Newsweek Ranks MTI Among the Top 600 Greatest Workplaces
in America for Women 2023

World celebrated March 8 International Women's Day

Hillsboro, OR. (March 8, 2023) - MTI (Mobile Tech, Inc.), was featured in Newsweek's top 600 workplaces for women. The rankings are based on a sample of 37,000 female employee reviews of 224,000 American companies across all industry sectors. The study, conducted by Plant-A Insights Group, identified the top organizations that foster career growth, pay equity and diversity. The company received a 4-star rating for its commitment to diversity.

In the 112 years since the earliest version of International Women's Day, the issue of women's rights has become a galvanizing force in society - and a transformative one. Despite the undeniable progress that women have made in all facets of life, true equality remains an aspirational goal. This year's theme-#EmbraceEquity-is deeply important to women and their employers.

"MTI is committed to elevating women within the workplace, and to provide a culture where they can thrive," said Mary Jesse, CEO of MTI.

See the full ranking at https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/americas-greatest-workplaces-women-2023.
 

Robberies Hit Highest Level in 6 Years
Jewelry Stores Top Retail Sector - Chicago Top City - Tuesday Top Day

Yearly Comparison | 2016-2022
Up 18% From 2021 - Highest Total Since 2016

Click here to see the full report

Sponsored by

 

The Push to Repeal Prop 47 Continues in California
'There is a major hit to retail businesses because of Proposition 47'

Legislation introduced to revise Prop 47 to address rising crime in San Francisco, other California cities
With burglary and other theft crimes still on par with last year in San Francisco and many other California cities, lawmakers have scheduled a hearling later this week for new legislation to overturn Proposition 47, the California law that lessens criminal penalties.

The bill, AB 335, was introduced by newly elected District 22 Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, a longtime Stanislaus County Sheriff's sergeant.

"I think it is clear there is a major hit to retail businesses because of Proposition 47," Alanis said in an email response to the Northern California Record. "Retailers, big and small, are being heavily adversely impacted and a recent LA Times/CAL Berkley poll has shown us that public opinion has shifted on Proposition 47. Voters may not have fully understood what they were getting when they passed this into law and they want to see changes to it according to this poll."

Alanis described how personnel are affected when criminal penalties are not enforced.

AB 335, co-sponsored by Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, D-Jackson, has been assigned to the Assembly Committee on Public Safety, and is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday. Alanis is also part of a bipartisan effort for a Joint Legislative Audit Committee to study the effects of Prop 47.

"This is one of the main reasons I introduced a repeal," Alanis said. "To force real conversations about this issue. I believe that part has been accomplished. But conversations must lead to actual actions and results. I am hopeful we can find bipartisan ground to work on getting the answers to the many unanswered questions about Prop 47's impacts, both good and bad, and get real actual data to make Californians safer, have our laws enforced, and the make justice system more fair for all communities."

"In my short time in Sacramento I have found that our problem here is a failure to communicate," Alanis said. "If we are not talking respectfully with each other on the issues, we are not serving the people who ultimately send us here to work for them. Once my colleagues and I began having serious and honest conversations on Public Safety issues it was clear there are many things we can agree on.

"I am confident the result of my efforts on Prop 47 can lead to tangible results. I am not looking to see people locked away in prisons for petty theft. I am trying to figure out why current retail theft law is not being enforced as it stands today. I am trying to bring needed relief and accountability for retail businesses of all sizes and walks of life here in California."  norcalrecord.com


Two New ORC Bills Rolled Out in Oregon
Oregon Senate puts forward two bills aimed at combatting organized retail crime

Oregon lawmakers held a public hearing Wednesday for two bills aimed at curtailing organized retail crimes across the state.

Senate bills 318 and 340 were put forth this legislative session; one aims at providing more funding increased enforcement and better communication between Oregon's Department of Justice, local police departments, and retailers. The other changes Oregon's current criminal code, and if passed, would make it easier to prosecute criminal organizations involved in organized retail theft.

On Tuesday, the Washington County DA's Office announced its support for the two bills, with DA Kevin Barton stating, "I am keenly aware of the challenges our community faces from increased organized retail crime. These crimes impact all members of our community, including both large and small businesses and employees and customers alike. As the nature and scope of these crimes evolve, it is important that our laws also evolve to keep pace."

To read DA Barton's full statement click here.

