30,000-Foot View of Today's Retail Crime & Shrink Crisis
Special Report from Progressive Grocer: The Story Behind Shrink

What are today's retailers dealing with in terms of theft, loss and associate safety?

Grappling With the Fallout of Theft

Theft accounts for a vast majority of retail shrink, ranging from self-checkout scams to blatant shoplifting and everything in between.

According to Target CEO Brian Cornell, Target is investing in team and guest protection, as well as installing fixtures to protect merchandise and adjusting product assortment in affected locations in an effort to ease the effects of shrink within its stores.

Landover, Md.-based Giant Food is also working to mitigate shrink issues caused by retail theft before it's forced to close its most affected supermarkets by limiting the number of entrances, hiring more security guards, and keeping more items off the shelves.

The Growing Threat of Organized Retail Crime

Many large retailers cite organized retail crime as one of the biggest drivers of shrink in recent years. What's more, a recent NRF survey found that 53% of consumers believe that retail crimes have increased in their communities since the pandemic began, with 79% believing that retail theft affects the price of the goods they buy.

Target's Cornell shared that he believes organized retail crime is an urgent issue, not just for his company, but across the entire retail industry. "And unfortunately, what I'm most concerned with is it puts our team and our guests in harm's way," he noted.

Finding Solutions While Putting People First

During the RILA conference, Paul Jaeckle, VP of asset protection for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer, noted that the retailer recently sent out a shopper survey in an effort to better understand customer expectations when they're on retail property, how they view security and what they value most. What Meijer found was that parking lot safety and security, as well as weapons on the property, were among shoppers' greatest concerns.

According to Jaeckle, this data and information has helped Meijer build a road map to guide its asset protection and safety decisions across its operations.

"Your risk starts before the customer comes into the store, starts at your property line, starts virtually, starts online, starts on your digital platform," Jaeckle said. "For us, we really began to take this particular approach of understanding our parking lots and saying, 'What do I have the ability to ... start to control in the parking lot before that risk enters into the building, where it becomes more and more serious?'" progressivegrocer.com


New Retail Crime Law Already Showing Results
'Getting serial shoplifters off the streets'

Prosecutors crack down on retail crime under new law
It's been over a month since New Mexico's new retail crime law took effect. Albuquerque prosecutors said it's already showing results in getting serial shoplifters off the streets.

One of the accused serial shoplifters, Julian Grey Bustos, which Bernalillo County District Attorney (DA) Sam Bregman wants to be held in custody until trial, is charged with stealing at least five times from Kohl's off Louisiana Boulevard and Holly Avenue in the Northeast Heights.

District Attorney Sam Bregman said there are plenty more suspects like Bustos.

"We are really looking forward to the new law that has taken effect, and we are excited about that opportunity. Law enforcement and retail organizations are really working together," Bregman said.

According to the DA, New Mexico's new retail crime law is giving prosecutors an extra tool, which lets the state add up multiple thefts from stores into one big felony case.

"Five of them have been detained in the last week. They have been held because they are a danger to the community. We cannot allow this kind of retail crime shoplifting to continue," Bregman said.

"I think five people held under pretrial detention makes a very clear message to the community, and those that may shoplift, that we are going to hold shoplifters accountable. There is no more looking the other way. This office is looking right at you if you're shoplifting, and you will be prosecuted," Bregman said.

Some local business owners said they've seen their fair share of shoplifters welcome the new law, saying it gives them a sense of relief. Under the new law, prosecutors can charge all the way up to a second-degree felony if criminals steal more than $20,000 worth of merchandise. krqe.com


Another Lawmaker Announces Support for Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
Rosen Backs Bipartisan Bill To Protect Small Business From Crime

The Legislation Would Create A New Investigative Unit Within The Department Of Homeland Security To Help Crack Down On Organized Retail Crime

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced her support for the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to give law enforcement the resources they need to protect small businesses from organized retail crime. The legislation would establish a new investigative unit within the Department of Homeland Security to better coordinate a whole-of-government and industry response to crack down on these crimes.

