Detex-Partner DSI Wins 2nd Consecutive 'New Product of the Year' Award for Pedestrian Security Entrances Division
Security Today magazine recently announced the winners of its 2019 New Product of the Year Award, which honors the outstanding product development achievements of security equipment manufacturers whose products are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to improve security. Nearly 100 entries were received in the 11th successful year of the independently juried contest. Winners were honored in 40 product award categories.

Designed Security, Inc. won the Pedestrian Security Entrances division award for the ES8300 Barrier Arm Optical Turnstile.  Read more in today's Vendor Spotlight below.

Portland "Ground Zero" for Protests Between Right, Left Wing
Hundreds of far-right protesters and anti-fascist counter-demonstrators swarmed downtown Portland, Oregon, on Saturday for a long-hyped rally that attracted President Donald Trump's attention and resulted in at least 13 arrests.

Police seized metal poles, bear spray and other weapons and closed bridges and streets to try to keep the rival groups apart. They were largely successful. Six minor injuries were reported.

"This was a dynamic event with demonstrators frequently moving from one part of the city to another," Mayor Ted Wheeler said at an evening news conference.

Leaders of the right-wing groups vowed to return to Portland, saying they would keep coming back to the liberal West Coast city so long as the left-wing antifascists, known as antifa, groups remained active.

The events began late Saturday morning. Flag-waving members of the Proud Boys, Three Percenters militia group and others gathered downtown, some wearing body armor and helmets like the antifa protesters. Police said they had seized the weapons, including shields, from multiple groups as they assembled along the Willamette River, which runs through the city.

More than two dozen local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were in the city for the right-wing rally. Portland Police said all of the city's 1,000 officers would be on duty for the gathering that was hyped on social media and elsewhere for weeks.

But hundreds of people remained downtown and on nearby streets, and there were skirmishes throughout the day. Police declared a gathering of mostly left-wing protesters near Pioneer Courthouse Square a "civil disturbance" and told people to leave.

Police spokeswoman Lt. Tina Jones at one point said there were about 1,200 on the streets, but that number fell throughout the day. At 6:30 pm police demobilized. wsbtv.com

Stores Are the Front Lines
26,000 Stores At Risk as Natural Disasters Increase
'When levees break: How retailers are preparing for a riskier natural world'
The march of fearsome weather events has caught the attention of retailers, who collectively have some 26,000 stores at risk to climate-based calamities.

Hurricane Irma alone, which ravaged the Caribbean before slamming into Florida, had an estimated $2.8 billion impact on retail, while Harvey brought a $1 billion hit to retailers, according to weather intelligence firm Planalytics. Last year's Hurricane Florence, as yet another example, was estimated to have cost retailers around $700 million. 

With climate change predicted to increase risks from natural disasters like floods, hurricanes and wildfires, retailers likely face more operational disruption in the future. Media coverage and tumultuous seasons have increased the interest among retailers in planning for disasters, say those who work in business resilience and risk management. After years of shrugging off disaster planning, many are now starting to take a closer look at managing stores through events and protecting their supply chains from existential threats from the climate.
 
26,000 Stores at risk
Thousands of stores across the industry lie in the path of hurricanes and flood zones as well as coastal areas expected to experience sea level rises in the coming decades.

More specifically, retailers have some 1,900 facilities exposed to hurricanes and typhoons, another 6,770 exposed to rises in sea level and more than 17,000 exposed to floods, according to data provided to Retail Dive by Four Twenty Seven, a climate risk data firm recently acquired by Moody's. 

Click for enlarged image

Walmart - perhaps unsurprisingly given that it's the world's largest retailer by revenue — faces the most risk, with 14% of its global facilities exposed to hurricanes and 16% to floods, according to Four Twenty Seven.

Off-mall retailers are hit hardest in hurricanes specifically because lost sales are typically not made up. At the same time, broad-line retailers can benefit, as can home centers such as Home Depot and Lowe's, which are major sources for clean-up and rebuilding materials. However, the analysts said that "severe, land-falling hurricanes can pose longer-term disruption risk to their store bases and supply chains."