This comes as authorities across the Portland metro area are working to crack down on retail thefts in recent months. In February, Tigard Police and other neighboring agencies conducted a 10-hour blitz, resulting in 14 arrests and the recovery of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

The Tigard Police Department provided the following statement regarding the Senate bills aimed at combating organized retail crime:

"This is a significant issue - not only in our city, but across the metro area - and our patrol officers and Commercial Crimes detectives work hard to deter day in and day out. As a department, we support any changes - legislative or otherwise - that make it less attractive for would-be criminals to engage in Organized Retail Crime."  kptv.com
 

Industry Leaders Gather for ICSC ORC Summit
ICSC Holds Summit on ORC to Address Industry-Wide Challenges

The event features sessions with industry leaders and policymakers to offer educational resources and foster collaborative support

NEW YORK, March 08, 2023-- Today, ICSC is holding its Organized Retail Crime Summit, marking the organization's first-ever event dedicated to addressing the impact of organized retail crime (ORC) on retailers and the Marketplaces Industry. The summit, held in partnership with the Loss Prevention Research Council which is located in the University of Florida INNOVATE Hub, will help attendees better understand the impact of ORC on their business and how they can work to mitigate it across the industry.

Unlike petty crime or independent shoplifting incidents, which account for a nominal percentage of inventory value, organized retail crime is defined as an act that involves a criminal enterprise employing a group of individuals (two or more) who steal substantial quantities of merchandise from a retailer(s).

"Organized retail crime poses a threat to not only our industry and business owners, but increasingly to the safety of employees and consumers, as well," said Tom McGee, President and CEO of ICSC. "The Organized Retail Crime Summit expands our efforts to put a stop to ORC by creating a space for discussion, education, and collaboration on meaningful solutions that protect retailers and Marketplaces."

Sessions at the summit will feature insights on the scope of the problems caused by ORC and retail violence, opportunities through research and collaborative information sharing, and legislation as a means to abate ORC.

ICSC and other organizations involved with the summit continue to actively support ongoing policy efforts, including S. 140, the "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023," sponsored by Senator Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-IA). Senator Grassley will be a featured speaker at the summit, discussing how this and other pieces of legislation - including the recently signed INFORM Act - are critical steps toward limiting organized crime.

More information on ICSC's efforts to combat ORC can be found here. finance.yahoo.com


Philadelphia's Gun Violence Epidemic Captured on Camera
There is no hiding from Philly's gun violence | Editorial

A recent shooting was captured by a security camera in horrifying detail. It should be required viewing to better understand the fear and trauma facing so many in Philly.

The only thing worse than the rampant violence is the ho-hum response from the Kenney administration. Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted about the passing of a retired Comcast Spectacor executive but had nothing to say on social media about the murders. Ditto Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

All of the mayoral candidates have said gun violence is their top issue. Yet, among the gaggle of hopefuls vying to replace Kenney, only Democrat Allan Domb and Republican David Oh noted the murders over the weekend.

At least 79 people have been killed in the city in a little over two months this year. Scores more have been shot. Last month, a Temple police officer was shot and killed in North Philadelphia.

Days later and just two blocks away, a 13-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy were shot as they walked home from school. Two days after that, seven more people - including five teens and a 2-year-old girl - were shot in Strawberry Mansion.

That shooting was captured by a security camera in horrifying detail. It should be required viewing to better understand the fear and trauma that too many residents endure in Philadelphia, especially in poorer and largely Black and brown neighborhoods where many, but not all, the shootings occur.

There should be no looking away from this video. This is what occurs in Philadelphia nearly every day. Often several times a day. Ignoring it is not an option. More must be done to reduce the gun violence. inquirer.com


SF Mayor Pushing to Significantly Increase Police Spending $100M+
Filling the new jobs might be a challenge

Breed doubles down on police spending, pressures supervisors
In a flurry of indignation, and for the second time in less than a year, Mayor London Breed is pushing to significantly increase The City's spending on law enforcement.

Breed took to the Tenderloin on Tuesday to champion a suite of proposals related to public safety. They include a proposed $27.6 million increase to the Police Department's existing budget to pay for police overtime, as well as a new $84 million, three-year labor agreement with the officers' union that would significantly increase pay and create new recruitment incentives for officers.

Breed warned residents of dire consequences if supervisors don't sign on. In doing so, she attempted to place the immediate future of public safety in San Francisco squarely at the feet of the Board of Supervisors.

If it rejects her plan, Breed cautioned, "you think it's challenging to get police officers in this community now? It will be virtually impossible."

