Automate Returns Safely with Inventory Quarantine

Checkpoint Systems launches Inventory Quarantine (IQ)

As the apparel retail industry prepares to open its doors again, phased re-openings hinge on a safe shopping environment for both employees and customers.

In response to the many questions surrounding the handling and management of returns in fitting rooms, stores and fulfilment centers, Checkpoint Systems has announced a new technology agnostic software solution – Inventory Quarantine (IQ).

The SaaS-based solution can be stand alone or integrated with your store management system and allows retailers to assign returned stock to an automated quarantine ‘holding area’ for a number of hours, removing items from visibility to customers both online and in-store. checkpointsystems.com

Axis Communications Matches Pledge of $15k for Mission 500’s Feeding America Campaign - Benefiting COVID-19 Relief Effort
As Mission 500 brings their Feeding America campaign to a close they would like to recognize the countless individuals that stepped up to the “plate” to help feed families across America. Mission 500 launched their Feeding America Million Meal Challenge campaign in late March with Hikvision USA leading the charge in helping to match the first $5,000 donations made. Mission 500’s Feeding America Million Meal Challenge was focused on securing meals for families across the U.S. and helped initially raise over 180,000 meals, and if that was not enough, Axis Communications stepped in to close out the initiative with an additional $15,000 donation that added another 150,000 meals for a total of 330,000 meals overall. mission500.org

Fundraiser: Support the Security Industry's COVID-19 Relief Response
 

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Minneapolis Riots Continue
'Can You Hear Us Now?'
Protests Across the Nation Hit Retailers

'State of Emergency' - Businesses Picking Up the Pieces

Derek Chauvin, cop who pinned down George Floyd, has been arrested
The cop who was caught on camera using his knee to pin George Floyd’s neck to the ground has been arrested in the deadly incident.

It’s unclear what charge or charges will be filed, but Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington had described Floyd’s death as a “murder” during a news conference earlier in the day.

Activists and others have demanded the prosecution of Chauvin as well as three other cops who were at the scene of Floyd’s arrest Monday for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill to try to buy groceries at a deli. nypost.com

Can You Hear Us Now? - Roof Top message in Minneapolis Protests
Large crowds turned out across the country to protest George Floyd’s death
As restrictions eased across the country, new measures were issued and under consideration in some cities and states where protests were growing over the killing of George Floyd.

Large crowds of demonstrators have gathered against the backdrop of a coronavirus pandemic that has kept many residents from engaging with one another directly for months.

In New York, where the city is still under restrictions to stem the spread of the virus, hundreds of people joined the protests, and more than 40 were arrested. nytimes.com

As Minneapolis Protests Escalate, Businesses are Picking Up the Pieces
Multiple nights of protests in Minneapolis - in some cases leading to rioting, looting and numerous fires - caused a path of damage that stretched for miles on East Lake Street.

Fire crews responded to dozens of incidents along the street, including at least 16 structure fires, since Wednesday during the protests over the death of George Floyd while he was in custody of Minneapolis police.

Below are images of the damage that was left behind Wednesday into Thursday, from which businesses are now picking up the pieces.  foxbusiness.com

'State of Emergency'
Over 500 National Guard soldiers activated;
Mayor Frey declares state of emergency in Minneapolis
Gov. Tim Walz signed Executive Order 20-65 on Thursday, activating the Guard to help protect Minnesotans and maintain peace. A release from Walz's office says local leaders have requested National Guard resources after extensive damage during protests the past two days.

Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis declared a state of emergency earlier Thursday giving him more flexibility to respond to the ongoing protests, KSTP has confirmed. The emergency order will remain in effect until Sunday night. kstp.com

'Flash looting' spreads to St. Paul; squad cars pelted with rocks, stores ambushed
Looters on Thursday afternoon broke windows, stormed through battered-down doors and snatched clothes, phones, shoes, and other merchandise from shops along University Avenue near the intersection of Pascal Street.

Officers formed a barricade in front of Target but none were at the T.J. Maxx store a block away, where looters smashed the door down and fled with shoes and heaps of clothing piled on shopping carts.

On St. Paul’s East Side, vandals broke into Cub Foods and its liquor store at the Sun Ray Shopping Center. Police had shut down the mall by about 3:30 p.m., but even as officers filled the parking lot in front, people were driving in the back and grabbing boxes of bottles from the liquor store.

Roseville police Lt. Erika Scheider said they received reports of looting at Rosedale Center, Target, Walmart, Cub Foods, Best Buy, Pawn America and two cell phone stores. startribune.com

Focused on 'Preventing Loss Of Life'
More than 170 St. Paul businesses looted or damaged, dozens of fires set
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Police Chief Todd Axtell said groups of young people were traveling around the city in groups of up to 20 vehicles — many without license plates in an attempt to go undetected — and breaking into businesses and looting.

Rosedale Center and Maplewood Mall shut down as a precaution on Thursday, and the Roseville mall will remain closed Friday. Roseville police said several businesses had been impacted by attempted theft and burglaries. And Target announced that 24 of its stores in the Twin Cities are closed until further notice.

