Retailer's Alert: Active Shooter Incident Response
Real-Life Incident Warrants Failing Grade
It's Time For Action

How Malls & Mall Security Are Managing Active Shooter Lockdowns
Mall Management & Mall Security Drop the Ball
Responding to Active Shooter Incident This Past Weekend

The Daily received this real-life report below yesterday from a retailer, who will remain anonymous obviously for the purposes of this article, that depicts how Mall Management and Mall Security failed miserably in their response and management of an 'Active Shooter' incident.

According to this senior manager, their number one concern is "that mall management and mall security are not prepared and there is little or no communication during or after the event," and that this is not an isolated incident and happens more frequently, with his retailer experiencing on average one active shooter lockdown situation monthly across the country.

His main concern and question is: When are the shopping centers going to start managing these incidents correctly?

Have your own story to share?  We'd like to hear about them and hopefully make an impact. Because it may save lives.
 

Active Shooter From An Employee Perspective

By Anonymous Retail Executive

I wanted to give you true on the ground feedback from a store that recently had an active shooter situation in a mall shopping center. We require every employee to be trained on what to do if an active shooter situation would arise. We quiz employees and run drills to make sure there is no question on how they should proceed if they find themselves in an active shooter situation.

We have an average of one active shooter lockdown situation a month across the company. The store teams do an excellent job informing the customers and staff and then securing the store. We usually find out about these incidents by the sound of gunfire or mall customers running past the front of the store screaming. The after action feedback that I get from the store staff is that mall management and security are not prepared and there is little or no communication during or after the event. My question is when are the shopping centers going to get in line and protect customers and their clients paying for space in these centers? They can talk about what they are going to do but the outcome is very different when it actually happens. Below is a note from a store manager that recently went through an active shooter situation with two other employees and nine customers in the stockroom.

Note from store management about the shopping center's handling of an active shooter situation:

I wanted to follow up on last night's incident and get your feedback. I was extremely disappointed in the mall's security actions during and after the event. Just this week we had our annual security meeting and active shooter was a very hot topic. The mall assured us that they were ready. They've even been installing lights/sirens in every store for just such event.

Here are my concerns:

• There was absolutely no communication from the mall until we were given the all clear at 9 pm. We have a mall cast system and I was expecting to be notified of actions to take and there was nothing.

• I called security after locking our doors. I asked if we should be in lockdown and was told they couldn't give me any info and hung up on me

• After the event as we were leaving there were several customers still in the mall, obviously very upset, not knowing how to get out of the mall due to all department stores being locked.

• When they approached a security guard to ask how to get out the security guard told them he didn't know and that he just got there. 

• The lights/sirens did not go off

Thank you for your time!

How do we fix the shopping centers? We are going into the busiest time of the year and there are mass shootings being reported every day. We need to make sure that our people and customers are safe. The shopping center has a large responsibility and they need to assure us that they are prepared for this type of emergency situation.

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Florida Retail Federation Celebrates Successful 5th Annual Loss Prevention Conference

A record number of retail loss prevention professionals joined by their law enforcement partners and industry solutions providers met in Orlando last week for the Florida Retail Federation's (FRF) 5th Annual Loss Prevention Conference.

The event was held Wednesday, October 24 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. Scott Shalley, FRF's President & CEO opened the conference with an update on ORC issues in the Florida Legislature and a recap of FRF's efforts to defeat the proposed increase in Florida's felony threshold during the 2018 Legislative Session.

Keynote presentations were delivered by the always compelling Dave Thompson - VP of Operations for Wicklander-Zulawski, Dan Faketty - Southeastern Grocers' VP of Asset Protection and Chairman of NRF's Loss Prevention Council, and Special Agent Logan Workman of the United States Secret Service who was also an FRF Law Enforcement Officer of the Year finalist.

Read More Here
 

New Sekura research unveiled at LPRC
Sekura Global is pleased to unveil results from the first phase of our research with the LPRC. The research formed part of the Product Protection Working Group, focusing on Sekura's award-winning SlideTag and Self-Retracting BoxGrip, and was first made available at the recent LPRC Impact Conference in Florida.

