The Container Store's MIGHTY Loss Prevention Team

Pictured (from left to right): Rob Garfat - Corporate LP Manager; Kathleen Connors - LP Manager; Joan Manson - VP of Employee Resources, AP & Legal; Jeremy Leonhardt - LP Manager; and Aaron Wilder - Corporate LP Manager

LPRC IMPACT: Chomping at Results One Lab at a Time

by Amber Bradley, Owner & Brand Strategist, Calibration Group, LLC

IMPACT day two tackled critical topics such as active shooter from a presentation by Cathy Langley, Vice President of Asset Protection at Rite Aid and Tom Arigi, Director of Corporate Asset Protection at Kroger, and Jenn Jarrett, Research Scientist at LPRC. The session began educating the audience on the difference between commonly confused definitions of mass shooters, mass murderers and active shooters. It also reported statistics and trends surrounding these rare, but emotionally salient events. Langley and Arigi brought real-world retail the conversation by providing actual photos and descriptions of actions each retailer is taking to keep their employees safe.

Another crowd favorite is always the offender interviews, which certainly took a lively turn when one of LPRC MC's got into a heated exchange with one of the panelists over an audience member question. Of course, the host diffused the situation with an impromptu real-life display of empathy and de-escalation techniques!

Read the full Day 2 recap here | Read the Day 1 recap here

FaceFirst helps US lawmakers draft facial recognition privacy regulations
FaceFirst revealed it is working closely with U.S. lawmakers on facial biometrics privacy regulations, and to help the bipartisan Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act of 2019 (S. 847) move forward. Company executives including FaceFirst President and CEO Peter Trepp recently meet with bill co-sponsor Senator Roy Blunt's office to address the importance of consumer privacy in an ecosystem where users can still take advantage of the opportunities the technology has to offer.

The company's current focus is to assist legislators in examining and shaping facial recognition legislation in the US by recommending solutions to boost privacy without an obstruction of innovation.

"The right regulations can alleviate public concerns and fast-track mass adoption," explained FaceFirst CEO Peter Trepp. "That's why we're partnering with lawmakers to ensure that regulations are a win-win for consumers and vendors alike." Read more in the Vendor Spotlight column below

Sustainability is a Hot Topic & Issue Globally H&M Wants More Customers Recycling Their Clothes Fast-fashion discards are being shredded, and the fibers can be used in new garments. bloomberg.com

"Hong Kong is a disaster, like for everybody"
Hong Kong Protests Bring Record Retail Sales Down 23%
Retail sales decline by most on record as tourism industry hit. Sales in watch sector fell by almost half as Chinese stay away.

The protests and the police response -- both of which are becoming more violent -- have slammed the tourism industry, with visits from mainland China down 42% in August. That collapse has affected Hong Kong's status as a shopping hub, with data released Wednesday showing a year-on-year decline in the value of retail sales of 23%. A government spokesman said the result was the worst ever. Most brands will suffer a sales drop in Hong Kong of between 30% and 60% during the third quarter. bloomberg.com

Grand Rapids, MI: Gun Store Thieves advise Retailers to increase all levels of security Based on his experience smashing glass doors to get into Cabela's and Barracks 616 in September 2017, Herbie Brewer has advice for gun shops. "Lock it down better, metal bars through the windows," said Brewer, whose crew of teenage thieves got away with 29 guns between the two heists. Target 8 reached the now 18-year-old by phone in prison, where he's serving six to 10 years. woodtv.com

1st Time Major Brand Using Blockchain to Prove Authenticity
New Balance Footwear adopts Cardano Blockchain to Tackle Counterfeits
Popular American footwear brand New Balance is seeking to utilize the power of Cardano's blockchain technology to curtail its rapidly growing counterfeit problem.

It is unknown what product lines will get advantage from the technology, or whether Cardano's ADA token will have any involvement in the new scheme. This is the first time a major brand is adopting blockchain technology to help prove the authenticity of goods, helping to crack down on counterfeit items.

New Balance, like many other footwear brands, has been a victim of copycats and counterfeits. The brand image is used to produce cheap merchandise. Back in 2017, a company was found selling shoes under the name of "New Boom." The company had stolen designs from New Balance for which it was awarded. A Chinese court granted New Balance $1.5 billion in damages.

It will likely involve tagging each authentic product with a unique cryptographic identifier that can be easily checked by the consumer. The manufacture date, location, and other important information can easily be found by storing the cryptographic identifier on a distributed blockchain ledger. fxstreet.com

French Retailers Using Cashierless Self-Checkout to Extend Hours & Go Around Unions
French Unions hate extended hours, but rules intended to protect workers threaten to hasten the disappearance of jobs for checkout clerks.

For decades, French unions have fought extended opening times for stores, defending laws that forbid everything from corner groceries to warehouse-size hypermarkets from making staffers stock shelves or sit behind cash registers in the wee hours and on Sunday afternoons. Such rules, the unions say, ensure that workers get needed time off and protect them from exploitation. Two French retail chains have come up with a way around those regulations: opening sans employees.

