NRF PROTECT 2023

TalkLP's Wrap Up at NRF PROTECT Day 1 Watch what happened at NRF PROTECT 2023 Day 1 in this recap from host Amber Bradley and TalkLPnews! Click here to watch

NRF PROTECT 2023 Panel Spotlight
How Inspire Brands, Albertsons and Helzberg Diamonds adapt to the everchanging challenge of online fraud

NRF PROTECT: Approaching fraud as an overall business problem helps companies tackle the problem holistically

Ecommerce continues to grow, and with it an increasing risk of fraudulent activity. On the second day of NRF PROTECT 2023, a capacity crowd gathered to hear insights on negotiating the current online fraud environment.

Participants in the panel included Patrick Finnegan, director of loss prevention and fraud with Inspire Brands; Flora Garcia, director of enterprise data and fraud prevention with the Albertsons Companies; and Kevin Morrison, director of loss prevention, fraud and payments risk with Helzberg Diamonds.

While their responsibilities vary from company to company and market to market, Finnegan, Garcia and Morrison all deal with issues around payments, the internal visibility of what they do, the need to understand the changing payment ecosystem, and the problem of card-not-present transactions.

They also share the need to protect their companies from fraud while avoiding friction with their customers - and avoiding friction with colleagues, whose responsibilities might lead to conflict with loss prevention and anti-fraud initiatives.

The panelists agreed that a partial solution is to foster agreement among departments as to what problems are being solved, or at least addressed.

"If there's conflict between loss prevention and the sales force," said Garcia, "we at least all need to be using the same data." Inspire, for instance, has a cross-departmental digital fraud task force. "It's a way to get people out of their silos," Finnegan said. "We want to say yes."

One way to make that happen is to look at fraud as an overall business problem. Part of this process, Morrison said, requires the people who dream up sales campaigns to run them by the fraud-prevention troops before announcing them to the customer base.  nrf.com


Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls unveils Sensormatic Synergy Media Display at NRF PROTECT 2023

The brand's new media display allows retailers to leverage prime storefront real estate to drive traffic, push targeted advertising and gain insights into customer behavior

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland-June 6, 2023-Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, unveiled its newest storefront solution, the Sensormatic Synergy Media Display, at NRF PROTECT 2023. Expected to be available to retailers across regions in the summer of 2023, the Sensormatic Synergy Media Display enables retailers to install dynamic displays onto their Sensormatic Synergy ("Synergy) loss prevention pedestals at the front of the store, so they can do more with their most-visible touchpoints.

"Adding media displays to our Synergy line of exit pedestals helps retailers make the most of their electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems-both in terms of shopper experience and data analytics," said Craig Szklany, vice president and product general manager for loss prevention and liability at Sensormatic Solutions. "Installing Sensormatic Synergy Media Displays onto existing Synergy deployments turns the exit-focused loss prevention systems retailers already have into end-to-end solutions that support more connected shopper journeys, generate ad revenue, and give retailers insight from customers' first steps into the store."

Read more here

TalkLP Podcast: NRF LP Council Chair Scott McBride & NRF's VP of AP & Retail Operations David Johnston talk future plans under new leadership
National Retail Federation's (NRF) Vice President of Asset Protection & Retail Operations David Johnston and the newly announced Chair of the NRF Loss Prevention Council, Scott McBride, Chief Global Asset Protection Officer & CSO at AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC. joins TalkLP Host Amber Bradley to discuss the re-energized direction of the NRF Loss Prevention initiatives under David and Scott's leadership.

Both loss prevention veterans talk what's new and what's coming for the NRF - and it's time to get excited. Scott also gives a quick look at what asset protection executives need to be prepared for near term and long term for strategic planning.

Check out their take on the NRF's future and how it impacts the loss prevention industry!

Watch it here
 

---

The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

Backlash Over California's New Hands-Off Shoplifting Bill
Chamber of Commerce Reacts to California Bill's New Shoplifting Policy
As controversy and confusion continue to surround rules around how retail store workers should handle the shoplifting epidemic, the California state senate last week passed SB 553, which would prohibit retailers from requiring staff to confront people trying to steal.

The move comes in response to a rash of incidences where sales associates trying to stop shoplifters has led to escalating situations, sometimes with fatal outcomes.

It also comes as a new National Retail Federation study finds that shoplifting is becoming an existential threat to brick-and-mortar commerce altogether and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the growing problem of retail crime.