"You think that our city is unsafe? It will be terrible for the City and County of San Francisco," Breed said. "Absolutely terrible."

Breed is campaigning for approval of a $23.6 million contract extension with Urban Alchemy, the nonprofit that deploys community ambassadors to clean and monitor the streets of the Tenderloin and Mid-Market neighborhoods. sfexaminer.com


Lowering Penalties While Crime is High??
D.C.'s Criminal Code Overhaul - Lowering Maximum Penalties
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to formally strike down a controversial overhaul of D.C's criminal code.

With Democratic support, the House already passed a Republican-led resolution to stop the measure from becoming law. Then last week, President Biden stunned even some in his own party when he said he would sign the resolution. The chair of D.C's city council, Phil Mendelson (D), on Monday tried to withdraw the bill before the Senate votes on it - a move he hoped would give the council time to rework the bill.

The Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 updates most of D.C's criminal code for the first time since 1901, changing how crimes are defined and lowering statutory maximum penalties for some violent crimes.

For most crimes, including robbery, burglary and carjacking, the new code would lower maximum penalties and replace the sentencing range with a new tiered system - which proponents of the bill say would allow for sentencing guidelines to more accurately fit the severity of the offense.

Lassoed by GOP on crime bill

Update: The Senate voted 81-14 Wednesday in favor of a GOP-led resolution to nullify a Washington, D.C., crime reform law that would have eased punishments for some violent crimes including carjacking. Thirty-three Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), joined every Republican senator to back the measure.

Faced with accusations that Democrats are soft on crime, Biden tacked to the right in favor of the GOP push to block D.C.'s law, and in the process enraged House Democrats who had already voted the other way. The controversy divided politically vulnerable Democrats, a plus for the new House GOP majority.

The Hill's Al Weaver notes that Republicans will return to crime and public safety to undercut Democratic candidates in 2024, especially in cities and suburban areas where voters of all stripes say they're fed up with lawbreakers, illegal drugs and a sense that the public is less safe.

What is the state of crime in D.C.?

The answer is complicated, and local officials would be the first to tell you they are not happy with crime in the city.

As of Tuesday, homicides were up 34 percent compared with the same time in 2022 - a year that breached the grim milestone of 200 homicides for only the second time in almost two decades - and car thefts have surged by 110 percent over that same period.

Popular businesses in residential neighborhoods like Adams Morgan have experienced repeated break-ins. Property crime is up 32 percent.

But police data also shows signs of progress. Robberies are down by 16 percent compared with the same time last year, and overall violent crime has fallen by 8 percent. Carjackings have remained about the same year-over-year, hovering about 2 percent lower than this time in 2022. washingtonpost.com


Boston, MA: 'It's sad here': Store owner fearful, frustrated after armed robbery

Senate to vote on resolution invalidating D.C. crime bill

States Push to Prevent Future Business Lockdowns & Mandates
Covid backlash hobbles public health and future pandemic response

Lawsuits and legislation have stripped public health officials of their powers in three years

When the next pandemic sweeps the United States, health officials in Ohio won't be able to shutter businesses or schools, even if they become epicenters of outbreaks. Nor will they be empowered to force Ohioans who have been exposed to go into quarantine. State officials in North Dakota are barred from directing people to wear masks to slow the spread. Not even the president can force federal agencies to issue vaccination or testing mandates to thwart its march.

Conservative and libertarian forces have defanged much of the nation's public health system through legislation and litigation as the world staggers into the fourth year of covid.

At least 30 states, nearly all led by Republican legislatures, have passed laws since 2020 that limit public health authority, according to a Washington Post analysis of laws collected by Kaiser Health News and the Associated Press as well as the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University.

Health officials and governors in more than half the country are now restricted from issuing mask mandates, ordering school closures and imposing other protective measures or must seek permission from their state legislatures before renewing emergency orders, the analysis showed. washingtonpost.com


The Post-Pandemic Retail Revamp
Tech companies are racing to make retail stores as measurable as websites

Retailers are turning to tech companies to revamp their brick-and-mortar strategies as the relevance of physical stores becomes more crucial post pandemic.

There are a few industry factors that are driving more retailers to pursue partnerships with retail tech vendors like Cooler Screens and Placer.ai. As the coronavirus pandemic has altered shopping behavior, retailers are finding that they want more data on how their customers are behaving in stores to make the physical retail experience more compelling and efficient. Second, these solutions - particularly in-store advertising displays like Cooler Screens - are helping companies grow their burgeoning retail media businesses.

