5/16/24

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LP & Cybersecurity Leaders Featured at NRF PROTECT
NRF PROTECT to Showcase Leading Loss Prevention, Cybersecurity Experts

NRF takes place from June 4-6 in Long Beach, CA

WHAT: NRF PROTECT convenes retail industry experts from loss prevention, asset protection, cybersecurity, digital fraud and risk management to address retail security risks and experience the latest tools to protect retail customers, employees, assets, reputations and brands.

WHO: NRF PROTECT fosters collaboration among retailers, law enforcement and solution providers from around the world. This year's event includes more than 90 speakers and 220 exhibitors. Featured speakers include:

• Rich Agostino, senior vice president and chief information security officer, Target
• Sean Browne, senior manager, organized retail crime, The Home Depot
• Jeff Blunk, director of investigations, Nordstrom
• Diane Brown, vice president, IT risk management, Ulta Beauty
• Herm Edwards, football analyst, ESPN
• Dean Henrico, senior vice president of asset protection, Loblaw Companies Limited
• Paul Jaeckle, vice president, asset protection and safety, Meijer
• Torrey Kingcade, intelligence analyst, DOJ-FBI
• Mahveen Mohiuddin, VP, risk management, North America, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.
• Kevin Morrison, director of loss prevention, fraud and payments risk, Helzberg Diamonds
• Amy Nofziger, director fraud victim support and AARP fraud watch network, AARP
• Karen Osorio, head of security and compliance-Americas, H&M
• Adam Parks, deputy special agent in charge, Homeland Security Investigations
• Claire Rushton, crimes against the business, global investigations, senior director, Walmart
• Mark Tomallo, chief information security officer, Victoria's Secret & Co.

See a full list of speakers here.

 
2024 Election Could Fuel Surge in Physical Threats
Forget AI: Physical threats are biggest risk facing the 2024 election

November's vote has been called the "AI election," but officials are most worried about the physical safety of election workers and infrastructure.

SAN FRANCISCO - 2024 could turn out to be the year in which artificial intelligence upends the U.S. election, but at America's largest cybersecurity conference, federal officials charged with protecting the vote said they are most concerned with a far more analog threat: physical violence directed at election administrators.

While many election officials are concerned about issues of disinformation - both AI-generated and not - physical security threats on or around Election Day to polling places, ballot counting centers and locations where equipment is stored are top of mind.

U.S. election officials are already facing a tsunami of physical threats, harassment, doxing and swatting attacks - in which police are called to a person's residence on phony pretenses - and the risk of violence is only exacerbated by persistent and false online narratives that American elections are in one way or another rigged, experts caution.

Against this backdrop, CISA officials say they are stepping up their assistance to state and local election administrators. Since the beginning of last year, the agency has conducted 300 cybersecurity assessments, 470 physical security assessments, held dozens of tabletop exercises, trained at least 9,000 election stakeholders, given out 230 security clearances and held a number of classified briefings, CISA Director Jen Easterly told reporters on the sidelines of RSA. cyberscoop.com


EHS Hiring Process in Need of Rehaul?
Finding the Best Safety Candidate for the Best Safety Job

The job hunting and hiring processes have become unnecessarily complicated.

This has to start with employers and EHS leaders. We have to know what we are hiring for and make that clear in the job posting, phone screenings, interviews and anywhere else we might communicate with a candidate. The hardest part is following through on that commitment.

Most EHS professionals who have been in the field for a few years have accepted a new EHS role without a clear understanding of the role they were accepting. As employers, we try not to reveal too much, because we do not want to scare away candidates. And, as candidates, we don't want to ask too many questions because we want to appear willing to do whatever is asked. Also, finding a new job tends to be exhausting.

By the time we fully understand the role we have gotten ourselves into, it is too late to back out. And by the time an employer realizes the capabilities of their new EHS hire, it is too late to try again. ehstoday.com


Meijer expands footprint with three new stores - here's where

Nation's largest restaurant chains increase units by 2% in 2023
 

Using Lights to Deter Cannabis Crime
Security Lighting Guide for Cannabis Businesses
Lights are the first line of defense for any brick-and-mortar store, but in the cannabis industry, they are an even more crucial component of the security system. A proper security lighting system can both prevent and deter potential intruders, secure parking lots and outside perimeters, and illuminate areas that receive little or no light from adjacent properties.

