Securing Every Checkout: Nedap launches iSenseGo

Nedap announced the launch of iSenseGo, a suite of solutions that enables grocery, health and beauty retailers to secure every form of checkout.

iSenseGo enables retailers to offer fast and frictionless checkouts without uncontrollable shrinkage levels. The suite of solutions consists of labels, deactivation, EAS and a data analytics platform that all work together so retailers can offer the checkout experience their shoppers want, without comprising on security.

"New retail experiences like 10-minute grocery delivery apps or ‘checkout-free’ store concepts, in combination with radically different lifestyle and working patterns have changed the way we shop," said Robin van Stenis, Global Marketing Director. "Shoppers now seeking to experience the same fast and frictionless checkouts they do online when visiting physical stores. Focusing on self-service and the speed of checkout can meet these expectations, but it can come at a high cost. Studies have shown that stores with self-checkout options are experiencing double the shrinkage levels that traditional checkout stores have."

"We envision a world where technology leads to zero waste and no losses for retailers," concludes Robin van Stenis. "This means innovation is key. By focusing on four key loss prevention areas, preventing theft does not have to be in conflict with a seamless shopping experience. It’s about putting the needs of the shopper first, and then look at technology and data to protect retailers from theft."

To learn how supermarket, health and beauty retailers can improve their checkout experience with Nedap iSenseGo download the solution brief here.
 

Big City Shootings Continue Amid Summer Violence Surge

1,090 Shootings - 345 Killed - 1,138 Injured in 15 Big Cities Past 9 Weekends
The D&D Daily's Big City Weekend Violence Study - Memorial Day to Labor Day

The Daily's study analyzes weekend shooting data in 15 major U.S. cities from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend 2022

Starting Memorial Day Weekend, the D&D Daily began compiling and analyzing data from 15 major U.S. cities to get a snapshot of summer gun violence.

This past weekend, from July 22nd through July 24th, there were 120 shootings recorded in these same cities, resulting in 27 deaths and 142 injuries.

The chart below shows the totals for each of the past nine weekends dating back to Memorial Day weekend.

The D&D Daily will continue to track this data throughout the summer to capture the weekend violence trend in our nation's big cities as warm weather typically brings about more crime and violence.

Click here to see the list of incidents per city and follow along each week this summer as this spreadsheet will be updated every Monday. docs.google.com

Read more coverage about America's crime and gun violence epidemic in the section below
 

Global Shoplifting Surge
UK: Shoplifting rises 21% year-on-year
Incidents of shoplifting have risen 21% in the 12 months to March 2022, according to Office of National Statistics data. While the figure is down 11% compared to a decade ago, the rise in shoplifting over the past 12 months has sparked concern from the industry.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said that the jump in shoplifting numbers is down to stores being closed due to Covid-19 restriction however added that it’s still a “massive issue for retailers”.

“The overall increase in shop theft is likely to be partially due to many retailers being closed or partially closed during the period of Covid restrictions. Additionally, many convenience retailers were operating on reduced numbers of customers in store for safety reasons, which can make it more difficult for thieves to steal from stores.

“Shop theft continues to be a massive issue for convenience retailers, and is mostly driven by organised groups stealing to sell on elsewhere and those who are suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction. Retailers have told us that they do not see any evidence of the cost of living crisis driving ordinary people to steal from stores, it is still the same groups looking to cash in at the expense of hard working business owners. We strongly urge all Police and Crime Commissioners to prioritise dealing with shop theft in their plans for local forces, as if there is not intervention there is a strong likelihood that these so called ‘low level’ crimes will escalate to abuse, violence, robberies and burglaries as the criminals become more confident that they won’t be caught.”

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis was “deeply concerned” by the increase in incidents of shoplifting.

“Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, theft from shops has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shopworkers,” he said. “Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers.”

Lillis added that the increase could be down to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions and the rising cost of living putting pressure on consumers.  conveniencestore.co.uk

Michigan's ORC Law in the News
Runestad bill to fight organized retail crime signed into law
Sen. Jim Runestad’s legislation to penalize organized retail crime under the state’s racketeering statute was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“Criminals at the top of these organized mobs and rings will now be held accountable, not only for retail theft but also for coercing youth and other vulnerable individuals to commit organized retail crimes on their behalf,” said Runestad, R-White Lake. “We’ve all seen video after video showing the perpetrators bursting into businesses with hammers, bags, and other accessories to commit robberies in a highly organized manner — shoplifting has blown up into a multi-billion industry across America and Michigan is not immune from this alarming trend.

“The criminal rings organizing this activity take advantage of the very poor, drug addicted, and human trafficked individuals to steal high-value items from retail stores — they put innocent customers and store employees in unnecessary danger — and they must be stopped.”

Michigan’s Organized Retail Crime Act, which was passed in 2012, prescribed felony sentencing for organizing, supervising, financing or assisting another person in committing organized retail crimes. Senate Bill 691, now Public Act 174 of 2022, adds organized retail crime to the state’s racketeering statutes — which include other crimes, such as drug trafficking, extortion and prostitution — and allows law enforcement to pursue enhanced criminal penalties against individuals who solicit or conspire to commit these offenses regardless of the value of the stolen property.

