The Impact of Retail Crime on Families, Friends & Relatives

As Retail America's First Responders - LP & AP Can't Take It Lightly

By Gus Downing, Publisher & Editor, D&D Daily

As our team, here at the Daily, spends countless hours each week researching, collecting, scouring the web, confirming stories, and even running down stories and talking with law enforcement across the country, and yes even talking with a number of ORC gang members who've reached out wanting to turn their lives around or get revenge, feeling guilty, and a few trying to get publicity, we at the Daily are relentless in our pursuit of recording and listing the major crimes that happen in our stores across North America. So that you, the Loss Prevention and Asset Protection executives of North America and even some in the UK, have the information that you need to better protect our stores, our associates and our customers. As store safeness takes priority over store shrink each and every day. Especially given the increased violence we're seeing play out.

However, the one consequence of all this, something we never mention or even hear about quite frankly, is the human cost and human toll of all of this crime on both sides of the equation.

The hundreds and even thousands of lives and families impacted by the actions of all of these people committing these crimes.

We see their mug shots, we see the gang org. charts, we watch them on video and occasionally we see their violent crashes. But we don't see the people who have to live with this the rest of their lives. We don't see the seven women tied up in some backroom of a jewelry store, or a cashier murdered behind a cash register. We don't see any of that and maybe sometimes we need to as an industry. So that it fuels you the next time you're leading a training class that you're absolutely bored giving so many times in so many stores in front of young and old, most of which don't want to be there and think it'll never happen to them.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's your responsibility to reach them and to make them think about what they do when it does happen. Because it does happen and the odds are increasing and as the LP and AP executive, you are retail's first responders and as such your #1 responsibility has to be building a store culture obsessed with store safeness and customer service.

Now, please excuse me if I'm being overly passionate. But if you were sitting in my chair each week and driving home on a Friday afternoon wondering which 4 to 7 mostly young retail workers were going to be killed over the weekend in retail robberies, you too would eventually be writing this.

We understand that the rather detailed list of crimes appearing each day in the Daily may seem redundant and to some may not be interesting to read. But it's here for a reason and if it's lost on you and your team then you may never truly make an impact. Because it's our firm belief that if you track this activity and call it out and increase awareness, you will make an impact and maybe even solve a robbery crew case, recover some stolen merchandise, or stop an ORC gang. All of which, by the way, we've heard from LP Directors has happened as a result of our Retail Crime and ORC columns.

The bottom line here is that last year 424 people were killed in publicly reported retail crime incidents and 125 were killed in Q1 this year, coupled with 5,651 robberies last year and 1,431 robberies in Q1 alone. Both categories, by the way, showing steady increases. But the point is over 9,000 families were traumatically impacted by retail crime, and that isn't even considering their friends and relatives.

This is a serious business we're all in and every single LP & AP executive plays a role and has a responsibility to not just our retailers but also to those 9,000 families. Try to remember that from time to time and we'll keep up the arduous task of reporting it all. So that you have the info you need to ... as I like to say... "Let's Keep Them All Safe Out There" - a phrase, by the way, that wasn't scripted. It just came out that way. Believe it or not. - Gus Downing

Walmart Takes a Stand on Guns, Gay Rights to Get People to Like It More
CEO Doug McMillion Leading Walmart's "Fast Follower" Approach
Consumers and employees expect companies to voice opinions on hot-button topics, and the world's largest retailer is weighing in.

Political divide in the country is creating a new landscape for business, in which fierce debates often lead consumers and employees to demand that corporations and chief executives take positions on big issues. That is increasingly pulling Walmart, the world's largest retailer and largest private employer, into weighing in on issues such as immigration, the Confederate flag and gay rights-generally after other companies or politicians have done the same.

In the past, "the CEO rule was basically keep your head down, stay out of complicated issues, because there were opinions on both sides of any issue," "It's no longer a question of if, but where, when and how to engage on these issues and what type of topics to engage on," he added. "These are new challenges and things CEOs and boards never had to deal with before, so they are struggling."

Under its 51-year-old chief executive, Doug McMillon, Walmart has often taken a more liberal stance on issues in recent years-a gamble for a company based in Red State Arkansas. But executives see its approach as part of its mission to let potential shoppers and employees know the company aims to be socially engaged.

It's a big change for a company that built itself as a ruthlessly efficient business focused on affordable shopping and that generally avoided taking a stand on political issues.

In some cases, the company is embracing public positions as part of efforts to enhance its reputation. Surveys show that Walmart's reputation fell behind that of its rivals more than a decade ago, as it battled perceptions that it sold cheap goods and treated workers poorly. With sales on the rise at Amazon.com Inc., Walmart needs to find ways to increase its $500 billion in revenue. That's led it to go after new groups of shoppers-including wealthier consumers in big cities-to try to attract tech-savvy talent and to buy up e-commerce startups, broadening its employee base.

