New Dual-Sensor Camera from Axis:
Excellent overviews and detailed coverage helps cover every angle
Axis Communications announces AXIS P3715-PLVE Network Camera, a dual-sensor camera designed for excellent wide angle overviews and zoomed-in detailed coverage, around the clock and even in challenging light conditions. Ideal for school hallways and corridors, it can monitor two different views with a single camera solution.

With its unique peanut-shaped dome design, this multidirectional camera offers cost-effective installation and flexible positioning of both varifocal camera heads. Each head can be individually controlled to capture scenes in two directions simultaneously. It’s also possible to position the two cameras close together to capture both a wide angle and zoomed-in view of the same target. Read more here

Learn more about Axis' integrated solutions that address the challenges of today's unique retail environment in today's Vendor Spotlight below.


Checkpoint's RFID Solution Helps Quarantine Products to Ensure Shopper Safety
As apparel retailers reopen their brick-and-mortar businesses, one unexpected challenge they face centers around fitting rooms. Customer discomfort with using fitting rooms during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cause an increase in returns as garments are purchased without being tried on for size.

Checkpoint Systems has released a solution that leverages RFID technology to help retailers manage the quarantining of garments and other goods after they have been tried on or returned, thereby helping to prevent the transmission of COIVD-19 as stores reopen. The solution, known as Inventory Quarantine (IQ), helps stores ensure that goods are properly removed from the sales floor for preset intervals after they have been tried on or received back from a customer, or after they have arrived from another store. The cloud-based software-as-a-service solution automates the capturing of data indicating when an item was put into quarantine. It is designed to alert sales personnel once that quarantine period has ended, as well as help them locate items that are ready to return to the sales floor. rfidjournal.com
 

BLM Movement - The Retail Impact
Consumers Boycott - Brands Respond

'Boycott for Black Lives'
People plan to stop spending at companies that don't support BLM
On June 19 (Juneteenth), advocates of Black Lives Matter plan to support the namesake civil rights movement by not spending money with companies that aren't aligned with the movement or have remained silent. Some efforts include boycotting celebrities and politicians who've been vocal in opposition to the movement.

One Facebook event titled Boycott for Black Lives will feature a list of public figures and organizations people can boycott.

“Our overall objective is to encourage companies and people to stop participating in anti-Black behavior, and we’re doing this by withholding our dollars and protesting with our pockets,” Carmie Basnight, co-organizer of Boycott for Black Lives, told USA TODAY. yahoo.com

Fight Against Racism Targets Familiar Retail Brands
After some 130 years, Aunt Jemima will soon be no more. And Uncle Ben appears to be on his way out, too. Mrs. Butterworth's could also be in trouble.

According to reports, those products will gain a new name and look later this year, and consumers should notice them on supermarket shelves by fall. No other immediate details about the fate of existing Aunt Jemima products were available by Wednesday afternoon.

PepsiCo, through Quaker Oats, owns Aunt Jemima. progressivegrocer.com

Walmart’s Black Executives Lost Ground Since Five Years Ago

Walmart is now ‘thoroughly reviewing’ its hiring practices

As civil unrest over systemic racism roils the U.S., Walmart Inc.’s chief executive officer has pledged to make changes giving the company’s 340,000 Black workers more opportunities. According to the company’s latest diversity report, they need them.

The share of senior Black executives at the world’s largest retailer has declined since 2015, while the share of Black mid-level managers has stagnated, the report shows. The information is only updated through 2018, so does not account for recent promotions and departures, and the company says the numbers have improved since then.

Many of Walmart’s rivals, like Target Corp., are also struggling to create a more diverse workforce. And Walmart’s leadership ranks are more diverse than the overall retail industry, according to composite figures provided for comparison in Walmart’s diversity report. bloomberg.com

Voices of protest, crying for change, ring across US, beyond

Publix supermarkets won't allow Black Lives Matter garb, responds to Black teen employee

Taco Bell says employees can wear BLM masks after a worker was fired for wearing one

Google commits $175 million to racial equity with focus on black-owned businesses

Here’s a running list of all the companies observing Juneteenth tomorrow
Best Buy, J.C. Penney, Nike & Target among retailers making it a paid holiday
 

Riot/Protest Fallout Continues
Protest Outsiders? - Officer Charged - More Arrests

Less Than 10% of Demonstrators Were 'Outsiders'
Here’s how many George Floyd protesters in NYC came from outside the city
Only about 9 percent of demonstrators protesting the police killing of George Floyd in New York City came from outside the five boroughs, according to a location-based study.