PA 174 gained wide bipartisan support in the Legislature and also had the backing of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa A. Hammoud, Michigan State Police, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Target, and The Home Depot. misenategop.com

Another Buffalo Tops Store Hit With Mass Shooting Threats
Man Charged With Threatening Racist Violence Against Buffalo Supermarket

The arrest of the man, in Washington State, came a week after the reopening of a different Buffalo grocery store where a gunman killed 10 Black people in May.

A Washington State man threatened twice this week to unleash racist violence on a Buffalo supermarket, officials said on Friday. The threats came two months after a gunman allegedly driven by white supremacist hatred killed 10 Black people at another store in the city.

The Washington man, Joey David George, made the threats in phone calls to a Tops supermarket on Buffalo’s Elmwood Avenue, saying he planned to use assault rifles and other weapons he had to kill Black people at the store, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Mr. George, 37, of Lynwood, Wash., also said in the calls that if he did not find people to kill at the Elmwood Avenue store, he would go to a second Tops supermarket — the one that was the site of the racist massacre in May — and kill people there, the complaint says. He ranted about a “race war” during his second call to the store, according to the complaint. nytimes.com

41% Decrease in Law Enforcement Deaths - 134 Year-to-Date
19 Deaths in June: 12 Gunfire - 6 Auto-Related - 1 Heart Attack
In June, 19 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. The cause breakdown (June 2022 only) is: 4 automobile crash, 12 gunfire, 1 heart attack, 1 vehicle pursuit, and 1 vehicular assault. This means that the year-to-date total for line of duty deaths is at 134, a 41% decrease from the same time last year.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one to a line of duty death this past month. We encourage our supporters to read the memorials of each of the officers who died in the line of duty. odmp.org

Locking Up Steaks
ALDI shopper spots steak in ‘security boxes’ at local store - and people are divided

The UK customer has set tongues wagging with a photo of the unbelievable anti-theft measure.

“My local ALDI has had ‘so many steak thefts’ they now put them inside a box approximately eight times their volume,” the shopper wrote in their Reddit post. The photograph prompted many social media users to respond to the unbelievable security measure.

“At what point do grocers regress to the old General Store format? You know, like the Wild West days where you furnish a shopping list and an attendant gets it?” asked one. 7news.com.au

Tops, Instacart attempt to help customers who are hesitant to return to the Jefferson Avenue store
It's now been a week since the Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue reopened after the May 14 mass shooting, and while some people have returned to the store, others are a bit more hesitant. Tops and Instacart are hoping to help those residents.

Pandemic court closures could be driving high crime rates

Retail crime is on the rise, especially for small businesses

Rochester mayor declares 'state of emergency' over gun violence

US: 92.1M Cases - 1M Dead - 87.4M Recovered
Worldwide: 575.4M Cases - 6.4M Dead - 545.1M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 360  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 787
*Red indicates change in total deaths

140 Million+ COVID Infections
COVID-19 'is going to be with us forever,' White House says
White House pandemic response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha delivered a grim message on Friday about the ever-evolving coronavirus pathogen that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates has infected more than 140 million Americans, including President Biden.

“This virus is going to be with us forever,” Jha said during a press briefing otherwise devoted to an update on the president’s health. “It’s really, really important that people build up their immunity against this virus,” he added, emphasizing that vaccination is the best means of doing so.

It was a bracing reminder that any hopes of fully eradicating the coronavirus are long gone. And while many Americans have sought a return to normal life, the coronavirus continues to cause economic and social disruptions. news.yahoo.com

Missing Office Workers from COVID Still Hurting Retailers
Downtown Chicago is awash in summer tourists. But a key driver of retail activity is missing: office workers
Tourists have returned to Chicago’s downtown this summer, and anyone looking at the crowds thronging Millennium Park, the Riverwalk and stores on Michigan Avenue might think the city’s pandemic crisis is past. But “For Rent” signs still cover many downtown storefronts, and office workers remain scarce, which means fewer customers for Loop retailers.

The advent of COVID-19 vaccines unleashed pent-up demand, helping store owners lease new spaces across the metro area. But downtown, the pandemic has made clear just how essential one constituent is: the office worker. While a spring and summer infusion of tourists has boosted foot traffic in many shopping districts, the Loop is a step behind, and street-level businesses may continue suffering until more companies call people back to the office.

Office workers are starting to trickle back, bringing back some old customers, and Flesch decided to launch new services, such as providing one-hour photo developing, to help bring in new ones. Most importantly, he looks forward to fall, when photography students from local schools like Columbia College, DePaul University and others should stream in looking for new equipment and supplies.

“The office workers won’t come back 100%,” he said. “But we think we’re going to have a big month when the universities get back to full steam.”  chicagotribune.com

Revolting Against the Post-COVID Return to Work
The Post-COVID Return to the Workplace Gets Mixed Reviews
When Apple mandated work three days per week in the office, a group of workers published an open letter to the executive team revolting against the mandate.