Retailing in disasters

Stores often end up as front lines for both major weather events and the rebuilding process. Retailers, depending on what they sell, have to balance customer and employee safety against the store's importance in filling customer needs for food, daily necessities and clean-up supplies.

Walmart, for example, has a multi-pronged emergency operations team that is online 24 hours a day, and handles 22.5 million alarm signals and 365,000 calls a year. retaildive.com

Investigators Team Up to Battle Cross-Border Financial Crime
Transnational Criminal Organizations - TCOs
Today’s modern criminals have evolved with the times, adapting to advances in technology at a far quicker pace than both policy makers and law enforcement agencies. Organized groups, gangs, and other criminals have applied principles of risk management to their illicit tradecraft.

The FBI reports that there were 4,251 bank robberies in 2016—a 45 percent decrease compared to 2004. Criminals realize there is more money to be made with less risk of violence, arrest, and imprisonment by leveraging technology to further their criminal enterprises and schemes. Why rob a bank—risking physical harm and stiff penalties—when you can engage in identity theft or identity fiction and rob banks, financial institutions, and credit card companies with little fear of exposure? There is greater potential reward with decreased risk. 

Advancement in technology enables progress, accelerates global commerce, and improves our daily lives. However, it also facilitates faster, more anonymous criminal activity. Financial crimes have become increasingly sophisticated and dispersed among transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), which have reinvented themselves by leveraging ubiquitous technology and exploiting the gaps inherent in open societies and the global economy. Their influence is damaging, widespread, and formidable.

TCOs follow different pathways to success, but all share one common theme: The governments of these organizations’ countries of origin are often unwilling or unable to deter these criminal enterprises.

According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, 71 percent of data breaches were financially motivated, and 39 percent of breaches were conducted by organized criminal groups.

In fiscal year 2018, financial crime investigations resulted in 970 arrests worldwide and prevented more than $400 million in potential losses and $312 million in actual losses to the financial system. asisonline.com



Why shoplifting is such a problem in LA
Up 3% First Six Months 2019 - LAPD Data
Top 4 Cities = Studio City -
Sherman Oaks - Downtown
& Northridge
And that's in light of the current trend to not even prosecute or file on shoplifting.

Shoplifting is on the rise in the City of Los Angeles. There was a 3% increase in reported shoplifting incidents for the first six months of 2019, according to publicly available LAPD data.

Reports of shoplifting in the city have also risen steadily overall for the past nine years. The largest spikes in the crime came in 2014 and 2015, when reports of shoplifting increased nearly 21% and 32%, respectively, over the previous years. The highest total came in 2016, but 2017 saw a dip of 9.3%. The totals inched back up again last year. 

 

Electronic Article Surveillance Market by Component (Tags, Antennas & Detachers)
Technology, End User and Geography - Global Forecast to 2024
The electronic article surveillance (EAS) market is expected to grow from USD 981 million in 2019 to USD 1,173 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 3.6%. Protection against inventory losses, shoplifting, and theft and modernizing the retail sector are the major driving factors for the market growth during the forecast period. However, additional investment required to implement EAS systems and the high adoption rate of RFID technology in the retail sector is likely to hinder the growth of the electronic article surveillance market in the future. researchandmarkets.com

IPR Center reports counterfeit seizures rise to $1.4 billion
The report also reveals an upward trend in all categories of HSI enforcement showing 381 individuals arrested, 296 indictments obtained, and 260 convictions related to intellectual property crimes.

IPR Center Director Francis is taking his concerns to private industry with a request to join him and the Center’s network of 25 domestic and international partner agencies as part of a campaign designed to heighten public awareness about the dangers of counterfeit goods. He is asking industry to help raise awareness about the threat against a wide variety businesses and organizations around the world that are engaged in the fight against counterfeits.

The report lists the top five product categories as apparel/accessories, footwear, watches/jewelry, handbags/wallets, and consumer electronics. Watches and jewelry accounted for 44% of the total $1.4 billion MSRP, while handbags and wallets represented 16% of the total.