Outside, exterior lights allow security personnel to observe the activity of people and vehicles. Inside, sufficient interior lighting allows employees to verify access to the property and properly match badges and IDs. Similarly, security personnel will be able to effectively manage threats, and have an easier time monitoring or re-watching camera footage.

Types of Security Lighting

Flood Lights - Areas with the least amount of illumination will utilize flood lights to emit broad beams onto large spaces. Some examples of placement include parking lots, concert halls, and professional sports arenas.

Motion-Detecting Lights - Though lights are an effective tool, leaving them on 24/7 can be costly, but can also show an intruder a clear path to a facility's points of entry. To prevent this, motion-detecting lights can be used so that when activity is sensed, the light turns on and after a set period of time, they turn off. More advanced models can pick up infrared absorption for bigger heat sources and distinguish a person or car from "insignificant triggers" like animals and insects.

Strobe & Siren Lights - The last thing an intruder wants to experience is anything that reminds them of law enforcement. Strobe and siren do just that by heightening the sense of urgency with flashing lights and discomforting sounds. As it is certain to grab the attention of anyone in the building, an intruder would then have to make a split-second decision to either continue the unlawful activity by remaining in the facility or fleeing the scene. This is a perfect example of security lighting functioning as a psychological deterrent.

Decoy Lights - Decoy lights are purely there to deter intruders. Many businesses and home-owners assume that all they need is for devices to appear to be working, but like cameras, a good thief or intruder will be able to tell if the device is a fake by its location and mounting and appearance. sapphirerisk.com


'Operation Padlock' Cracks Down on Illegal Pot Shops in NYC
NYC shutters 75 illicit weed shops in first week of crackdown, with hundreds and hundreds to go
Seventy-five illegal weed shops were shuttered in the first week of the Adams administration's "Operation Padlock" crackdown on illicit marijuana sales in the city, officials announced Tuesday.

The first batch of closures marks a drop in the bucket as there are believed to be some 3,000 illegal pot shops operating in the Big Apple, most of which cropped up in the wake of the state legalizing marijuana in 2021 without immediately rolling out a comprehensive legal market.

In a press briefing at City Hall on Tuesday morning, Mayor Adams acknowledged there's a lot more work to do.

"They are just getting started," he said of the Operation Padlock strike force, which is being led by the city Sheriff's Office.

The operation was launched in response to Gov. Hochul and Albany lawmakers granting the city expanded enforcement powers last month that allows it to close down illegal weed shops without first securing approval from the state.

Before the state gave the city the beefed up authority, Adams promised repeatedly that he would shut down every unlicensed weed shop in the city "within 30 days" of being awarded the expanded enforcement powers. But on April 30, shortly after the state finally gave him those powers, Adams tempered expectations, saying he'd instead make "a substantial dent" in reducing the number of illicit shops within 30 days. nydailynews.com


Ohio adult-use marijuana sales approved as part of 2023 ballot measure could begin by mid-June
Recreational marijuana could be available for sale in Ohio by mid-June, after new licensing rules for dispensaries cleared a key legislative hurdle Monday. Adult-use sales have been in limbo in the state since December, when an initiated statute approved by voters went into effect. Ohioans over 21 were immediately able to legally grow and possess cannabis at home, but they had nowhere to legally buy it - prompting concern by Gov. Mike DeWine and some fellow Republicans in the Legislature that openings would be created for a black market. cannabisbusinessexecutive.com


Why Florida medical marijuana companies are pushing so hard for recreational pot

Minnesota Cannabis Producers Given the Greenlight After Being Momentarily in Limbo

Cheap Goods Fueling Online Spending Surge
US Online Spending Up in 2024 as Consumers Turn to Cheaper Goods
US e-commerce spending increased 7% year on year in the first four months as shoppers purchased more goods at cheaper prices, according to Adobe Analytics.

Online sales came to $331.6 billion between January 1 and April 30, Adobe said last week. "Buy now, pay later" has also contributed to the increase, allowing shoppers to find more flexible ways to manage their budgets. For the period, this method contributed $25.9 billion to online sales, up 12% year on year. Net-new demand drove spending, rather than higher prices caused by inflation, Adobe said.