“One thing we’re seeing in New York and virtually all cities, is that most protesters were residents. There were not that many ‘thugs’ coming from outside areas — which would appear to contradict the popular narrative,” Anindya Datta, CEO of the data analytics firm Mobilewalla, told the Post.

Of the 8,152 New York City protesters tracked via their cellphones during three days of protests between May 29 and May 31, the majority of outsiders came from nearby counties in New York and New Jersey, such as Westchester or Bergen, according to data provided by Mobilewalla.

The majority of far-away protesters — roughly 228 or 2.8 percent — came from the Arlington, Va. area, while others flocked from states including Colorado, California and Arizona. nypost.com

Ex-Atlanta cop Rolfe faces murder charges, possible death penalty,
in Rayshard Brooks case
The ex-Atlanta cop who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks will be charged with felony murder — and could face the death penalty, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Garrett Rolfe, 27, who was fired Saturday after shooting Brooks twice in the back during a scuffle outside a Wendy’s restaurant, will face 11 charges in all — including aggravated assault, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said at a press conference.

Howard said the second officer involved in Brooks’ death, Devin Brosnan, 26, will face three charges, including aggravated assault — but will testify against Rolfe, the first time an Atlanta cop has crossed the thin blue line.” nypost.com

Queens Man Charged In Connection With Arson Of An NYPD Vehicle In Manhattan

Staples Man Charged In Minneapolis Police Third Precinct Arson

Trenton, NJ: Man Arrested for Attempting to Ignite Police Vehicle During Protests

Ocala, FL: Man Pleads Guilty To Illegal Possession Of A Destructive Device

Gainesville, GA: Men indicted on federal arson charges for setting fire to police car

New Mexico Shooting Raises Specter Of Right-Wing Violence Around Statue Protests
 

GOP & Dems clash over dueling police reform proposals
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came out firmly against a Democratic plan to overhaul policing on Tuesday, saying that Democrats want to "federalize all of these issues. That's a non-starter. The House version is going nowhere in the Senate."

The emerging GOP plan has a major emphasis on incentivizing states to take action. The Democratic plan, in contrast, has a heavy emphasis on setting national standards, such as mandates for federal uniformed officers to wear body cameras and banning chokeholds.

GOP Sen. Scott said Tuesday that his proposal does not include an outright ban on chokeholds but argued "we get very, very close to that place" by blocking federal grant funds to departments that don't ban chokeholds themselves.

Democrats on Monday announced legislation to overhaul procedures by law enforcement officers, limit the use of deadly force, ban racial profiling and set up a national database to track use-of-force incidents.

More than 220 House Democrats have signed onto the House legislation, a strong sign of Democratic support that ensures it will pass that chamber next week. cnn.com nj.com

Here Are the Differences Between the Senate and House Bills to Overhaul Policing

Minnesota State to review law enforcement education programs

Cities across US announce police reform following mass protests against brutality

NYPD cops encouraged to ‘strike’ on July 4 to give city its ‘independence’
 

Coronavirus Tracker: June 18

US: Over 2.2M Cases - 120K Dead - 921K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 8.5M Cases - 453K Dead - 4.4M Recovered

Fallen Officers From the COVID-19 Pandemic: 48 | NYPD Deaths: 45
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 150
 

3 states just broke records for new COVID-19 cases, as they vow to stay open
Infections soar in Florida, Texas & Arizona

NYC Will Enter 'Phase 2' of Reopening on Monday, Mayor Says
New York City, once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, will enter its next phase of reopening on Monday, with as many as 300,000 workers expected to get back to work as outdoor dining, in-store shopping and office work resumes, Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed on Thursday.

The move, which Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday could go forward, will put the city one step further on its path to economic recovery from a devastating virus that killed more than 21,000 residents and triggered one of the strictest shutdowns in the United States.

Under New York’s plan, outdoor dining, some in-store shopping, hair salons, barbershops, real estate firms and some offices in the city would be allowed to reopen in the second phase, with social distancing and restrictions on capacity. Playgrounds will also reopen during Phase 2, Mr. de Blasio said.

The newly reopened businesses will likely offer a jolt of energy to New York City’s streets, which had been eerily quiet as the state’s lockdown orders shuttered businesses and kept residents at home. The looser restrictions are also expected to send more riders onto the city’s public transportation system, especially the subway, where ridership plunged by more than 90 percent as the pandemic hit. nytimes.com

Consumers to be more conservative in spending once stores fully reopen, utilize omnichannel options more
Thirty-eight percent of consumers said they will be more conservative in their spending as it relates to shopping in the future once respective state and national business restrictions lift, according to a survey from digital commerce provider Scalefast. And 29% report they will spend less during the holidays.