"The pressure regarding work from home is understated. I believe companies are uncomfortable talking about it as they are facing significant pushbacks from the employees," said Gilles Raymond, CEO and founder of San Francisco-based Letsmeet, booking software for offices that streamlines meeting scheduling. "I've spoken to more than 50 professionals. Whatever the level of the person—from C-level in a Fortune 50 company to young developers in the office—they are all facing, seeing or doing a passive pushback to not come back to the office."

But for many of those who have returned to the office, the experience has been positive. The latest Return to the Workplace report by Envoy, which surveyed 1,000 workers, revealed that almost all respondents (90 percent) said "being back is better than they expected." Even among those required to return, 91 percent feel the office experience is better than they thought it would be and 42 percent say it exceeded their expectations.

"I have confidence in the physical workplace for many reasons. One of the most compelling is that people crave it and will continue to gravitate to it if given the choice," said Annette Reavis, chief people officer at Envoy, a platform that helps employers manage hybrid work. "I don't think people should be coming back five days a week. It's not sustainable right now. Today, a hybrid model where teams are working three days a week in-office makes more sense."  shrm.org

Another Global Health Emergency
WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency as infections soar
The World Health Organization on Saturday declared the international monkeypox outbreak a global emergency, a decision that underscores concerns about rapidly spreading infections sparked by the virus.

The move to label the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the highest level of alert the WHO can issue, is expected to marshal new funding to fight the outbreak and to pressure governments into action. More than 16,500 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries.

The decision means the world is now confronting two viral diseases that have crossed the extraordinary threshold of being declared health emergencies: covid-19 and monkeypox. The WHO labeled the coronavirus pandemic a global crisis early in 2020. washingtonpost.com

Building vacancies from COVID closures take toll on Ann Arbor retailers

Feds might declare monkeypox a national emergency, White House official says

Family Dollar Safety Issues Continue
Family Dollar recalls 400+ personal products stored at the wrong temperature, just months after closing infested distribution center in Arkansas

Family Dollar is recalling 400+ personal-care products at stores around the country.

Family Dollar is recalling hundreds of personal-care products that were improperly stored, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The voluntary recall includes more than 400 products such as cough syrup, toothpaste, sunscreen, and hand soap, among others. The products were "stored outside of labeled temperature requirements" and accidentally shipped out to stores around the country between May 1, 2022 and June 10, 2022, according to the FDA.

Family Dollar has reached out to affected stores "asking them to check their stock immediately and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected product," according to the FDA. Customers who purchased a recalled product can return it to their Family Dollar store, with or without a receipt, for a refund.

The recall comes just two months after the company permanently closed its distribution center in Arkansas after federal investigators found live and dead rodents, dead birds, and animal droppings there. During the FDA's fumigation, inspectors found more than 1,100 rodents.

In response to the findings, Family Dollar temporarily closed hundreds of stores and issued another recall on impacted products. You can view the full list of products from Family Dollar's most recent recall here. businessinsider.com

The Quitting Trend that Just Won't Quit
The Great Attrition -- or Resignation -- is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools?

People keep quitting at record levels, yet companies are still trying to attract and retain them the same old ways

It’s the quitting trend that just won’t quit. People are switching jobs and industries, moving from traditional to nontraditional roles, retiring early, or starting their own businesses. They are taking a time-out to tend to their personal lives or embarking on sabbaticals. The Great Attrition has become the Great Renegotiation.

Competition for talent remains fierce. For certain categories of workers, the barriers to switching employers have dropped dramatically. In the United States alone, there were 11.3 million open jobs at the end of May—up substantially from 9.3 million open jobs in April 2021. Even as employers scramble to fill these positions, the voluntary quit rate is 25 percent higher than prepandemic levels. At the current and projected pace of hiring, quitting, and job creation, openings likely won’t return to normal levels for some time.

What we are seeing is a fundamental mismatch between companies’ demand for talent and the number of workers willing to supply it. There is a large pool of active and potential workers who are shunning the traditionalist path.

As a result, there is now a structural gap in the labor supply because there simply aren’t enough traditional employees to fill all the openings. Even when employers successfully woo these workers from rivals, they are just reshuffling talent and contributing to wage escalation while failing to solve the underlying structural imbalance. mckinsey.com

Target puts the squeeze on suppliers after inventories pile up
Target Chief Executive Officer Brian Cornell pledged in a June blog post that the retailer would take necessary actions to adapt to a post-pandemic landscape, paring a record $15.1 billion in unsold merchandise.

Behind the scenes, Target's actions this summer include putting pressure on its vendors, asking them to pick up the tab for transporting goods and requiring some to retain more merchandise at their own warehouses, 11 Target vendors told Reuters. reuters.com

Olympia Sports is closing its remaining 35 stores

Gas prices continue to drop -- with no end in sight

Lowe's offering employees 4-day work weeks
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director Field AP job posted for Bath & Body Works in Columbus, OH
The Director, Asset Protection is responsible for representing the Asset Protection function and acting as a liaison between the field leadership team, the Asset Protection field team, and the home office team. This position is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and directing company-wide asset protection programs across the field organization. The position is responsible for educating field leadership on potential shrink risks within stores and recommending solutions. careers.bathandbodyworks.com