gives consumers some civil recourse if they feel they've unintentionally purchased stolen or counterfeit goods. The bill passed the Georgia Senate unanimously and now heads to the Georgia House.

Attorney General Chris Carr says a lot of gang activity, including drug and human trafficking, is funded by smash-and-grab robberies. Carr linked this bill to the one that just passed the House, giving his office more authority to prosecute gang activity across the state. wsbtv.com

(Update) Georgia bill aims to crack down on ORC, online sales of stolen goods

AOC blames crime surge on child tax credit ending, calls Congress 's-t show'

US: 79.8M Cases - 952.6K Dead - 50.8M Recovered
Worldwide: 418.7M Cases - 5.8M Dead - 342.2M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 346   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 652
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Fewer Hot Spots as Omicron Wave Fades

Global COVID Cases Continue to Plummet
WHO: New COVID cases drop by 19% globally, deaths stable
The number of new coronavirus cases globally fell by 19% in the last week while the number of deaths remained stable, according to the World Health Organization.

The U.N. health agency said late Tuesday in its weekly report on the pandemic that just over 16 million new COVID-19 infections and about 75,000 deaths were reported worldwide last week.

The Western Pacific was the only region to report a rise in new weekly cases, an increase of about 19%, Southeast Asia reported a decrease of about 37%, the biggest drop globally. The number of deaths rose by 38% in the Middle East and by about one-third in the Western Pacific. apnews.com

Businesses Get a Boost from Pandemic-Era Remote Work
Work-From-Home Coffee Breaks Boost Nescafe and Nestle

Shift to home working lifts sales of Nescafe and Nespresso, though food giant says higher costs are set to bite into profit margin

Consumers are drinking more coffee at home, even as the pandemic ebbs, buoying sales for the owner of Nescafe instant coffee, Coffee-Mate creamer and Nespresso pods.

Nestlé SA, the world's largest packaged-food maker, said Thursday its coffee business was the biggest contributor to organic sales growth last year, boosted by demand from consumers continuing to work from home.

Coffee has been a top seller for Nestlé throughout the pandemic, with its portfolio of products predominantly consumed at home, rather than out and about. The 2018 purchase of the rights to sell Starbucks Corp.'s coffee and tea in grocery and other retail stores has also benefited Nestlé since Covid-19 struck.

Mr. Schneider said Nestlé has been working to capitalize on the continuing at-home trend, in part by doubling down on its Starbucks license. Nestlé is now selling Starbucks-branded coffee in pods for its Nespresso machines in soluble form, roast and ground and in whole beans. The company is also expanding its Starbucks range to new regions including Latin America and Southeast Asia, where it will sell it in retail stores and online. wsj.com

Business Vax Mandate Lifted in Philadelphia
Philadelphia drops COVID vaccination mandate for dining establishments; enters 'Mask Only' level
The City of Philadelphia has lifted its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for dining establishments due to the recent drop in cases as it unveiled a new tiered response to the pandemic, but an indoor mask mandate remains in place.

Philadelphia Public Health officials announced that the vaccine mandate was lifted immediately Wednesday. Officials also announced a new four-tier restriction system based on metrics such as case counts, positivity rates and hospitalizations.

Bettigole said the mandate, which went into effect in January and made it mandatory for patrons to be vaccinated in order to enter, was hard on restaurants and places of entertainment. "But the work those establishments have done has helped to decrease transmission and to increase vaccination rates in the city," Bettigole said. 6abc.com

COVID Fades But Business-Vaccine Bills Move Forward
Utah GOP plans to stop private businesses from requiring vaccine passports
On Tuesday, a House committee approved HB60 which blocks private businesses from requiring proof of vaccination for customers and employees.

That's currently not what's happening in Utah, but Rep. Walt Brooks, R-St. George, warned he did not want the state to morph into a liberal state like he's seen in Washington, New York and California.

"If you go to the movies or the grocery store you have to show your ID and your vaccine passport. It just rubs me wrong that, in America, we have to show papers," Brooks said.