The Mall of America was set to officially reopen Monday, after it has been closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but tenants were told Thursday that the date will be pushed out and will be announced when it’s finalized.

It appears to have started around 11:30 a.m., when St. Paul police were initially called to the Target on University Avenue. They found 50 to 60 people running into the store, grabbing merchandise and running out, said Steve Linders, a police spokesman.

When police arrived, people dropped merchandise and ran away, Linders said, a pattern that would repeat itself countless times throughout the afternoon.

An officer estimated there were at least 200 people in the University Avenue Target parking lot shortly after 2 p.m., and they described the crowd as increasingly hostile. After police gave orders for people to leave, police used a chemical irritant to disperse the group.

City Council President Amy Brendmoen said people are “focused first on preventing loss of life and secondarily preventing loss of property to fire,” according to a Thursday night Facebook post. “They have been trying to make space to allow and accommodate peaceful protests. The hope is to keep crowds calm and not contribute to the escalating tension in the city.”

The Hamline Midway Coalition and Union Park District Council are planning community clean-ups along University Avenue on Friday. twincities.com

Minnesota law won't excuse killing to protect property

Target, AutoZone respond to violent Minneapolis protests

Family Owned Restaurants and Businesses Were Among those Damaged in East Lake Street Riots

Police 3rd precinct torched as protests continue in Minneapolis over George Floyd's death


Ripple Effects Across the Country

7 people shot, 1 'critical' during protest in downtown Louisville demanding justice for Breonna Taylor
Seven people were shot Thursday night in downtown Louisville during a protest to demand justice for the shooting death of Louisville resident Breonna Taylor during a March police raid, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department. One person who was shot is in "critical" condition, police said. According to a statement from Mayor Greg Fischer early Friday morning, two victims were sent to surgery.

All of the shooting victims are civilians, according to LMPD, which said none of the victims were shot by officers and that it is "too early to comment on suspects."

Shots were fired around 11:30 p.m. Thursday as hundreds of people gathered on Jefferson Street, near Metro Hall and the Hall of Justice. Before the shots were fired, protesters tried to flip an LMPD prison transport vehicle. wdrb.com

At least 70 arrested at NYC protest over death of George Floyd
Dozens of protesters — many in protective face masks but otherwise flouting social-distancing rules — gathered around 3 p.m. to march around Union Square, chanting, “No justice! No peace!” and “F–k the police.”

By early evening, the demonstrators made their way down to the steps of City Hall and then to the World Trade Center site, before swinging north. At Albany off West Street, protesters pulled dozens of oversize traffic barrels off a construction flatbed and rolled them into the street.

Scuffles periodically erupted between the protesters and the scores of officers who responded.

Of the 70 arrests, at least one was for criminal possession of a weapon, for someone who allegedly had a knife at the protest, and one was for assaulting a police officer, for the person accused of throwing the garbage pail. nypost.com

NYC protests, crime threats at Long Island malls, over Floyd arrest video
 

 

Coronavirus Tracker: May 29

US: Over 1.7M Cases - 103K Dead - 500K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 5.9M Cases - 363K Dead - 2.6M Recovered

Fallen Officers From the COVID-19 Pandemic: 40 | NYPD Deaths: 43
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 132+
 

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COVID Impact on Solution Providers
Survey: Security Industry Revenues Down 30% Amid Covid-19 Mandates
The effects of social distancing mandates are hitting the electronic security and life safety industry negatively according to new figures. A nationwide survey of members jointly conducted by Electronic Security Association (ESA), the Security Industry Association (SIA) and The Monitoring Association (TMA) finds 21-30 percent loss of revenue is the median reported for all respondents. More than 60 percent of respondents reported losing this much or more of their revenue, according to the a summary of the survey.

The survey included responses from multiple market segments, including residential integration, commercial integration, monitoring, manufacturers, distributors and manufacturer representatives. iscnews.com

ISC West Still May Convert to Virtual - No Decision Yet
New Health and Safety Policies Announced for ISC West 2020
Reed Exhibitions, the organizers of ISC West, sent out an email yesterday about the health and safety policies for the upcoming event, which is currently scheduled to take place Oct. 5-8 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

As a part of this commitment, Reed Exhibitions has created a Health & Safety Task Force to develop and implement policies and best practices around COVID-19 response and prevention.

The email concluded by urging those with questions to contact the Reed Exhibitions customer service team at (203) 840-5602 or (800) 840-5602.  sdmmag.com

Cuomo says NY businesses can deny entrance to those without masks

No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service.

New York businesses will have the right to deny entrance to those who refuse to wear a mask or other face covering under an executive order Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.

“We’re giving the store owners the right to say, ‘If you’re not wearing a mask, you can’t come in,’ ” said Cuomo in a press briefing at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in Flatbush, Brooklyn. “That store owner has a right to protect the other patrons in that store.