There's a renewed interest in these types of services as more people have resumed in-store shopping as Covid cases have subsided. In-store visits to malls rose 40.3% in December last year compared to November, according to data from Placer.AI. modernretail.co


COVID disruptions at work lead to baby boom

Deaths rise in New Zealand due to COVID, demographic shifts
 

DOJ: United States Attorney Young Announces Implementation of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

Policy Sets National U.S. Attorney Office Standard for Circumstances Under Which Companies May Receive Credit for Voluntarily Self-Disclosing Criminal Conduct, and Benefits of Self-Disclosure

The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney's Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate.

The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. justice.gov


United States Attorneys' Offices Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy
The Office of the Deputy Attorney General has reviewed and approved this policy. The policy shall apply to all United States Attorney's Offices and is effective immediately.  justice.gov


FRT Becoming More & More Common Place For the Public
Here's how facial recognition is changing travel through Bay Area airports

The U.S. government now scans your face at airports, ports and other borders

All three of the Bay Area's airports are deploying new facial recognition technology, called 'Simplified Arrivals', to screen incoming international passengers and testing it in San Jose to track some departing passengers too. It's catching imposters and processing travelers more efficiently - but also raising privacy concerns.

"You get instant verification," said James Hutton of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on a recent morning as hordes of bleary-eyed travelers streamed through San Francisco International Airport's immigration control booths and paused for a snapshot.

"The camera does immediate identification," he said, "telling the customs officer that, 'This is the person that's in front of me.' "

Instead, in a major overhaul of its strategy of processing travelers, government officials have installed cameras next to customs officers at all 238 international airports, 13 seaports and every pedestrian and bus processing facility along the nation's northern and southern land borders. The new technology was introduced at Bay Area airports in 2020 and completed at all ports of entry nationwide last June.

TSA agents are testing similar devices for departing flights at some security check-in lines at San Jose International Airport and others - a "curb to gate" approach that uses the passenger's face as a boarding pass.

"Your face is matched to the document that's tied to your reservation," easing the process of boarding passengers, said Hutton. "If we can verify that the person who went through TSA screening is the same person at the gate, you would never have to take your passport out of your pocket."

It's a far cry from the instantaneous-everywhere facial recognition portrayed in many popular TV crime shows, but biometric technology, which uses an individual's unique physical traits to verify their identity, is increasingly used by private businesses and law enforcement.

Facial recognition is already a familiar part of smartphones, supplanting passwords. Most banks use "FaceID" to let customers securely log onto mobile banking apps. Target, Walmart and Lowe's are experimenting with facial recognition to combat shoplifting and fraud, identifying known thieves.

The pandemic accelerated the technology's adoption, offering a "touchless" way to process passengers. Officials don't have to scan a passport or clean a kiosk.

Americans can opt out, asking an agent to verify their identity the original way. There are exemptions for minors under age 14 and elders over age 80. mercurynews.com


Employee Surveillance Under Scrutiny by NLRB & CFPB
Feds partner to target employer surveillance

The federal agencies have grown increasingly interested in employers' use of technology over the past few years.

The National Labor Relations Board and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau signed a memorandum of understanding March 7, establishing their intention to share information and "address practices of employer surveillance, monitoring, data collection and employer-driven debt," a press release from the NLRB explained.

"Employers' practices and use of artificial intelligence tools can chill workers from exercising their labor rights," NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in the release.

In September, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission focused on tech concerns during a listening session meant to help it develop a strategic enforcement plan. One speaker mentioned the power imbalance surveillance created for workers in industries like warehousing and retail, where workers were made to wear tracking devices and hit pre-established targets. The employees were sometimes fired for not meeting targets and avoided taking breaks or going to the bathroom, the speaker noted.

While the MOU did not specify which practices the agencies would work to target, Abruzzo released a memo in November that pointed to several issues in which the NLRB had taken an interest - and asked the board to develop a framework to address. Specifically, she noted that the use of surveillance such as photography and screen- and voice-recording devices can interfere with workers' ability to exercise their National Labor Relations Act rights.

"If the employer establishes that the practices at issue are narrowly tailored to address a legitimate business need - i.e., that its need cannot be met through means less damaging to employee rights - I will urge the Board to balance the respective interests of the employer and the employees to determine whether the Act permits the employer's practices."  hrdive.com


FTC Approves Final Order Requiring Michigan-Based Security Companies to Drop Noncompete Restrictions That They Imposed on Workers
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission finalized consent orders settling charges that two affiliated Michigan-based security companies and their owners illegally imposed noncompete restrictions on low-wage security guards who worked for them.