Passed in the senate, the California bill heads to the assembly, where if passed and then signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, it would authorize labor unions to seek temporary restraining orders on behalf of employees based on workplace violence or credible threats of violence. It also would prohibit employers from "maintaining policies that require employees to confront active shooters or suspected shoplifters."

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), said the bill was motivated by recent tragic incidences at California Walgreens and Home Depot, where a shoplifter at the former and an employee at the latter tried to stop shoplifters, per company policy in each case.

"With growing awareness of workplace violence, California needs smarter guidelines to keep workers safe in the office or on the job site," Cortese wrote on his website. "Under my SB 553, employers would be prohibited from forcing their workers to confront active shoplifters, and all retail employees would be trained on how to react to active shoplifting. The legislation has other provisions that keep people safe at work. Let's take every reasonable step to prevent another workplace assault or shooting."

The California Chamber of Commerce, however, has reservations about the measure.

"California's employers-both public and private-should be very concerned about SB 553 because it requires all employers to meet workplace violence standards that exceed even those applied to hospitals under present regulations," the organization's policy advocate Rob Moutri said in a statement. "Cal/OSHA staff specifically rejected using the hospital standard for all industries, and have spent years working on a general industry draft that makes sense for all of California's workplaces. Sadly, SB 553 ignored those years of work and applies the hospital standard-with a few additional provisions-to even the smallest employer in the state." sourcingjournal.com


Walgreens Chicago Theft Crackdown Making Headlines
An entire Walgreens store in Chicago has been redesigned in hopes of curbing theft

Walgreens has redesigned a Chicago store to put most of the products behind counters, and it could help cut down on theft

Walgreens renovated a store in Chicago & moved most products off the shop floor.

Walgreens has redesigned a store in downtown Chicago and put most of the products behind counters, which could help the company cut down on theft amid a rise in organized retail crime.

The converted store, which is located in the city's South Loop area, has just two low-rise aisles with low-cost essentials such as groceries, bandages, soap, and cosmetics. CWB Chicago reported that the shelves are no taller than five feet - meaning that staff are able to watch customers shopping.

CWB's photos of the new-look store show shoplifting sensors at the entrance of this section of the store. Customers can buy these items at self-checkout stations.

To get anything else, customers have to order it using an in-store tablet - accompanied by a sign saying: "Let us do the shopping." The customer will then pick these items up from a member of staff at the counter. This is the same for both retail items and pharmacy prescriptions, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The company told the Sun-Times that the redesigned store in South Loop had more staff than the average store. Some customers told local news site Block Club Chicago that they felt the store had been redesigned to cut down on theft. businessinsider.com


The Return of 'Stop & Frisk' in NYC?
N.Y.P.D. Anti-Crime Units Still Stopping People Illegally, Report Shows

Mayor Eric Adams revived the teams, promising they would be well trained and supervised. But a new report found widespread use of stop-and-frisk tactics against people of color.

The New York Police Department's anti-crime units are still stopping, frisking and searching too many people unlawfully - almost all of them people of color - despite assurances from Mayor Eric Adams that new policies and training would end the practice, according to a new report by a court-appointed monitor.

The monitor, Mylan L. Denerstein, filed a report in federal court in Manhattan on Monday detailing what she described as unlawful policing. Ms. Denerstein, whose position was created in 2013 after a court ruled the Police Department's use of stop and frisk was unconstitutional, is assigned to oversee the units, which have a history of targeting Black and Hispanic people.

Earlier versions of the units were responsible for a disproportionate number of police shootings, and they were disbanded in 2020. Mr. Adams reinstated and renamed them after he took office last year, but critics were skeptical that they could be run without racially profiling young men of color, as previous units had.

Almost all of the stops made by the rebranded "neighborhood safety teams" analyzed in the report - 97 percent - were of Black or Hispanic people, and 24 percent of the stops were unconstitutional. Of 230 car stops included in the sample, only two appear to have turned up weapons, the report said.

Police and city officials took issue with the report's conclusions and said the units had been effective both in keeping interactions with the public lawful and in reducing killings. Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Mr. Adams, said the mayor's office had serious concerns about the report's methodology. nytimes.com


Mass Shooting Surge Leads to Store Closure
Gun Store Owner Decides to Close Shop in Response to Recent Mass Shootings

The owner of Duluth-based shop Georgia Ballistics says it's a matter of "conscience."