Though it took him a while to come around, Cuomo last month signed another executive order mandating that New Yorkers must cover up when heading into areas outside their own homes in which social distancing would prove difficult. nypost.com

Off-Duty Activities Increase Exposure & Risk?
As States Reopen, the Boss Wants to Know What You’re Up To This Weekend
Companies have limited sway over employees’ lives outside the workplace, legal experts say. Bosses can educate workers about the potential risks and ask them to stay away from the office but can’t bar them from going to a bar, a party, or using mass transit in their personal time.

Employees generally have no legal obligation to disclose information such as how they spend their personal time, employment lawyers say. But there are ethical considerations when it comes to things like whether a family member has become ill, workplace experts say, so that managers can alert an employee’s colleagues.

In a roughly 40-page guide published for employees, VF Corp., owner of brands such as Vans and the North Face, advises staffers to avoid close contact with people outside of their homes and to stay away from mass gatherings to maintain proper distancing. It also recommends they avoid ride-sharing, car-pooling or public transportation, if possible, and to steer clear of lunch and after-work gatherings. The company does temperature screenings and asks employees a series of questions verbally as they enter its distribution centers and other facilities.

Steve Rendle, VF’s chief executive, said the company has debated how to best keep employees safe as more regions reopen, while balancing privacy concerns. The Denver-based company could ask employees where they traveled and whether they came into contact with anyone with a confirmed case of the virus, he said. The company is exploring how to reduce risks of an employee’s personal travel, but so far hasn’t implemented new policies.

“We’re not just responsible for ourselves, but my actions have a direct relationship to your comfort and safety, so we need to think about each other, and those team members that we will come back in contact with,” Mr. Rendle said. “It does apply when you go somewhere on a weekend: Where did you go, who did you come into contact with—anybody test positive?” wsj.com

76% Privacy Professionals Say Employees Must Notify if Diagnosed
This is according to research from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and EY. And 53% have asked about employees' personal travel.

Issues related to employee remote work, employee health monitoring and COVID19 data sharing are the top challenges privacy professionals are facing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Most employers have collected data from their employees about personal travel and symptoms, and 60% is keeping records of employees diagnosed with COVID-19. cybersecurity.cmail20.com

The Forbes Corporate Responders
New Ranking of Nation's Top Employers Responses To Pandemic

15 Retailers make it in Top 24 on Forbes List

1. Verizon 2. Target 3. AT&T 4. Walmart 5. T-Mobile US 6. Lowe's Companies 7. Starbucks 8. Home Depot

10. Kroger 11. McDonalds 17. CVS Health 18. Apple 19. Walgreens 22. Darden Restaurants 24. Dollar General forbes.com

PCI Security Standards Council
Request for Comments: PIN v3.1 Standard Draft
From 29 May 2020 to 30 June 2020, PCI SSC stakeholders can participate in a Request for Comments (RFC) on PIN v3.1 Standard draft.

PCI DSS v4.0: Anticipated Timelines and Latest Updates

Senior Job
Director, Asset Protection posted for Team Car Care-Jiffy Lube, Irving, TX
Team Car Care dba Jiffy Lube is the largest Jiffy Lube franchise in the system. Team Car Care, dba Jiffy Lube, the largest franchisee of quick lube retail service stores in the country. Operating over 540 Jiffy Lube locations from coast to coast and serving nearly 5 million guests each year with more than 3,500 professional teammates.

Reporting to the VP Store Operations, the Director Asset Protection will work primarily to reduce lost revenue and increased expense due to theft, poor inventory control, employee turnover, damage claims, safety violations, and general inefficiencies. The DAP will also assist in the research and development of new and or improved business opportunities and bring project management skills that will enable recommendations to be piloted, evaluated for effectiveness, and ultimately lead to implementation and measurement. jiffylube.com indeed.com

Examining the Post-COVID-19 'New Normal'
New World Norm Video Podcast Feat. Tony D’Onofrio

Produced by Tim Moore, Director of Global Loss Prevention at Swarovski

As a first guest in this new video podcast produced by Tim Moore, Director of Global Loss Prevention at Swarovski, Tony D’Onofrio examines the post COVID-19 "new normal", the not perfect 2020 vision, double digit growth, and why retailers must adapt faster to shifting consumer trends.

Coresight Research
Retail Store Databank Week 22
3,664 2020 YTD Closures
2,871 YTD Openings

UK Retail Crime: Forecourt crime shows steady increase

Brits plan future shopping based on retailers’ response to Covid-19

C.D.C. Advises Major Changes to Offices


Quarterly Results
Dollar Tree Q1 comp's up 7%, net sales up 8.2%
   Family Dollar comp's up 15.5%
   Dollar Tree comp's down 0.9%
William Sonoma Q1 comp's up 2.6%, e-commerce up 31.2%
Ulta Beauty Q1 comp's down 35.3%, net sales down 32.7%
Nordstrom Q1 sales down 40%
Citi Trends Q1 sales down 43.4%