Phase one of the study involved interviewing former-offenders to determine how they perceived the SlideTag and Self-Retracting BoxGrip technologies, whether they understood the tags, and whether they would be deterred from attempting theft of merchandise protected with these tags. In this way, the report establishes whether offenders might "See it - Get it - Fear it" in each case. Read More Here

Johnson Controls unveils powerful Flex IR PTZ for enhanced resolution and control
Johnson Controls has developed a competitive Illustra IR PTZ camera with powerful zoom and control capabilities to handle even most challenging lighting conditions. tycosecurityproducts.com

ICE HSI teams with London police to fight counterfeiting
The City of London Police (CoLP) became the fifth international law-enforcement agency to join the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) after leadership from the organization signed an agreement today with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) to enhance collaboration in the fight against intellectual property theft.

IPR Center Director Alex Khu and CoLP Commissioner Ian Dyson pledged to combine resources to tackle the illegal importation and distribution of counterfeit goods. ice.gov
 

New York's World Famous Diamond District
International $12M Diamond Dealers Caper

Right Out of the Movies - Sophisticated Diamond Dealers - Gang of 12 Thieves
$12M+ in Stolen Diamonds Sold in Manhattan's Diamond District
2 NY Diamond Merchants Convicted - 10 Already Pled Out - Defrauding Victims Out Of $12M+ Diamonds
SHOLOM MURATOV, 36, and MENACHEM ABRAMOV, 32, were convicted yesterday in Manhattan federal court, of conspiring to defraud diamond sellers in Mumbai, India out of more than $12 million in loose diamonds.

Ten other defendants have previously pled guilty in connection with their participation in this and related schemes.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: "These defendants engaged in a brazen, multi-million dollar fraud scheme extending from New York to Mumbai.

From December 2015, up to about December 2016, the Diamond thieves coordinated a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud a group of diamond wholesalers in Mumbai (the "Victim Merchants") out of millions of dollars in loose diamonds known as "melee" diamonds. The scheme involved numerous misrepresentations to the Victim Merchants, including but not limited to: (i) the defendants' corporate affiliations; (ii) the longevity and track records of those corporations; (iii) that the defendants were not affiliated with one another, and, most significantly; (iv) purporting to agree to payment terms proposed by the Victim Merchants in order to induce the Victim Merchants to release diamonds without having received full payment. Together, through these fraudulent misrepresentations, the defendants succeeded in convincing the Victim Merchants to provide them over $12 million worth of loose diamonds, for which MURATOV, ABRAMOV, and their co-conspirators provided no payment. Members of the conspiracy then sold the diamonds in Manhattan's Diamond District. Both will be sentenced in March and face 20 years in federal prison. justice.gov

Editor's Note: Taking place over a year this group had to have tons of forged documents, phony phone calls confirming relationships, emails set up, all the supporting forged provenance and even banking set up, and logistics. All of that being said and understanding, even as a layperson, the Diamond District one has to wonder who outside the group of twelve knew about it and how did the Federal Organized Crime taskforce get wind of this? Did the District police itself so to speak? Or where did they make there mistake. Obviously it could have simply been that the victims just never got paid and called the Fed's. And if that's the case the taskforce did a heck of a job putting this one together. Of special note is that this is the first and biggest case we've ever seen come out of the world famous NY Diamond District and could be a movie actually. Just a thought. Gus Downing.

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CFO Gets Played for $125,000
Business Email Compromise - 'BEC' is Growing & Social Media is Feeding it
How Artful Manipulation Can Undermine Employee Security
Chief financial officer Malcolm Fisher never thought he would be victimized by cybercrime-until a social engineer successfully impersonated him and bilked his company out of more than $125,000.
It was relatively easy for the criminal to identify Fisher as a high-value target given his key position within the company-his bio was readily available on the company website. And Fisher's social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn revealed several bits of information that marked him as a dream target for a diligent social engineer.

Fisher frequently participated in poker tournaments and was not modest in describing his success at the table. He posted about attending an upcoming tournament in Las Vegas and catalogued his travel plans across social media platforms. Shortly after his arrival to Las Vegas, Fisher received a text message from what appeared to be the tournament organizer providing a link to the updated schedule. When he clicked on the link, nothing seemed to happen-but he had just unwittingly provided the social engineer with entry into his company-issued mobile device.

Knowing that the tournament started at 11 the next morning, the fraudster hijacked Fisher's email account and sent an urgent message at 11:15 a.m. to a colleague. The email-supposedly written by Fisher-instructed the employee to immediately wire $125,000 to a vendor, noting that he would be out of touch for several hours because he was attending the tournament.

The employee, never questioning his boss's instructions, immediately processed the wire transfer. While Fisher left Las Vegas very pleased with his tournament winnings, he soon learned that he was the one who got played.  