Brooks' bill also blocks governments from requiring employees from being vaccinated or providing proof of vaccination but does make some exceptions for public and higher education and some hospitals that could lose federal funding. sltrib.com

Washington man attacks Applebee's employee with meat cleaver over vax proof

COVID: Is mask-friendly Bay Area embracing looser mask rule?

In warning to U.S., COVID rates soar after Denmark lifts all restrictions

Covid: Austria and Germany decide to ease rules

Fed. Judge: "This could be called modern day organized crime."
First of six consultants indicted in Amazon bribery scheme sentenced to prison

Defendant used prior status as Amazon employee and underhanded tactics, including commercial bribes, to steal confidential information and manipulate the Amazon Marketplace

Seattle - The first of six consultants indicted in September 2020, for a fraud and bribery scheme targeting Amazon.com and its online Marketplace, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison and a fine of $50,000. Rohit Kadimisetty, 28, of Northridge, California pleaded guilty to conspiracy in September 2021. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, "You do not have a license to steal from Amazon, ...you were involved in illegal conduct.... This could be called modern day organized crime."

According to records in the case, since at least 2017, the defendants used bribery and fraud to elevate and benefit certain merchants on the Amazon Marketplace. Kadimisetty and the other defendants served as so-called consultants to third-party ("3P") sellers on the Amazon Marketplace. Those 3P sellers sold a wide range of goods, including household goods, consumer electronics, and dietary supplements on Amazon's multi-billion-dollar electronic commerce platform.

Following his employment at Amazon, and after relocating to the United States, Kadimisetty used his inside knowledge to recruit employees in India to misuse their employee privileges and access to internal information, systems, and tools. Kadimisetty connected employees in India with other consultants and 3P sellers across the United States. Kadimisetty acted as a middleman of sorts, assigning tasks on behalf of 3P sellers and negotiating and arranging bribe payments on behalf of corrupted Amazon insiders. To hide his criminal conduct, Kadimisetty used deceptive email accounts, encrypted messaging services, and bribes through third parties.

The illicit services provided by Kadimisetty and the other defendants included: stealing confidential business information about Amazon algorithms; reinstating accounts and products that had been suspended; circumventing inventory fees for Amazon warehouses; falsifying claims for lost inventory; and facilitating attacks on competing sellers and product listings.

In his plea agreement, Kadimisetty admits being responsible for $100,000 in bribes paid to Amazon insiders during his active involvement in the enterprise. Kadimisetty left the conspiracy in late-2018, after a number of his contacts in India were fired by Amazon due to the misconduct.

Four defendants, Ephraim Rosenberg, of Brooklyn, Joseph Nilsen, and Kristen Leccese, of New York City, and Hadis Nuhanovic, of Acworth, Georgia, are scheduled for trial in October 2022. Defendant Nishad Kunju, of Hyderabad, India, has not been arraigned on the indictment. justice.gov

E-Commerce Fueling a Surge in Unwanted Products
How Online Shopping Is Covering the Planet With Abandoned Clothing

Used clothes might travel the globe or go straight to the dump. Here's why.

E-commerce is fueling the cycle. By 2021, online sales accounted for nearly half of all apparel purchases, according to Digital Commerce 360. That year, e-commerce apparel purchases rose 25%, to $181 billion.

When ordering online, shoppers tend to buy more clothes than they plan to keep. More than half of shoppers told e-commerce customer service company Narvar in 2021 that they buy multiple sizes of the same product with a plan to return what doesn't fit. Some companies even let customers keep clothes that don't work out, giving them even more clothes to donate or throw away.

Though it's difficult to quantify, e-commerce appears to drive more purchases of clothes, said Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData. Online shopping has exposed shoppers to more brands than they'd see in their local mall, and it makes it possible to shop any time of day, he said. cnet.com

The Amazon Prime price increase happens Friday. But what about Walmart+?