Multiple categories saw growth, including electronics, apparel and groceries, Adobe noted. In the first four months, consumers spent $61.8 billion on electronics, up 3.1% year on year, while apparel rose 2.6% to $52.5 billion. Groceries climbed 16% to $38.8 billion.

Mobile is gaining on desktop as the method of choice for shopping, after first surpassing it during the 2023 holiday season. In the first four months of the year, mobile purchasing grew 10% to $156.9 billion.

In the first half of 2024, e-commerce sales will rise 7% year on year, exceeding $500 billion, Adobe predicted.

"Months of persistent inflation has led shoppers to embrace cheaper goods across major e-commerce categories," the data provider said. "Adobe found the share of the cheapest goods increased significantly across categories."  rapaport.com


The E-Commerce Shift Continues
Fashion Shoppers' Shift to Digital Sends Physical Retailers Packing
Most consumers continue to purchase clothing in stores, but eCommerce channels are gaining share, and when consumers shop for apparel online, it is often not with brands or retailers but with third-party marketplaces.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report "The Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces," which drew from a survey of more than 3,500 U.S. consumers in October, sought to understand shoppers' choices and behaviors when they buy online. The results revealed that among those who had bought clothing or accessories in the previous month, 62% did so at a physical store, and 42% did so at an online marketplace. Meanwhile, only 25% made such a purchase from a retailer's site or app, and 20% from a brand's site or app.

Meanwhile, Amazon is gaining share in apparel. The PYMNTS Intelligence study "Whole Paycheck Report: New Consumer Spend Data Finds Amazon Way Ahead of Walmart" estimated each of the two retailers' market shares in various categories. Supplemental research from the study showed that in the fourth quarter of 2023, for the first time, consumers bought more than half of the apparel they purchased online from Amazon.

The online retail giant's share of eCommerce consumer clothing spending rose to 52%, from 48% the previous quarter. Its share of total consumer clothing spending grew to 17% from 16% in the fourth quarter.

Overall, many consumers continue to treat themselves to clothing purchases even amid economic challenges.  pymnts.com


Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky to step down

Report: Online shopping harms nature, climate, and Europe's only Indigenous People

None to report.

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Featured Job Spotlights
 

An Industry Obligation - Staffing 'Best in Class' Teams Every one has a role to play in building an industry. Filled your job? Any good candidates left over? Help Your Colleagues - Your Industry - Build a 'Best in Class' Community Refer the Best & Build the Best Quality - Diversity - Industry Obligation
	Regional Loss Prevention Manager Indiana - Posted May 9 The Regional Manager of Loss Prevention, Audit & Firearms Compliance is a leadership role that will evaluate and reduce shrink for the stores and facilities assigned in their region by conducting internal and external investigations and resolving all matters that jeopardize or cause losses to the company and its assets. Regional Loss Prevention Managers are also responsible for conducting field audits for store and firearm compliance...
	Dir. Security & Interactive Video Support Plano, TX - Posted April 18 The Director of Security and Interactive Video Support is responsible for leading a team of security support personnel that provide end/end support for managed Intrusion and Video services offerings.  This position is responsible for managing & leading a team that owns all aspects of the restoration and support processes required for the customers that Interface provides a broad set of asset protection services to...
	Multi-Store Detective (Pittsburgh Operating Market) Pittsburgh, PA - Posted April 9 Job Summary: Store Detectives are key players in serving their assigned locations in the detection and apprehension of shoplifters. Job Responsibilities: Detect and apprehend shoplifters with the use of standard visual practice and CCTV in multi-store environment; Utilize CCTV to create video records of incidents requested by law enforcement and internal departments...
	Multi-Store Detective (Cleveland Operating Market) Cleveland, OH - Posted April 9 Job Summary: Store Detectives are key players in serving their assigned locations in the detection and apprehension of shoplifters. Job Responsibilities: Detect and apprehend shoplifters with the use of standard visual practice and CCTV in multi-store environment; Utilize CCTV to create video records of incidents requested by law enforcement and internal departments...
	Multi-Store Detective (Akron/Canton Operating Market) Akron/Canton, OH - Posted April 9 Job Summary: Store Detectives are key players in serving their assigned locations in the detection and apprehension of shoplifters. Job Responsibilities: Detect and apprehend shoplifters with the use of standard visual practice and CCTV in multi-store environment; Utilize CCTV to create video records of incidents requested by law enforcement and internal departments...

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