The consent orders against Prudential Security, Inc., Prudential Command Inc., and their owners, Greg Wier and Matthew Keywell, impose a number of requirements and restrictions, including a provision that prohibits them from enforcing, threatening to enforce, or imposing noncompetes against any employees. ftc.gov


The Evolution of the Terminal & The Convergence of Digital & Physical Channels
Instant Checkout Satisfies Consumer Demand for Digital-First, Omnichannel Commerce
Unattended checkout is gaining steam in brick-and-mortar settings and will gain speed, so to speak, with the aid of advanced technologies.

"Where we are, right now, is a natural acceleration that has come from the pandemic - toward a digital, mobile-first experience," Buy online pay in-store (BOPIS), of course, is here to stay.

In the months and years ahead, she said, we'll see an ever-evolving convergence between digital and physical channels at the point of checkout.

Foshee noted the convergence is sparking an "evolution of the terminal." The register is evolving away from existing as a machine affixed to a counter at the front of the store, near the door, where cards are swiped and tapped and we walk out with paper receipts. Increasingly, the terminal/register travels with us.

"Overall, there's an expectation for digital-first experiences," Foshee told PYMNTS.

A number of advanced technologies are helping usher in that aforementioned convergence. She said biometrics are becoming more widely accepted (and valued) by consumers as they transact and want more privacy around their data.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), she said, can help streamline and improve the customer experience as data moves with them across channels. pymnts.com


Facing likely subpoena, Starbucks chief Howard Schultz agrees to testify before Senate panel on labor practices/union organizing


Quarterly Results

BJ's Wholesale Club Q4 comp's up 8.7%, membership fees up 8.7%, digital up 22%, sales up 9.8%
BJ's Wholesale Club FY comp's up 13.4%, membership fees up 9.9%, net sales up 16%

Ulta Beauty Q4 comp's up 21.4%, net sales up 24.1%, FY comp's up up 37.9%, net sales up 40.3%

Dick's Sporting Goods Q4 comp's up 5.3%, Q4 net sales up 7.3%, FY comp's down 0.5%, FY net sales up 0.6%

Macy's Q4 comp's down 3.3% on owned basis and down 2.7% on owned-plus-licensed basis, digital up 9%, net sales down 4.6%
Macy's FY comp's up 0.3% on owned basis and up 0.6% on owned-plus-licensed basis, digital down 6%, net sales down 0.1%

U.S. Cannabis Legalization 2023 Update

2022 was an eventful year for cannabis activists, lawmakers, businesses, and consumers. 4 U.S. states legalized either medical or recreational cannabis, and most of them are from the Southeast region. As of January 2023, 38 states have a medical cannabis program, and 22 have legal recreational cannabis.

States that Legalized Cannabis

Here is a map that demonstrates the legal status of each U.S. state.

Pandemic is Over & The Tide's Changing

Online Retailers Facing Challenges & The Endless Void of the Internet
Shipping Costs - Customer Acquisition & Retention - Competition & Product Offerings

11 digitally native retailers at risk of bankruptcy
These companies were meant to be disruptors to the industry. But as macroeconomic pressures intensify and capital gets harder to find, they may be put to their biggest test.

The e-commerce darlings that were meant to save retail may soon find themselves in bankruptcy court.

Internet and direct marketing retailers had the highest median market signal one-year probability of default of any sector at 8.1%, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data and analysis from February. Other sectors included home furnishings retail; apparel, accessories and luxury goods; department stores; and consumer electronics.

Already this year Forma Brands - the parent company to beauty brands Morphe, Bad Habit, Jaclyn Cosmetics and Playa Beauty - filed for Chapter 11. Aside from bankruptcy, digitally native retailers have needed to close stores and lay off staff as a way to cut costs amid economic pressure.

And while retailers are facing challenges like massive supply chain disruption, and consumers are pulling back more on discretionary purchases amid inflation and other economic pressure, the problems many e-commerce companies are experiencing predate the pandemic.

Pure-play e-commerce retailers are twice as likely as retailers who have stores to report being unprofitable.

According to data from CreditRiskMonitor, 11 online retailers have an elevated risk of filing for bankruptcy in the next 12 months. Many of those retailers outlined above also carry a high or very high probability of default over the next 12 months.   retaildive.com