"Nevada's small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and we must do more to protect them from the rise in crime and retail theft," said Senator Rosen. "I'm proud to support this bipartisan legislation that will give law enforcement the additional tools to crack down on organized retail crime targeting small businesses in Nevada."

As a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Senator Rosen has been a champion for Nevada's small businesses. publicnow.com

   Click here to read the full list of D.C.'s retail crime fighters


San Francisco's Theft Crisis Caught on Live TV
News crew in San Francisco watches live as man brazenly steals from a Walgreens

One shopper in a San Francisco grocery store said that living in the city feels like a 'police state' with consumer goods being locked down

A CNN reporter watched on as three people stole from a Walgreens store in San Francisco, according to a segment on rampant crime Monday. CNN reporter Kyung Lah visited the store, located in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, after video was released of the goods in the Walgreens being locked down to prevent rampant theft.

"Though typical, in the 30 minutes that we were at this Walgreens, we watched three people, including this man, steal," Lah said as a man walked out of the store.

San Francisco has lost at least five Walgreens stores due to "organized retail crime," according to a report.

Lah also reported that the Walgreens Richmond location had aisles of basic products, like mustard, "locked behind plexiglass." She said that Walgreens corporate told her that its Richmond store "has the highest theft rate of all their nearly 9,000 U.S. stores" and is "hit nearly a dozen times a day."

"When thieves started cleaning out ice cream and frozen burritos, workers grew so frustrated they resorted to the chains," Lah added. "They were ordered down by corporate because of the negative messaging."

At another grocery store in San Francisco, one shopper told CNN that living in the city feels like a "police state."  foxnews.com  cnn.com


'Lawlessness' Overwhelms San Francisco
Major California city residents are stressing about being out after dark
Some residents in the City by the Bay are on edge as car break-ins, thefts and robberies rise, telling Fox News the city is becoming more dangerous.

"The safety in San Francisco has been getting worse," Andrea, a babysitter, told Fox News. "I've lived here my whole life - it's always been a little unsafe, it's a big city, but recently, it's just been crazy high."

Homicides and robberies are both up double digits - 12% and 13%, respectively - compared to this time last year, according to San Francisco police data. Motor vehicle thefts are also up 9% while other crimes such as burglary, larceny and assault are down.

Even though its crime trends are better than other major cities, San Francisco "is worse than the data shows," Charles "Cully" Stimson, a Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow and a former prosecutor for the city, told Fox News in April. He said falling trust in police and county prosecutors cause crimes to go unreported, artificially softening data.

Residents told Fox News the incident provoked a sense of lawlessness in the area.

Grocery and convenience stores in the city have been victims of rampant retail theft in recent years. Whole Foods' flagship location shuttered in April due to safety concerns. Walgreens has closed at least six locations in the city since 2021, with a spokesperson citing "organized retail crime" as a reason for five of the closures.  wgmd.com


Q2 Cargo Theft Increased 57%
2023 Second Quarter Supply Chain Risk Trends Analysis
CargoNet® has recorded 582 events across the United States and Canada in the second quarter of 2023, a 57% increase when compared to the second quarter of 2022. Much of the increase is due to ongoing shipment misdirection attacks, a kind of strategic cargo theft in which actors use stolen motor carrier and logistics broker identities to obtain freight and misdirect it from the intended receiver so they could steal it. In total, thieves stole over $44 million in shipments in the second quarter of 2023 and the average shipment value per event increased nearly $100,000 to $260,703 per theft as cargo thieves focused on high-value shipments.

In the second quarter of 2023, theft of a loaded conveyance such as a full trailer increased 17% year-over-year. These kinds of thefts were most common in California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois. We also note that regional activity around New York City and Philadelphia was significant. Burglary of a loaded conveyance decreased slightly year-over-year due to the impact of recent law enforcement activity, but still remains a significant threat to shipments especially high-value shipments that are traveling on the I-40 corridor through Arizona, California, and New Mexico. cargonet.com


Buffalo Mass Shooting Copycat Threats
(Update) Buffalo man admits to posting threats after Tops mass shooting
A Buffalo man admitted to making threats towards several local stores in the days following the Tops mass shooting in 2022, the U.S. Attorney said Tuesday. Prosecutors say that 25-year-old Rolik Walker posted a threat on Twitter under the username "@ConklinHero" about "targeting" stores in the area and "Only looking to kill blacks" on May 16, 2022, two days following the shooting. The threats caused one store to close early.

