Stores & Shopping Centers Top Target for Mass Shooters
Retailers grapple with 'harsh reality' & invest in 'active assailant insurance'
 
Do retailers need active assailant insurance?

Stores and shopping centers are increasingly vulnerable to the death and destruction caused by mass shooters in the U.S.

Retailers and malls are reckoning with the harsh reality that they have become what the Federal Bureau of Investigaton and U.S. Department of Homeland Security call “soft targets” for mass shootings, which bring death and devastation to the communities where they operate and hurt their businesses in various ways.

Some retailers and malls are acknowledging their vulnerability in investor materials. In at least its last five annual reports, for example, Walmart has warned that “active shooter situations (such as those that have occurred in our U.S. stores)” is one type of catastrophic event that “could materially adversely affect our financial performance.” In the last two years, Simon Property Group has similarly included “mass shootings” among concerns that could keep consumers away from in-store shopping.

The rise in such incidents has led insurance companies, starting less than a decade ago, to develop policies that support retailers and malls on a variety of levels.

While retail locations have been the scene of a mass shooting in every decade since the 1970s, more than half of the attacks in shopping areas have occurred in the last 15 years, according to the Violence Project. The FBI, in its most recent report on active shooters, an analysis of 2022, found that nearly half the year’s 50 incidents happened in open spaces, following by places of commerce (28%), education (8%), houses of worship and government (4%) and health care (2%).

Industry groups like the National Retail Federation and ICSC offer training and advice on how to prepare for and respond to these events.

Insurance covering active assailant events grew out of this growing threat, according to Lucy Straker, focus group leader for U.S. political violence and deadly weapons protection at insurance company Beazley. After 9/11, insurance companies including Beazley began offering coverage for terrorist events that brought about loss of life, property damage and business interruption on a massive scale. More recently, several insurers have begun to offer coverage for mass shootings.  retaildive.com

'Historic Drop' in Violent & Property Crimes During Q1 2024: FBI Crime Data
Violent crime went down by 15.2% & property crimes decreased by 15.1%

New FBI stats show 'historic' declines in violent crime rate, with murder showing sharpest drop

Philadelphia's police chief is "excited" about what he's seeing in the numbers, but he "is also very cautious that we don’t overstate & overestimate the direction we’re going."

The latest FBI statistics point to a "historic" drop in crime in the first quarter of this year, Attorney General Merrick Garland says.

And this, after a year in which the murder rate fell at one the fastest rates ever recorded, a top criminologist added.

The rate of violent and property crimes dropped precipitously in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to quarterly statistics released Monday by the FBI known as the Uniform Crime Report.

The murder rate fell by 26.4%, reported rapes decreased by 25.7%, robberies fell by 17.8%, aggravated assault fell by 12.5%, and the overall violent crime rate went down by 15.2%, the statistics show.

Reported property crimes also decreased by 15.1%, according to the UCR report, which the FBI compiles using crime statistics supplied to the agency by law enforcement agencies across the U.S.

“This data makes clear that last year’s historic decline in violent crime is continuing,” Garland said in a statement. “This continued historic decline in homicides does not represent abstract statistics. It represents people whose lives were saved — people who are still here to see their children grow up, to work toward fulfilling their dreams, and to contribute to their communities.”

Brian Higgins, an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, said there could be a correlation between the crime decline and the efforts in recent years to beef up police forces that lost officers in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and amid calls to “Defund the Police.”  nbcnews.com


It's Official: Prop 47 Rollback Measure Makes the November Ballot
Big retailers put big money behind the ballot measure

California voters may decide whether to roll back Prop 47 crime measure

San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan endorsed the ballot measure to roll back Prop 47 earlier this year.

Californians may have the chance to roll back parts of a law they approved in 2014 that downgraded drug possession and thefts worth less than $950 to misdemeanors, after a measure to reimpose felony punishments for those offenses qualified Tuesday for the November ballot.