In the report, “Rebuilding Retail,” consumers also said that moving forward, due to COVID-19 they are more likely to order online and pickup curbside (35%), utilize a third-party delivery service (24%), and set up and use contactless payment (22%). chainstoreage.com

About a third of consumers are shopping at pre-COVID-19 levels. They're just doing it online.
According to a report from PYMNTS.com, 32.8% of shoppers are buying retail goods as much as they did before the coronavirus outbreak but are now making their purchases online. That's higher than the number of consumers who have moved online more often to shop for groceries or to order from restaurants, which stand at 12.8% and 16.1% respectively. retaildive.com

UK: Supermarkets look to collaborate to combat coronavirus
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is exploring where collaboration could help supermarkets and whether there are implications for competition law. “We are hoping to secure guidance from Defra/CMA to allow members to plan the forms of collaboration which might be available should the situation deteriorate, such as sharing data, collaborating on product specifications and aligning store opening,” the BRC added. talkingretail.com

Fitting room coronavirus closures make it hard for bridal, menswear shops

Scammers Exploiting Legitimate Coronavirus Contact Tracing

22Miles Delivers First of a Suite of Protection-as-a-Service Digital Signage Solutions to Support a Safe Return to Work
 

Atlanta Security Director Pleads Guilty to Gun Fraud Scheme
Used Hospital Funds to Buy & Sell Guns for 100% Profit
Russell Richardson, former DeKalb Medical Center, Inc. (DeKalb Medical) Director of Security, has pleaded guilty to fraudulently using hospital funds to acquire multiple handguns that he then sold for his personal benefit and financial gain.

“Richardson abused his position at the hospital, and manipulated the system for personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “His actions diverted hospital funds that could have been used to purchase critical medical supplies.”

After acquiring firearms purchased with hospital money, Richardson advertised that he had guns for sale at gun courses he taught in South Carolina and on his social media sites. He eventually sold many of them for 100% profit. According to ATF records, and Richardson’s own admission, he acquired approximately 100 firearms since the inception of his fraud scheme. justice.gov


RILA: Retailers Applaud SCOTUS Decision: LGBTQ Employees Protected
Brian Dodge, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), the trade association for America’s leading retailers, issued the following statement Monday in response to the United States Supreme Court decision holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ employees:

"Today’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that LGBTQ employees cannot be discriminated against in the workplace is cause for celebration. Leading retailers are committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all people, whether they are employees, customers, or business partners. To promote inclusivity at work, everyone should feel protected from discrimination and have access to the same legal federal protections. RILA and our members are thrilled the Supreme Court has unequivocally delivered these rights to our LGBTQ colleagues and friends." rila.org

RILA: During COVID-19 crisis, Dreamers helped to keep stores open


NRF: Retailers applaud Supreme Court ruling supporting dreamers
The National Retail Federation welcomed today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. NRF was among more than 140 businesses and trade associations that filed a friend-of-the-court brief last year asking the Supreme Court to uphold DACA. NRF has argued that ending the program would upend the lives of young immigrants, lead to businesses losing valuable talent, and cause disruptions in the workforce.

“This is a landmark ruling that inherently recognizes that these young people are law-abiding, tax-paying Americans who have never known adult life anywhere else,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “They are both valued workers and, in many cases, entrepreneurs and business owners. Some of them are healthcare workers fighting to protect our nation against the coronavirus pandemic. An adverse decision would have inflicted significant harm on individuals, businesses and the U.S. economy. Even with this ruling, it is still important for Congress to pass legislation permanently protecting these individuals so their future will never be in question again.” nrf.com

NRF: May retail sales improve dramatically over April but still below last year


AT&T to shutter 250 stores and lay off thousands

J.C. Penney begins liquidation sales at 136 stores in 37 states

Neiman Marcus says it's on track to exit bankruptcy by fall

Subway franchisees to hire 50,000 workers as it brings back $5 footlong deal

Hudson Accelerates Reopening Of 700 Shuttered Stores At U.S. Airports

Tulsa, OK: QuikTrip closing some downtown stores due to safety concerns ahead of Trump rally

Arizona Bush Fire doubles in size as California wildfires break out


Quarterly Results
Kroger Q1 comp's without fuel up 19%, digital sales up 92%, total sales excluding fuel up 19.1%
 

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