He had used an app on his cell phone to mask his IP address, but the FBI was able to link the account to his residence. He pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate threat. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on December 1. wivb.com


Law enforcement agencies join forces to fight crime in Memphis

Study: Association Between Markers of Structural Racism & Mass Shooting Events in Major US Cities

Supply Chain Crisis Averted
UPS, Teamsters reach contract agreement to avoid strike
The nation's retailers are breathing a sigh of relief after a tentative agreement was reached to avoid a strike that would have brought more disruption to the nation's supply chain.

The United Parcel Service and the Teamsters union representing more than 325,000 UPS workers on Tuesday reached a preliminary labor agreement, a key move in avoiding a potential strike that could have started next week. The deal includes raises for both full- and part-time workers, the elimination of a lower-paid class of delivery driver and the installation of air-conditioning units in new delivery vans for the first time. The agreement still needs to be ratified by rank-and-file members.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation both welcomed the tentative agreement.

"News of a tentative UPS-Teamsters contract agreement is an enormous relief to retailers, who have been navigating the possibility of a strike and the associated uncertainty for weeks," stated RILA. "We've learned all too well over the last several years the impact supply chain disruptions can have. We're grateful that this challenge, which would have had a price tag in the billions of dollars and a long runway for recovery, was avoided."

In its statement, NRF said it was grateful that UPS, "a major partner of the retail industry, "had come to an agreement with the Teamsters "without disruption to the marketplace." chainstoreage.com

NRF Statement | RILA Statement


Retail's Great Debate Over Customer Returns
Could More Returns Lead To More Customer Retention?
You know why retailers' efforts to reduce returns have been backfiring, but what about brands that have been making returns even easier and more accessible for customers?

These retailers are making a good name for themselves at a time when the e-commerce experience is more than just competitive prices and fast shipping. The buying experience is no longer stopping after customers click "buy now."

"Today's consumer mindset has changed," stated Forbes. "Services like Amazon Prime have set the bar at a higher level, with speedy delivery, low prices, a vast selection and hassle-free returns." With many companies trying to dissuade returns, the retailers that are doing the opposite stand a good chance of not only retaining their customers but attracting new ones.

It's true that it can be costly to offer free returns "with no strings attached," but according to Shippo's latest Returns Report, 96% of customers are "more likely to purchase if free returns are on the table." Shippo, a leading shipping platform for growing e-commerce businesses, added in its 2023 Benchmarks Report that the solution is to find a middle ground "that makes customers feel they're being treated fairly and keeps them coming back to your business." retailwire.com


Register Now
IAI SE Chapter Meeting: August 1, 2023
The next International Association Of Interviewers (IAI) Southeast Chapter Meeting will be held in Atlanta, GA at The Home Depot Headquarters on August 1, 2023 from 12:30PM- 4:30PM EST. Our featured speaker will be Wayne Hoover, Senior Partner-Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates and Advisory Board Chair-International Association of Interviewers (IAI), who will educating us on the latest updates for the W-Z interviewing method. Other guest speakers will include a Cobb County detective and GROC with lunch being provided by ALTO. Register now and join us for our first meeting in Atlanta.

Space is limited so please click here to register now


David's Bridal Emerges From Bankruptcy With a New Owner

A Few Harmon Stores May Survive Bed Bath & Beyond's Bankruptcy

Pickleball Concepts Gobbling Up Big-Box Stores Left Vacant By Retailers

Data Safeguards Are Needed as AI Expands
Safeguarding data is our best hope to control AI

Congress shouldn't let myopic anticipation of the future be the enemy of the opportunities to build critical data policy now.