The 2014 law, Proposition 47, aimed to reduce jail populations, but critics say it has emboldened thieves. The ballot measure to change it would eliminate the $950 threshold for a third theft, meaning someone caught stealing three times could be charged with a felony, regardless of the value of the merchandise stolen. It would do the same for a third drug possession charge. It would also increase jail time for repeat thefts and organized retail theft and includes provisions to compel people with multiple drug possession convictions into treatment.

The campaign in support of the measure has reported more than $8.5 million in contributions so far. Its top donors are Walmart, Target and Home Depot.

Though most Democrats have backed Prop 47, there has been support for overhauling the proposition among the party’s moderates for years. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan endorsed the ballot measure earlier this year, signaling growing distaste for Prop 47 among Democrats.

They join California Republicans, who have long been the harshest critics of the law and have repeatedly tried to overturn it.

“Our goal is not to keep people locked up,” Breed told the Chronicle earlier this year. “But when there are no real consequences for crimes that are committed in this city, that’s a real problem.” sfchronicle.com

   RELATED: California Democrats squabble over poison pills in anti-crime laws


'Shutting Down Organized Theft Rings'
California lawmakers fast-track bill requiring online sellers to verify their identity
A California bill that would require marketplaces like eBay and Nextdoor to start collecting bank accounts and tax identification numbers from high-volume sellers who advertise online but collect payments offline was fast-tracked by Democratic lawmakers with committees voting on it Tuesday.

The idea is that thieves will be less likely to resell stolen merchandise if authorities can track them down.

The measure is part of a legislative package of 14 bills to combat retail theft in the state. The California Retailers Association has said the issue has reached crisis levels, though it’s challenging to quantify because many stores don’t share their data.

Proponents, including district attorneys and some big box retailers, said the data collection proposal would shut down organized theft rings seeking to resell stolen goods and would close a loophole in existing laws that don’t require platforms to track offline transactions.

The rules under the bill would apply to sellers who make at least $5,000 profit and engage in at least 200 transactions in a year.

Opponents say the measure also runs contrary to a federal law that went into effect last July, which requires online marketplaces like Amazon to verify high-volume sellers on their platforms as part of an effort to tamp down the number of goods being stolen from brick-and-mortar stores and resold online.

Requiring platforms to monitor all transactions, including those happening offline, is an impossible task, Szabo said.

The proposal is part of a legislative package that would increase penalties for organized crime rings, expand drug court programs and close a legal loophole to make it easier to prosecute auto thefts, among other things. fox40.com


Another State Enacting Retail Theft Law
Will harsher retail theft penalties in new law have an impact on Vt. scofflaws?
After getting approval from Governor Phil Scott last week, a bill that stiffens penalties for repeated retail theft will become law next month.

“That’s what’s really critical -- is to have the accountability,” said Rep. Martin LaLonde, D-South Burlington, the original author of the retail theft bill, which is aimed at creating harsher penalties targeted at repeat offenders.

In the final version of the bill, the penalties increase for misdemeanor offenses. Those charged with retail theft a second time face a $1,000 fine or up to two years in jail if it’s committed within two years of the first offense.

Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George has faced criticism for her handling of low-level crimes like retail theft, but she says her office has 565 retail theft cases pending right now. She questions the effectiveness of stiffer penalties. “Whether someone is going to be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony is not a deterrent, it never has been. It’s been proven time and time and time again not to be a deterrent so I’m not sure it’s going to have the deterrent effect it was meant to,” she said.

George says many of the cases they see have underlying issues such as homelessness and addiction. She says investments outside the criminal justice system would have the most impact on crimes like retail theft. “If we really addressed the housing crisis and some of the substance services that are lacking, that in itself will make a huge difference in our caseload and our backlog,” she said.