A gun store owner in Georgia says he's closing up shop in response to recent mass shootings in which children were killed.

Jon Waldman, the owner of Georgia Ballistics in Duluth, spoke with regional outlet WXIA-TV last week about his decision and his larger concerns about gun violence. According to Waldman, who opened the shop in March 2021, seeing "kids after kids after kids" being caught up in gun violence has led him to this moment.

"This is just my conscience, and it's more important to me than anything else," he told the outlet, adding that moving forward on this issue will, in his opinion, require communities coming together on "both sides."

Elaborating further on his decision in an interview, as seen up top, Waldman noted that the closure of his shop doesn't mean he's individually against people being armed.

"I just can't sell items like this to people," he said. Waldman also questioned the effectiveness of background checks, pointing out that merely passing one doesn't necessarily mean a person "should" have access to such weapons. complex.com


Takeaways from Baltimore Police budget hearing: vacancies continue, low-level offenses in spotlight
The mayor's proposed budget calls for a $594 million allocation for the police force, an uptick from this fiscal year's total $579 million.

This year, the city is seeing slightly lower homicide and nonfatal shooting rates compared with the same time period in 2022. Data for the week ending May 27 showed 2023 homicides were down by 15% and nonfatal shootings down by 9%

Low-level offenses in the spotlight

Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates announced last week that his office would resume prosecuting low-level offenses, such as loitering, drinking in public and drug possession, through a new citation court docket.

Baltimore Police will begin to issue criminal citations for the "quality of life" offenses beginning Monday.

The Group Violence Reduction Strategy, a focused deterrence model of violent crime reduction piloted last year, has been touted by the Scott administration as a success as it has continued to expand to a new police district this year.

Eric Melancon, the department's deputy commissioner for compliance, said Tuesday that there are 338 patrol vacancies, out of 522 total vacant budgeted and funded positions. The staffing plan, Melancon said, calls for 918 patrol positions, but there are roughly 650 currently filled. baltimoresun.com


How did Minnesota change its criminal laws this session?
In recent years, businesses in the Twin Cities metro have been targeted by groups of looters who stormed into stores and stole large amounts of merchandise.

Organized retail theft is set to become a specific offense under Minnesota criminal law. People found guilty of organized retail theft can now face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison if the amount of theft is over $5,000. bemidjipiponeer.com


U.S. Congress Update: H.R. Bill 895 - Combating ORC Act of 2023 (118th Congress) Picks up Three More Co-Sponsors
Cosponsor - 22 current - 13 Republicans and 9 Democrats. New: D-TX-30, D-HI-2, D-MI-3. Is your Representative supporting? Check out the list here


UK: 'I'm burnt out from dealing with shoplifters in our London store'
One supermarket worker describes how there has been a significant increase in thefts and there is little they can do about it

Retail stores are locking up more items, leaving shoppers waiting for help

New York's shoplifting hellscape: Letters to the Editor - June 6, 2023

The 'woke' discussion-it's got more teeth, it's got more anger - than anybody really anticipated"
Companies That Embraced Social Issues Have Second Thoughts

Executives rethink if and when to weigh in on potentially divisive issues, fearing backlash from all sides, and develop crisis plans in case things go wrong

CEOs spent the past few years adjusting to a world in which investors, customers and employees expected corporate leaders to align themselves with social causes. Today, that has made companies targets in the U.S. culture wars, where one step can turn a social-media storm into a corporate crisis that cripples businesses and wrecks careers.

Some CEOs are rethinking how-or whether-to weigh in on sensitive political or social matters, with trans and other LGBT issues particularly in the spotlight.

Over the past decade, companies have become more vocal on causes such as immigration, voting access, abortion, gay rights and racial equity, often taking stances shared by progressives. Many executives said they felt pushed by employees or customers to express an opinion on issues rippling through society.

What is changing now, executives and corporate advisers said, is that conservative groups and political leaders are pushing back against companies more forcefully. Consumers are also more openly expressing frustration that companies are airing views in ways some don't welcome.

"The divisiveness in the country-the 'woke' discussion-it's got more teeth, it's got more anger I think than anybody really anticipated," said Jim Fielding, a former chief executive of retailer Claire's Stores and a former president of Disney Stores who is now an executive at the media company Archer Gray. wsj.com


Walmart 'False Imprisonment' Lawsuit
Walmart is found not liable after detaining a customer who refused to show receipts at the door

Colorado's second-highest court said that Walmart couldn't be held liable for false imprisonment.