 This scenario is not unusual. With more focus than ever on enterprise cybersecurity and preventing data breaches, many executives believe that technology alone provides sufficient protection against such threats.

But sophisticated threat actors-whether they be nation states, criminals, activists or disloyal competitors-will frequently target the most significant vulnerability found in most organizations: the human factor. The interaction between human beings and the technology meant to protect the organization is frequently referred to as the weakest link in security. shrm.org

Ex-KPMG Partner Pleads Guilty In Audit Watchdog Fraud Case
A former KPMG partner on Monday copped to his role in an alleged scheme to funnel inside information about the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's plans to inspect particular audits to top KPMG accountants. law360.com

Walmart's "Check Out With Me"
Checking out at Walmart without going to the register
"Check Out With Me," a new program announced Monday, will enable customers to pay for items directly with Walmart associates using hand-held devices and stationed around the store. The new strategy is intended to spare customers the hassle of trying to get large items like Christmas trees and televisions through long and cumbersome checkout lines, though the service "is not limited to any one particular type of item," a spokesperson for Walmart told NBC News.

The program will be slowly rolled out in coming weeks and will be available in all Walmart locations by Black Friday.

The retail giant is also introducing an enhanced store app that will enable customers to pinpoint the location of a given item, right down to its exact position within a store aisle.

It will also be launching a new program in mid-November that allows customers to return items purchased online to any physical Walmart store. nbcnews.com

What 3 charts about Black Fridays past signal about the holiday's future
Over the years, Black Friday (the day itself as well as the surrounding promotional days or even weeks) has become one of retail's premier battlegrounds, especially between big-box retailers and mass merchants like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Year after year, these four companies can't take the competitive loss of not opening their doors on Thanksgiving day (a trend that is slowing especially among specialty players) and Black Friday.

Last year, the retail industry raked in a record $5.03 billion just online by the end of the day on Black Friday, a 16.9% increase over the year prior. 

Here's three charts that show how Black Friday is evolving over time, and who's plowing the path ahead. retaildive.com

Retailers Getting Desperate For Help in Stores
Vacation raffles, kayaks & 'glamour' bundles
Just some of the perks retailers are using to attract holiday help
Retailers, e-commerce and logistics companies are looking to hire 704,000 holiday workers this year. ●They are sweetening the pot with cash bonuses and gift cards, as well as chances to win kayaks and diamond earrings. ●UPS promotes the chance to convert to a permanent, full-time job as a draw.

Couple that with a jobless rate sitting at a nearly five-decade low at 3.7 percent, and retailers have to get creative to be able to fill those jobs in time for the holiday rush. "Flexible hours, ability to pick shifts, gym memberships, whatever perks are important for that store and that region are considered." cnbc.com

Burberry's Bonfire Fueled Secondary Market - Reselling Used Products
North Face Renewed - Refurbishment Program
Clothing waste has been an issue in retail practically since its inception, but consumers may have hit their tolerance threshold when Burberry got called out this summer for burning nearly $38 million of unsold inventory. Popular re-commerce site ThredUp offered to sell Burberry's unsold merchandise in an open letter to the company and, just a few months later, Burberry announced that it would no longer burn unsold merchandise and is already working toward several other environmentally friendly initiatives.

Companies like Burberry might be the metaphorical monsters in the closet when it comes to the reusable goods movement, but the problem is much larger than that, and more retailers are buying into the idea of recycling and reselling inventory rather than trashing it, especially in the outdoors sector.

That's led some retailers to take a firmer stance on sustainability, including introducing new ways for customers to recycle and reuse products that may have passed their prime. retaildive.com

Cannabis Grower RICO Trial Puts Industry On High Alert
The clash between state laws legalizing cannabis and federal laws outlawing it will take center stage Monday when a Colorado federal jury considers whether landowners were damaged by a nearby grow facility as their Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act suit goes to trial.

In the first RICO suit involving legalized cannabis to make it to trial, a jury will consider beginning Oct. 29 whether property owned by Phillis Windy Hope Reilly and Michael P. Reilly lost value - and by how much - after a cannabis cultivation and grow facility opened near their 105 acres in Rye, Colorado.

The fact that the Reillys' suit made it this far has already spooked some in the cannabis industry, and a trial win with damages and attorneys' fees could conjure more RICO suits in states around the country, experts said.

The nearby grow facility has impacted the Reillys' ability to enjoy their property, they said in their suit. The buildings mar their view of the mountains and expose them to bad smells and increased crime, devaluing their property, the Reillys claim.