Lately, frantic reports raising concerns about AI have lit a fire under the public and a bipartisan group of lawmakers. This year, Congress held multiple AI hearings to scratch the surface, including one Tuesday with the CEO of the AI startup Anthropic. And bipartisan bills are pouring in, too. We are already discussing remedies to address AI's impact on consumer privacy, cybersecurity and education. But what exactly are we trying to legislate?

One serious issue concerning data is that a handful of Big Tech companies - Google, Meta, and Apple, most prominently - unilaterally control the access, aggregation and distribution of data. As a result, they are in the best position to shape the future of AI. They also have demonstrated a penchant for shaping "the future" in their own best interests. Their outsize power means that they will either consume or destroy any disruptors threatening that position. Absent checks on their control, they possess an extraordinary amount of leverage over what AI becomes.

We as a society have always been wary of consolidated power in the hands of a few. If we want AI to best benefit its users and ensure our cybersecurity, addressing control of the data marketplace is an obvious starting point. Transparency and oversight are critical to the best long-term outcome for everyone. But the few companies that control the vast majority of data want to maintain their comfortable status quo. Diverting lawmakers' attention away from antitrust policies and the bread-and-butter work of data regulation to the dazzling promises or threats of AI only helps them maintain that.

While we can appreciate that the biggest players' in this field are trying to get out ahead of the problem with their recent "voluntary commitments" to principles of "safety, security, and trust," voluntary commitments tend to be vaguely defined and difficult to enforce. Above all, these AI commitments don't change the preliminary need to address data concentration in this market overall if they are going to have any real meaning."

In sum, a solid foundation in data policy can better ensure optimization of AI long-term. Congress must not let myopic anticipation of the future be the enemy of the opportunities to build critical data policy now. cyberscoop.com


Spyware Campaign Hits Apple Devices
Apple issues third mobile OS update after zero-click spyware campaign

The patch is the latest to address issues associated with what cybersecurity firm Kaspersky called Operation Triangulation.

Apple on Monday issued its third security update in roughly a month to remedy vulnerabilities exploited in Operation Triangulation, a spyware campaign that researchers say specifically targeted iMessage users in Russia.

The Russian arm of cybersecurity firm Kaspersky on June 1 revealed the details of a zero-click iOS exploit. The company's researchers said they discovered it while monitoring the company's own corporate Wi-Fi network dedicated to mobile devices. The findings were released the same day Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB, said it had uncovered an American espionage operation targeting Apple devices in Russia in cooperation with Apple.

Monday's security patch addressed a vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-38606 and had been actively exploited against versions of Apple's mobile operating system before version 15.7.1, the company said in the notice, an iteration of the operating system that was replaced with the release of iOS 16 in September 2022.

"Apple has addressed one more kernel vulnerability discovered by Kaspersky researchers during the investigation of the Operation Triangulation attack," the company said in an emailed statement Tuesday. "This zero-day vulnerability CVE-2023-38606 was part of the discovered zero-click exploit chain. It affected a wide range of Apple products - iPhones, iPods, iPads, macOS devices, Apple TV and Apple Watch. Patching is available as part of the Apple Security Updates release as of July 24, 2023, and we highly recommend users to update their devices." cyberscoop.com


Emergency Services Communications Open to Attack
Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Discovered in Global Emergency Services
Communications Protocol

Weak encryption algorithms leave radio communications open to attack and abuse.

A radio communications protocol used by emergency services worldwide harbors several critical vulnerabilities that could allow adversaries to spy on or manipulate the transmissions, researchers found.

Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) is a radio voice and data standard mainly used by emergency services, such as police, fire brigade, and military, as well as in some industrial environments.

Multiple TETRA secure channels offer key management, voice, and data encryption, while the TETRA Encryption Algorithm (TEA1) implements the actual encryption algorithms that ensure that data is confidentially communicated over the air.