Mr. McMillon, an Arkansas native and son of a dentist and a homemaker, who worked his way from loading trucks to become CEO in 2014, is leading the company's "fast follower" approach on political issues. Mr. McMillon owns a black Tesla and wears Allbirds shoes that are popular in the tech startup scene. He regularly talks about his Christian beliefs, weaving "God is good" into speeches.

"There is not a part of me that says, 'That's political. I'd love to get involved in that,' " he said. But "society expects things of leading companies and sometimes we should take a stance on something." wsj.com

65 Security Officers Die in First 6 Months
For the first half of 2018, security officers and sworn private law enforcement officers were injured, assaulted or attacked in access of 33,000 times.

65 of these officers lost their lives while protecting life and property. Of these officers who were killed, 33 died from gunfire, 8 died from bladed instrument assaults, nine were killed in vehicle crashes including bicycle, golf cart, automobile and a snow mobile. Two others died from drownings, 6 from medical emergencies, 4 died from vehicle assaults and 3 died from traumatic injuries.

Another nine security officers including 5 that have been directly linked to their employment in security, died shortly after their shift. Of the 65 security officers who died in the line of duty, we have been able to verify that only 7 were armed with a firearm. None of the deceased were wearing body armor that we have been able to confirm.

During the first six months of 2018, security officers have been involved in over 3000 armed confrontations and at least 743 lethal force incidents involving gun-battles and exchange of gunfire resulting in 107 fatal shootings by private security officers.

Statistics and data collected via news reports, public records, law enforcement press releases and our own research has shown that incidents of violence involving security officers has increased 117 percent in the past five years with more security officers engaging in the use of force and being victims of physical and deadly force.

Consistent with the past five years data, security officer use of force, engagement of lethal force and types of customers where security were on duty when injuries or deaths occurred included: apartments and residential communities including hotels and motels, nightclubs, construction sites, mobile patrols, loss prevention and temporary assignments. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

How Intelligence Analysis Can Drive Corporate ROI
Go to any security conference and you'll be quick to discover that getting "buy-in" and maintaining a "seat at the table" are still the predominant concerns among security leaders. After all, unlike other business units that bring in revenue directly, corporate security must show that it is not merely a cost center but a cost- (and sometimes a life-) saver. While security departments have gotten creative about showing their worth, intelligence teams have had a harder time quantifying value. It is time that both analysts and the enterprises they are part of realize that intelligence can contribute to return on investment (ROI) at the corporate strategy level, sometimes in ways that corporate security has thus far been unable to.

In recent years, corporate security has adopted the language of business by developing ideas about security's ROI. In general, ROI is measured as the ratio of net profit to the cost of the investment. Simply stated, the metric shows whether an investment is worthwhile to undertake. Corporate security departments have adopted ROI calculations to demonstrate that investments in security are similarly worthwhile. In the security context, however, the technique is mostly used to illustrate the loss prevented rather than the profit gained. The "loss," in this case, could be loss of product or something like hypothetical damage to a facility from vandalism, number of injuries to personnel, or the severity of cyberattacks. securitymagazine.com

Cut Shrinkage And Throw Out The Planogram With Mixed Reality Merchandising
It's rare that one technology set could solve retailer woes related to both merchandise theft and in-store planogram stipulations, yet virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) offer promise in both arenas. Retailers are cutting shrinkage of high ticket-value items by displaying virtual versions that utilize mixed reality implementations, while other retailers are eliminating tedious planogram issues by employing AR to easily configure visual store layouts and signage - all in real time.

Walmart recently thwarted in-store theft by partnering with deviceless AR technology provider Spacee to install interactive product displays in five Texas stores. These displays showcase connected devices, like the Nest smart thermostat, allowing passersby to learn more about the products by engaging with the 3D touch screen displays. These endcaps have enabled Walmart to cut the risk of theft of real merchandise and lower costs associated with employee training, while still offering interesting product experiences and sharing features that can boost sales of pricier merchandise. In a video posted on Facebook, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon called the Spacee-enabled display "the future of shopping." retailtouchpoints.com

When retail comes to the rescue
At the NRF PROTECT conference in Dallas last month The Home Depot, Kroger, Academy Sports + Outdoor and Gallery Furniture - shared more about the work they did in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area.

The session facilitated by Deborah Ferguson, anchor of Dallas's NBC 5 Today, showcased a panel of the executives that led the crisis responses that helped their communities recover: Mike Krell, vice president of operations for the Houston division of The Kroger Company; Joe Matthews, vice president of loss prevention with Academy Sports + Outdoors; Jim "Mack" McIngvale, philanthropist and owner of Gallery Furniture; and B.J. Powers, Gulf Region vice president for The Home Depot.