The new laws will now go into effect on July 1st. wcax.com


Video: Extra measures retailers are taking to combat ongoing retail theft

Hawaii crime reaches new heights, police urge beachgoers to take valuables into ocean
 

Most Trusted Brands 2024
Retail Brands & Products Recognized in Annual Ranking

Morning Consult's definitive ranking of the brands that lead the way on consumer trust

This year, we’re expanding our rankings to include more brands than ever before — 118 brands are included across our 14 rankings — from long-standing brands like UPS and Colgate to newer entrants such as ChatGPT and Spotify.

Highlights from this report

Items you’ll find on the grocery store shelf, including food, household, and personal products, make up 13 of the 25 Most Trusted Brands ranking. These are the tried-and-true staples of American households, from Cheerios to Clorox.

The next biggest group of brands on the ranking are stores that stock many of those same brands — retail giants like Amazon and CVS. Additionally, the three largest American shipping brands, UPS, USPS, and FedEx all make the ranking. pro.morningconsult.com

How One Retailer Fixed Soaring Turnover
Ikea was losing 60,000 employees a year. Here's how the retailer worked to fix its staff turnover problem.

Ikea was facing soaring employee turnover rates coming out of the pandemic.

Ikea tackled sky-high employee turnover rates by increasing wages, offering more flexibility, and simplifying staff workflow — seemingly simple changes that have made a world of difference for the Swedish furniture retailer, according to a recent Bloomberg report.

Every time an Ikea employee left the furniture magnate, the company lost $5,000 or more, according to the outlet. Amid a worsening wave of workers quitting in recent years, Ikea executives set about trying to keep workers happy and employed.

Retail has always had higher quit rates than many other industries due to difficult working conditions, unpredictable scheduling, and low pay. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing inflation have only exacerbated the problem in recent years.

By 2022, Ikea was losing about 62,000 workers each year for various reasons — nearly one-third of its workforce, Bloomberg reported. The mounting conflict between the company and a coalition of unions had also left morale low across many of Ikea's 473 stores worldwide, according to the outlet. businessinsider.com


Was the Family Dollar Acquisition a Flop for Dollar Tree?
Should Dollar Tree Break Up With Family Dollar?
Dollar Tree is exploring strategic alternatives, including a possible sale or spinoff, of Family Dollar, its chronically underperforming banner bought in 2015 for about $9 billion.

The Family Dollar acquisition was expected to help Dollar Tree reduce costs to better compete against Dollar General, which also bid on the chain, as well as other discounters such as Walmart. The synergies behind the acquisition, however, were less than envisioned.

Dollar Tree’s stores cater to middle-income suburbanites with a focus on party favors and seasonal decorations. Family Dollar offers a wider range of items, from groceries to cleaning supplies, while catering to lower-income consumers in urban and rural areas. Most of Dollar Tree’s products are priced at $1.25, while Family Dollar offers a wide price range.

The focus on urban markets as well as a broader merchandise mix meant Family Dollar had to battle against a more price-competitive set than the better-performing Dollar Tree banner. The chain was also in poor condition at the time of the acquisition.  retailwire.com


'Above Average' Hurricane Season Coming
Map Shows States Most Likely to Get Hit With Major Hurricane
Forecasters at Colorado State University (CSU) have doubled down on their previous predictions regarding the 2024 hurricane season.

The Tropical Weather and Climate Research Team at CSU released their extended range forecast and landfall strike probability report on Tuesday, which is based off data through June 11. The report did not change the center's predictions for above-average hurricane activity this season, with forecasters still predicting 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes—category 3 or higher—for this year.

The report also made predictions about where major hurricanes could make landfall in the United States. According to CSU, the U.S. East Coast has a 34 percent chance of being hit by a category 3 or higher storm this year. The average probability of a major hurricane hitting the eastern coastline between 1880 and 2020 was 21 percent. In the Gulf Coast, states have a 42 percent of facing a major hurricane, a much higher probability than the 27 percent average between 1880 and 2020.  newsweek.com


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