A customer repeatedly refused to show receipts for his purchases at Denver-area Walmart stores and sued when he was detained by employees who accused him of shoplifting. But Colorado's second-highest court said last week that Walmart couldn't be held liable for the false imprisonment of the shopper, whose name is William Montgomery, The Gazette first reported.

While shoppers are not legally required to show receipts, a customer's refusal to show their receipt could give a store probable cause to detain them, previous cases have determined. While asking customers for receipts is commonplace at big-box stores like Walmart and Costco as a way to curb theft, it has also caused tension among some shoppers and employees.

"We believe our associates acted appropriately, and we will continue to defend the company in this litigation," a Walmart spokesperson said in response to a request for comment on the decision and their policy on checking receipts.

"Montgomery sought to create circumstances which would result in Walmart employees reasonably believing he was committing a crime in their presence," Judge Matthew D. Grove wrote in an opinion affirming a previous decision. The Colorado Court of Appeals maintained the decision of a Colorado county judge, who ruled in favor of Walmart last year in five combined lawsuits that Montgomery filed. businessinsider.com


No Recession Likely in 2023: Good News for the Retail Industry
NRF Economist Says Conditions Look Like Soft Landing, Not Recession
Economic indicators are giving conflicting signs but the nation does not appear to be in a recession and should be headed toward a soft landing from the rampant inflation and high interest rates of the past two years, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today in the June edition of NRF's Monthly Economic Review.

"Today's economy is a lot like looking into a kaleidoscope, with the view changing and the data providing a different reflection of what's happening every time you look," Kleinhenz said. "Depending on which data you view in the economic kaleidoscope, you get two different angles on the state of the consumer. While survey data shows consumers do not have much confidence in the economy, actual spending data shows they were upbeat as the second quarter kicked off." nrf.com


Retail Sector Has Second-Highest Job Cuts in May with 9,053
Layoffs Rise 20% in May Led by Technology and Retail
The total number of job cuts announced in May was 20% higher than that in April and 287% higher than the number announced a year earlier, Challenger, Gray and Christmas said in a Thursday (June 1) press release.

Most industries have seen an increase in layoffs this year. The sector with the second-highest number of job cuts in May was retail, with 9,053. Year to date, the retail sector has had 942% more layoffs this year than last, per the release.

The technology sector accounted for 22,887 of the job cuts announced in May. Year to date, the sector has seen 136,831 layoffs - a total that is 2,939% higher than the same period in 2022 and the highest since 2001, the release said. pymnts.com


Dollar General Rolls Back Store Expansion Plan As Consumer Demand Slows
 

Quarterly Results


SpartanNash Q1 retail comp's up 5.4%, wholesale up 5.2%, net sales up 5.2%

Casey's Q4 Inside comp's up 6.5%, Fuel comp's flat, total inside sales up 8.4%
Casey's FY Inside comp's up 6.5%, Grocery& GM comp's up 6.3%, Pre. Food & Bev. up 7.1%

Victoria's Secret Q1 total comp's down 11%, net sales down 5%

Tilly's Q1 total comp's down 17.5%, net sales down 15.2%

Verizon's '2023 Data Breach Investigations Report'
Released Tuesday, June 6th

Verizon DBIR: Social Engineering Breaches Double, Leading to Spiraling Ransomware Costs

Ransomware continues its growth with median payments reaching $50k per incident.

A full three-quarters of data breaches in the last year (74%) involved the human element, mainly caused by employees either falling for social engineering attacks or making errors, with some misusing their access maliciously.

Social engineering incidents have almost doubled since last year to account for 17% of all breaches, according to Verizon's 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) released June 6 (which analyzed more than 16,312 security incidents, of which 5,199 were confirmed data breaches).

Financially Motivated External Attackers Double Down on Social Engineering

In addition to social engineering growing in volume, the median amount stolen from these attacks hit $50,000 this past year, according to the DBIR. Overall, there were 1,700 incidents that fell into the social media bucket, 928 with confirmed data disclosure.

Phishing and "pretexting," i.e. impersonation of the sort commonly used in business email compromise (BEC) attacks, dominated the social engineering scene, the report found. In fact, pretexting gambits have almost doubled since last year and now represent 50% of all social engineering attacks.