Each panelist spoke to the importance of crisis planning and emphasizing people first. Powers said ensuring the safety of the 17,000 associates in the Houston area was The Home Depot's number one priority, many of whom ended up displaced and taking shelter in the company's stores. Not only did Academy Sports + Outdoor open its doors to shelter hurricane evacuees; its corporate campus became a home base for first responders, housing more than 1,000 law enforcement and Army personnel that rescued victims in the days following the storm.

"Roll call was really important for us, making sure people were safe, and then it was about getting product in to help serve customers," Krell said. By partnering with other divisions around the region, 800 truckloads from Kroger supplied food and water to the area and the company was able to provide much-needed provisions to the Houston Food Bank to reach thousands of people displaced by the storm. Kroger also collected customer donations for the American Red Cross from check-out registers across all of its stores. The Home Depot committed $1 million for storm relief efforts, and many other corporations made significant contributions to help storm victims.

"I think all four companies up here have the same mantra. Take care of people. Do the right thing. And that's what you found throughout Houston," Matthews said.

As the discussion ended, the panelists voiced the pride they took in being a part of relief efforts and how their companies stepped up to help their communities. "The long-term good of Harvey is that it brought us closer together as a community," McIngvale said. nrf.com

Hobby Lobby, Burlington Expected to Move Into Empty Toys 'R' Us Stores
Many of the larger empty big-box storefronts will be filled by hobby stores soon, said Conor Flynn, chief executive of Kimco Realty Corp.

"Hobby Lobby especially is very aggressive," in that space, Mr. Flynn said last month at the Jefferies Global Consumer Conference in Nantucket, Mass. Burlington Stores also is among the retailers looking to expand, he said, adding that "traditional grocers, the larger fitness players-those really are the stores that continue to want to expand in that category."

Hobby Lobby reached the 800-store mark in January. The privately held arts-and-crafts retailer has said it plans to open 60 new locations and hire about 2,500 additional employees this year. In June, Hobby Lobby opened seven stores. Hobby Lobby couldn't be reached for comment.

The smaller Toys "R" Us stores, roughly 20,000 to 25,000 square feet each, are "the perfect fit," he said, for retailers such as TJX, whose chains include T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra Trading Post and Homesense. TJX, based in Framingham, Mass., increased its store count by 71 in its fiscal first quarter to 4,141 locations. wsj.com

Decline in Union Membership Expected After High Court Ruling
Supreme Court held that mandatory public-sector union fees are unconstitutional

"Unions are a business," said Todd Lyon, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Seattle and Portland, Ore. "Dues monies are their accounts receivables. So, with less accounts receivables, unions will need to reduce staff. And with less staff, we expect unions to reduce their advocacy by taking less grievances to arbitration and directing less lawsuits."

Since unions may have fewer dues-paying members, there may be a shift in the amount of funds that are allocated toward different union activities, noted David Broderick, an attorney with Littler in Newark, N.J. shrm.org

U.S. economy added 213,000 jobs in June
The retail sector slumped, losing 22,000 jobs
As the jobless rate falls, employers' complaints about their inability to find qualified, reliable workers mount. "There's more jobs than there are people available for jobs - at every level."

To retain workers as well as attract new ones, employers say they are increasing pay, sweetening benefits packages and trying to create an appealing work culture.

The one weak spot was retail sales. "There's been a precipitous decline in postings on Glassdoor in the past two months," he said. (Most job losses from the demise of Toys "R" Us will probably show up in July.)

Still, announced job cuts in the sector have slowed substantially in the second quarter compared with the first, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement service. And some retailers, including Kohl's, have already started their holiday season hiring. nytimes.com

Polk County, MO: 1 employee injured after explosion rocks fireworks retailer HQ
A.M. Pyrotechnic's headquarters is almost leveled after multiple explosions Tuesday night. The ATF and the state Fire Marshal's office are working together to determine the cause. Late Wednesday afternoon, they completed the scene investigation.

"It is unique because it is actually a pyrotechnics headquarters," Joel Sheppard, Resident Agent, ATF Springfield, said. "They actually manufacture all their pyrotechnics here. We are coordinating efforts with the Missouri State Fire Marshal at this time to come up with origin and cause."

At least one victim, a woman who worked at the retailer, was airlifted to the hospital after suffering burns on 90 percent of her body, according to officials.

Neighbors in the area say they are still in shock. One man, who lives about one and a half miles away, says he felt the explosions in his living room. fox5krbk.com ky3.com

Director - Risk Management Brookshire Grocery Company, Tyler, TX

Zebra Technologies to Acquire Xplore Technologies

The International Association for Food Protection's 2018 Annual Meeting begins next week in Salt Lake City - Attendance is expected to top 3,600

45+ Texas Gas Stations Accused Of Harvey Price Gouging Settle

NRF warns of 'full effects of a trade war'