Grocery group Casino Guichard Perrachon is leaving 200 outlets open after employees go home, with self-checkout machines in their stead. Rival Carrefour SA in May began testing a similar idea in Paris's posh 7th arrondissement with a market that's open 24/7. The stores lock their liquor cabinets and close meat counters and cheese-cutting stations, but shoppers can select what they want from other departments then proceed to the automated checkout. Security guards, typically outside contractors, keep an eye out for shoplifters. bloomberg.com

Editor's Note: Hey same thing happened in the U.S. with the expedited roll-out of automated ordering kiosk at fast food retailers in the face of the 'Fight for $15.' While it was somewhat successful in getting states and a number of retailers to increase minimum wages it also speeded up the kiosk roll out in the QSR fast food industry.

UPS Flight Forward Attains FAA's First Full Approval For Drone Airline
- Makes first revenue-generating flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)
- UPS's full "Part 135 Standard*" certification is a first for any company
- UPS to expand company's drone delivery network serving healthcare & other customer applications

The FAA's Part 135 Standard certification has no limits on the size or scope of operations. It is the highest level of certification, one that no other company has attained. UPS Flight Forward's certificate permits the company to fly an unlimited number of drones with an unlimited number of remote operators in command. This enables UPS to scale its operations to meet customer demand. Part 135 Standard also permits the drone and cargo to exceed 55 pounds and fly at night, previous restrictions governing earlier UPS flights. ups.com

Read 'em and weep
These 28 retailers could go bankrupt in the next year
So far this year there have been more than 7,000 store closures - more than any full-year total to date - and 16 major bankruptcies.

This year, compiling the list the same way, CreditRiskMonitor data yielded 28 retailers with significant bankruptcy risk.

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Sr. Director Loss Prevention & Business Continuity posted for UNFI
in Eden Prairie, MN
The most important value at UNFI is "Do the Right Thing - Put Safety and Integrity at the Forefront of Everything We Do." This role is part of the Risk & Safety leadership team and is a guardian to ensure that the organization delivers on this critical value - day in and day out. The role is fast-paced and complex and has enterprise-wide oversight for all facets of security resulting in safe workplaces for our associates, customers, and visitors as well as active asset management. Development, maintenance, and deployment of effective business continuity and life-safety emergency plans are an integral part of maintaining a safe workplace.

Moving Food Forward - UNFI completes transformative acquisition of SUPERVALU, creating North America's Premier Food Wholesaler. Recognized as one of the most effectively managed U.S. companies, UNFI was named in the Management Top 250 list by the Wall Street Journal in December. Comprised of conventional supermarkets, gourmet food stores, independently owned product retailers. With 60 distribution centers with 1,000 trucks delivering 2 million cases every day. linkedin.com

Manager of Logistics Investigations, Loss Prevention, Global Security Operations posted for Amazon in Phoeniz, AZ
The Manager of Logistics Investigations, will lead the Logistics Investigations Team's efforts to efficiently and effectively provide investigation and resolution services pertaining to the protection of people, product and data for Amazon. This individual will be responsible for hiring and developing Investigation Managers responsible for implementation and management of logistic loss prevention programs and investigations while driving profitability through shrink improvement. Additionally, this individual will be responsible for developing the investigative strategy for all investigative matters within Amazon Logistics, Amazon Transportation Services and Global Specialty Fulfillment. Business formats/services include Vendor Flex, Delivery, Sort Centers, Prime Now, Mid-mile, Last-mile, Line-haul, Campus, Fresh and Pantry while leveraging partnerships with key stakeholders across the network to pursue and resolve Organized Retail Crime activity. amazon.com

The Children's Place eliminates Director LP role

Kroger to lay off hundreds of middle management across the country

Bed Bath & Beyond to Close 60 Stores up 20 From April's Announcement of 40

EU To retaliate as New U.S. Tariffs Go Through

NRF forecasts holiday sales will grow between 3.8 and 4.2 percent

Unpaid Sears Vendors Push for Chapter 7 Liquidation

 

'Inside the LPRC IMPACT Conference' 2018
An Eight-Episode Series Presented by Sensormatic

Assessing The Real-World Impact of LP Efforts
The LPRC Delivers Evidence-Based Solutions and Actionable Results

The Retailer's View

The Value - Expectations - Impact
Long-Term LPRC Members Discuss its Role & Impact on the LP/AP Industry

Joe Coll, VP of Asset Protection Operations & Administration, Macy's
Paul Jaeckle, VP of Asset Protection, Meijer Stores & LPRC Vice Chair
Kevin Larson, Senior Manager, AP, Kroger & LPRC Vice Chair

Given the level of disruption going on in the retail industry, the increasing role of technology, the importance of brand reputation, and the impact of social media, the opioid epidemic, active shooters, and cybercrime on retail, it's never been as important as it is today to find and develop academic solutions that solve or at least help minimize enterprise risk.

In our 5th episode, we speak with Joe Coll, Paul Jaeckle, and Kevin Larson - three tenured members of the Loss Prevention Research Council - who discuss the role and impact the group is having on the industry, as the leading academic resource in the U.S. totally dedicated to the retail LP/AP community.

Learn how the LPRC conference extends well beyond three days, providing a year-long work effort of industry collaboration, working groups, research papers, Store Labs, offender interviews, and more.
 

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