Cultivating marijuana "is by definition racketeering activity," the court said.

Since RICO allows for claims to be brought against anyone who has a hand in the alleged racketeering conspiracy, the third parties involved in the industry may face an onslaught of suits if the Reillys are successful, he said.  law360.com

Seasonal employee sues Macy's for more than $200,000, alleging workplace injury
A seasonal employee is suing Macy's Corporation Services Inc., alleging negligence and an unsafe work environment, after several heavy boxes of bed linens allegedly fell on her while working at a Macy's distribution center. The plaintiff holds Macy's responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to provide necessary assistance, failed to provide proper equipment and failed to implement the accepted industry standard regarding sound ergonomic practices. setexasrecord.com

Walmart Is Sued by Blind Customers Over Its Self-Service Accessibility
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and three plaintiffs are suing Walmart, alleging the major retailer's self-checkout kiosks aren't fully accessible to its visually impaired customers - and therefore are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The three blind residents of Maryland, according to The Baltimore Sun, were named in the October 25 federal lawsuit. One of the three is a woman who claims an employee of a Walmart in Owings Mills, Maryland, selected the cash-back option at a kiosk - and secretly took out $40 from her account without her knowledge. lifezette.com

FTC Issues Consumer Warning Over 'IRS' Gift Card Scam
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning to consumers that criminals are posing as government officials and asking people to use a gift card to pay a bogus tax bill or get a new Medicare card.

"We really wanted to sound the alarm," said Monica Vaca, associate director of the FTC's Division of Consumer Response and Operations. "If people get a call from somebody who is scaring them about something and they've got to take immediate action to avoid some horrible thing happening to them like being fined or arrested, and there's a demand to be paid by gift card, boy is that ever a red flag. That call is a scam, and people should hang up." washingtonpost.com

How to Gracefully Exclude Coworkers from Meetings, Emails, and Projects
Whether it's a meeting, an email thread, or a project team, people need to be excluded from time to time. Being selective frees people up to join more urgent engagements, get creative work done, and stay focused on their most important tasks. How, then, can leaders do this gracefully? hbr.org

Only 7 Retailers Makes List of Top 100 world's best-performing CEOs
Spain's Inditex (Zara) made #1 and LVMH CEO was #3. Other retailers that made the top 100 include Fast Retailing's Tadashi Yanao, No. 35; Best Buy's Hubert Joly, No. 45; Nordstrom's Blake Nordstrom, No. 62; and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, No. 68. Real estate head David Simon, of Simon Property, was ranked No. 37. needs link chainstoreage.com

Senior Director, Safety & Risk (West Palm Beach, FL) posted for Gulfstream Goodwill Industries
We are searching for a strong Safety, Risk and Loss Prevention professional to lead our team in these respective areas. In this role, you will lead safety efforts across five Florida counties (Martin, Indian River, St Lucie, Okeechobee and Palm Beach) including 28+ retail stores, two warehouses and several administrative and services buildings. linkedin.com



Whitey Bulger, Boston Mobster and Informant, Is Dead at 89
James (Whitey) Bulger, the South Boston mobster and F.B.I. informer who was captured after 16 years on the run and finally brought to justice in 2013 for a murderous reign of terror that inspired books, films and a saga of Irish brotherhood and brutality, was found dead on Tuesday in a West Virginia prison. He was 89. nytimes.com



Seven teams named semi-finalists for NRF Foundation's 2019 student challenge
The NRF Foundation today announced seven teams as semi-finalists for its 2019 Student Challenge, a business case competition for NRF Student Association members to demonstrate their creativity and business acumen to retail executives. The finalists will attend the NRF Foundation Gala in New York City, where the top team will be announced on January 13.

"The purpose of the Student Challenge is to bring classroom learnings into a real-life business scenario, and this year's concept delivered on that mission," NRF Foundation President Ellen Davis said. nrf.com

Gulfstream Goodwill Director of Safety position removed from website

NATSO Foundation Toolkit To Help Fight Human Trafficking for Truck Stops & Travel Industry

Future of fast-food? BurgerFi uses facial recognition to remember your meals for the next time

UPS Worker Dies Working Conveyor in UPS Lexington, KY, Facility

Hibbett Sports to Acquire City Gear - 135 stores in 15 states

British retailer WH Smith to buy US airport chain InMotion


Quarterly Results

Tapestry (Formerly Coach) Q1 Coach Global stores comp's up 4%, net sales up 7%
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