Ransomware Has Yet to Hit a Wall in Growth

Ransomware events held steady in this year's report in terms of share of breaches, accounting, like last year, for about a quarter of incidents overall (24%). This may seem like good news on the outside, but the report noted that the stat actually flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that ransomware would, sooner or later, hit a wall thanks to organizations wising up on defenses, entities refusing to pay, or law enforcement scrutiny.

None of that seems to have moved the needle - and, in fact, there's still plenty of upside for ransomware going forward, the report noted, since it hasn't hit a saturation level.

Battling the Rising Tide of Ransomware & Breaches

To prevent further ransomware growth and stem the tide of breaches in general, Verizon's Novak says that organizations can focus on fairly achievable steps, given that social engineering is a linchpin to both. To wit, in addition to encouraging basic security hygiene and awareness on the part of employees, organizations need to also forge ahead with MFA and focus on honing a range of cybersecurity partnerships.

When it comes to MFA, he said that moving away from simple two-factor authentication using one-time passwords, in favor of strong authentication like FIDO2, will be game changing. FIDO2 presents authentication challenges to the user via a browser, which adds context about the challenge and then delivers it to an attached FIDO2 authenticator, which allows detection of man-in-the-middle snooping and more.

Sidebar: Industry Segments Most at Risk for Data Breaches

Vertical stats are as follows:

• Retail: 406 incidents, 193 with confirmed data disclosure
• Accommodation and Food Services: 254 incidents, 68 with confirmed data disclosure
• Education: 497 incidents, 238 with confirmed data disclosure
• Financial and Insurance: 1,832 incidents, 480 with confirmed data disclosure
• Healthcare: 525 incidents, 436 with confirmed data disclosure
• Information: 2,110 incidents, 384 with confirmed data disclosure
• Manufacturing: 1,817 incidents, 262 with confirmed data disclosure
• Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction + Utilities: 143 incidents, 47 with confirmed data disclosure
• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 1,398 incidents, 423 with confirmed data disclosure
 darkreading.com

   RELATED: Verizon Report: 74% of breaches involve human element


Snap Up Cyber-Smart Directors Before They're Gone
Cybersecurity Risks and Privacy Rules Add Pressure on Boards

Directors are finding they have to get up to speed on emerging threats quickly, as regulations loom

Companies shouldn't wait for new rules around cybersecurity, privacy and emerging technologies to be finalized before preparing for them, lawyers say, particularly as senior executives with the right experience can be hard to come by.

Proposed cybersecurity rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission would require public companies to disclose which board members have security knowledge or experience, along with details about the board's approach to cyber oversight. The SEC published draft rules in March 2022 and is expected to finalize them in the coming months.

"The board issue is coming fast and furious onto the table around the world," Dominique Shelton Leipzig, a partner in the cybersecurity and data privacy practice at law firm Mayer Brown, said.
The SEC wants to see more transparency and board expertise to better protect investors from expensive and disruptive cyberattacks

Companies should start looking now for directors with cyber expertise or hire experts to advise them because there will be competition for a small pool of such people, she said, speaking at the forum.

"Directors don't grow on trees and, certainly, directors with cybersecurity experience don't grow on trees," she said. wsj.com


Retail is the #1 Driver of AI
The Dynamic Interplay Between Human Insights and AI in Inventory Management, Customer Care
The retail industry's commitment to artificial intelligence (AI) is unmatched, surpassing all industries except finance. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), a staggering $300 billion investment in AI is anticipated by 2026. This influx of resources promises to augment the relationship between humans and machines, delivering immense advantages to brands and consumers. There's a huge opportunity for brands to harness the power of AI insights while continuously leaning on the invaluable experience and industry knowledge of their workforce, resulting in an extraordinary fusion of human and technological capabilities.

Defining the New Relationship

AI applications took off in customer care and inventory management when the world went virtual in 2020. Today, conversational AI helps consumers to swiftly resolve common issues through real-time generated prompts, which lessens the call volume for human agents. This frees agents up to focus on higher priority customer needs that demand a personalized human touch.