Depending on infrastructure and device configurations, these vulnerabilities allow for real-time or delayed decryption, message injection, user deanonymization, or session key pinning attacks. Practically, these vulnerabilities allow high-end adversaries to listen in on police and military communications, track their movements, or manipulate critical infrastructure network communications carried over TETRA. darkreading.com


New National Cyber Director Nominated
Biden nominates veteran national security official as top cyber adviser

The selection of Harry Coker ends a protracted search for the second-ever national cyber director.

President Biden on Wednesday nominated Harry Coker, a long-time CIA and National Security Agency official, to serve as the next national cyber director, a choice that elevates a relatively unknown official to take on a high-profile assignment as the president's leading cybersecurity adviser.

Coker's nomination ends a protracted search to replace Chris Inglis, who led the Office of the National Cyber Director until February after leading efforts to draft the administration's cybersecurity strategy.

If confirmed, Coker will inherit a long to-do list. Earlier this month, the White House released an implementation plan for its national cyber strategy, a collection of more than 65 initiatives aimed at delivering broad improvements in computer security both for the U.S. government and consumers. cyberscoop.com


Patch Now: Up to 900K MikroTik Routers Vulnerable to Total Takeover

Strengthening the weakest links in the digital supply chain

Woman accused of stealing nearly $18,000 worth of Ulta beauty products at Phoenix-area stores
An alleged serial shoplifter is accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a popular beauty supply chain. In court documents, 19-year-old Anautica Nicole Patterson is alleged to have stolen a combined total of $17,559 in beauty products between March 26 and June 19. On Monday morning, Patterson was arrested at a home near Loop 202 and Broadway Road. Authorities say that Patterson was identified through surveillance video at various Ulta Stores in Avondale, Chandler, Phoenix, and Tempe, allegedly showing her and her accomplices hiding the items in their purses before taking off. In an interview with detectives, Patterson reportedly admitted to selling the merch for cash. Patterson was booked into the Maricopa County jail and released under supervision. Organized shoplifting is a class 4 felony in Arizona. If sentenced, she could face up to 45 months in prison for each of those charges.  azfamily.com


Sacramento, CA: Burlington store is raided by trio of female shoplifters who make VERY slow getaway pushing shopping carts filled with stolen booty
A video showing a trio of female shoplifters targeting a Burlington store in California is gaining attention after highlighting their slow-motion getaway. The brazen heist unfolded on Saturday at the discount retailer's North Freeway Boulevard location in Sacramento, where the three women were caught on camera trudging away with shopping carts loaded with stolen goods. 'D**n look at these people stealing! Say hi to the camera!' the bystander filming the incident can be heard saying, as alarms blared and the shoplifters piled mounds of clothing and shoes into the trunk of a red Dodge Charger. The Sacramento Police Department told DailyMail.com in a statement that it is investigating the audacious caper. 'We are aware of the incident. Officers responded, a police report was generated and it is an active investigation,' the department said.  dailymail.co.uk


Palm Desert, CA: Riverside County Sheriff's deputies at Palm Desert mall after grand theft incident Tuesday
A theft at a jewelry store at The Shops at Palm Desert on Tuesday led to a lockdown at the mall at 72-000 Highway 111 in Palm Desert. Riverside County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the mall at 5:14 p.m. for what they are now calling a grand theft. The sheriff's department said it was not an active shooter situation. The mall was accessible at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and deputies were on scene at M. Ruiz Jewelers, which was surrounded by police tape and where glass cases were smashed.  desertsun.com


Santa Clara County, CA: Suspect who stole $2K of merchandise from Cupertino Target arrested
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Deputy Diaz located the suspect vehicle driving away from the scene a short time later, police said. Deputies conducted a vehicle enforcement stop, during which they located $2,000 worth of stolen merchandise inside the vehicle. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sgt. Russell Davis confirmed the suspect's identity as 28-year-old Dionna Lyons of San Jose. Photos posted to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Facebook page showed Lego toys and jeans among the stolen merchandise that was recovered.  kron4.com


Arlington County, VA: Police ramp up retail theft enforcement after complaints from business owners in Rosslyn; 7 people arrested

Atlanta, GA: Suspected shoplifter pepper sprays employees at Atlanta Old Navy