In the face of a rapidly evolving era of AI-driven transformation, today's retail workforce must proactively prepare themselves with a thorough understanding of AI technology and evaluate how it can be effectively applied to their respective roles. The expanded use of AI has the potential to impact everyone across an e-commerce workforce, making it crucial for individuals to embrace continuous learning and development. mytotalretail.com


Fighting ransomware: Perspectives from cybersecurity professionals

Leveraging large language models (LLMs) for corporate security and privacy

27 Year Employee Processed Fraudulent Refunds for Nine Years
DOJ: Webster, N.Y., Woman Pleads Guilty To Stealing Over $500K From Wegmans
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Alicia Torres, 47, of Webster, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer to wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that Torres was employed at Wegmans Food Market, Inc. for approximately 27 years. Between 2014 and February 2023, she utilized the Enterprise System, which is used to fill customers' prescriptions, to fraudulently process approximately 350 credit card refund requests in customers' names with fictitious amounts. The fraudulent refund amounts were based on what Torres observed customers receiving in previous transactions. She then tricked the pharmacist on duty to sign off on and authorize the fraudulent refund requests. Once refund requests were approved, Torres paid the refund amounts to herself by swiping her bank debit card in Wegmans' point of sale system. Between 2014 and February 2023, Torres received $568,021.69 in fraudulent refunds. In addition, between 2020 and February 2023, Torres fraudulently used Wegmans gift cards to steal $10,922.17 from Wegmans.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 11, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Larimer. justice.gov


San Francisco, CA: Thieves steal $100,000 in cigarettes, cash from smoke shop
Family-owned small business Cigarettes R Cheaper suffered its biggest hit last month in its long history in San Francisco. Surveillance video shows two cars parked outside the smoke shop in the Richmond in the overnight hours on May 31. One thief uses a tool to try and break the glass before others eventually push their way inside the store. Some burglars were already carrying empty bags. Once inside, the thieves start clearing out the shelves, dumping whatever they could get their hands on into a bin and what looks like a bed sheet. Within about 15 minutes, the crooks made off with 500 cartons of cigarettes worth $80,000. They also stole the safe containing $20,000 in cash. They left behind extensive damage.  ksltv.com


Oakland, CA: Streetwear store burglarized again; $60,000 loss
Thieves targeted yet another small business in Oakland, clearing out nearly all of its merchandise. Osi Umunna, the owner of Inner Desires on Grand Avenue, said the group of thieves took nearly everything in his store early Sunday morning. Umunna said this time, a witness saw four suspects arriving at the store in two vehicles: a white Dodge Challenger and possibly a Jeep Cherokee. . "I'm kind of numb, kind of numb to it because I've experienced it over and over," Ummuna said. He added that this is the seventh time he's been a victim of theft. He said he was robbed at gunpoint in front of his store when it was located in downtown Oakland, and that store was broken into five times. "That was when I said I can't be at this location anymore," Ummuna said. He moved to his new location in February of last year. Now, there are empty racks and an uncertain future. He estimated his loss for this break-in to be $60,000. He said the thieves stole 20 to 30 denim jackets and up to 200 pairs of jeans.  ktvu.com


Memphis, TN: Burglars broke into Buster's Liquors and Wines after midnight
Burglars broke into Buster's Liquors and Wines after midnight Wednesday. Memphis Police responded to a call about a break-in at the store near the University of Memphis at 1:30 a.m. Another interior video shows the moment glass was shattered - and wine spilled - enabling burglars to enter. Video surveillance also shows several masked individuals collecting bottles inside the store with bags. It is unclear how much product was taken from the store. It's not the first time that robbers have targeted the store at 191 S. Highland Road. In August 2022, 14 people reportedly broke into the business by breaking into the front windows, leading to theft of over $10,000 in liquor and over $1,000 in store damage. Three men were charged.  fox13memphis.com


Bakersfield, CA: 3 arrested in connection to theft of thousands of dollars of merchandise from Sunglass Hut
Three people were arrested for their alleged roles in the theft of nearly $15,000 worth of merchandise from a Sunglass Hut at the Valley Plaza Mall, according to police. The Bakersfield Police Department said the theft happened on May 31. Police said officers on the department's Organized Retail Theft Detail served a search warrant at a home in the 900 block of West Columbus Street on June 2 and arrested a 19-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy in connection to the theft. According to a statement, investigators found the stolen merchandise and a loaded unregistered firearm. The three were arrested on various charges including grand theft, organized retail theft, burglary and gang participation.  kget.com


Wayne, NJ: Sunglasses Shoplifters Sought In $2K theft at Macy's

Bloomfield Township, MI: Women take merch from At Home Store shelves, get refund from cashier

Lady Lake, FL: Cuban natives nabbed in Cadillac SUV with $1200 of stolen Home Depot merchandise