For more information on the Fiscal Year 2018 Seizure Statistics report, please visit www.iprcenter.gov. You can also follow the IPR Center on Twitter, @IPRCenter. ice.gov

7-Eleven Launches Mobile Checkout in Manhattan
This new frictionless shopping experience is integrated into the 7Rewards loyalty program. Mobile Checkout works on both Android and iOS devices and is available for most 7-Eleven merchandise that has a bar code. Some items still require cashier assistance — financial services and age-verified products such as alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets. All payment transactions can be made securely through Debit Card, Credit Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

7-Eleven is the first c-store chain to develop proprietary technology for a full frictionless payment experience from start to finish. After testing mobile self-checkout with employees at its Store Support Center store, the company piloted the concept in a handful of Dallas locations in 2018 to get customer feedback, conduct real-world tests and refine the process. prnewswire.com

Zippin Updates Frictionless C-Store in San Francisco
The newly reopened store uses vision cognition technology, machine learning and smart shelf sensors to provide a frictionless solution to a well-known problem. Customers simply use an app on their phone to enter the store, grab what they want and leave.

In response to San Francisco's banning cashless stores, Zippin now also accepts cash. Employees are available outside the store to assist — and to explain the technology to customers who are new to the concept. cstoredecisions.com 

U.S. to extend Huawei's partial 90 day reprieve on supply curbs-sources
The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to extend a reprieve given to Huawei Technologies that permits the Chinese firm to buy supplies from U.S. companies so that it can service existing customers. The "temporary general license" will be extended for Huawei for 90 days.

The extension renews an agreement set to lapse on August 19, continuing the Chinese company's ability to maintain existing telecommunications networks and provide software updates to Huawei handsets.

The world's largest telecommunications equipment maker is still prohibited from buying American parts and components to manufacture new products without additional license approvals.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss Huawei in a call this weekend, one of the sources said. reuters.com

New #MeToo-Inspired Law in Illinois Creates Sweeping Employer Obligations
In line with recently passed legislation in New York and California, the Illinois Legislature rallied to create a bill that would help increase employee protections by combating discrimination and harassment in the workplace. 

On June 2, the General Assembly, through bipartisan efforts, passed SB 75, which created three new laws and amended others that relate to sexual harassment and discrimination. On Aug. 9, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed SB 75, Public Act 101-0221, into law, comprehensively re-shaping the landscape of sexual harassment and discrimination law in Illinois. 

The new law not only prohibits unilateral agreements to arbitrate claims involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation for complaining about discrimination or harassment, but also changes sexual harassment reporting and training requirements and impacts how union representation is handled during the course of proceedings related to claims of sexual harassment. shrm.org

   Workplace Transparency Act

Reviewing Year-to-Date US Store Closures and Openings
In this report, we review year-to-date announced store closures and openings in the US, by sector. Our data are as of July 31, 2019.

- Major retailers have announced 7,567 store closures so far this year. In 2018 overall, major retailers closed 5,524 stores.
- By sector, apparel specialist stores have led the casualty list, with 2,750 closures announced so far this year. Gymboree, Dressbarn, Charlotte Russe and Charming Charlie contributed a majority of these closures.
- Major retailers have announced 3,064 store openings for 2019. In the full year 2018, major retailers opened 3,083 stores.
- By sector, general merchandise stores announced the greatest number of store openings. Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar together account for a significant majority of these openings. coresight.com

California Lawmakers Approve Change to Workplace Injury Reporting
California employers will have to immediately report serious occupational injuries and illnesses and workplace fatalities to the state by phone or an online system if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill that legislators recently sent his way.  shrm.org

The Cannabis industry represents the biggest growth opportunity For Retail & LP
We could see close to 500 new jobs over 5 years possibly and significant growth for the solution providers. Actually this represents the single biggest new business for both groups. Which is sorely needed right now.

 

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Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director, Asset Protection & Investigations posted for Herbalife Nutrition in Winston-Salem, NC
This is the most senior Security position reporting to the VP of Global Security and the VP of Operations at HIMWS. The Director position will receive direction from both VPs. Previously the Sr. Manager position had dotted line reporting to the Director of HR. This position will lead and manage security operations and investigations for Global Security at the HIMWS location with an expanded global role in Corporate Event Security as directed.

Herbalife Nutrition is a global nutrition company whose purpose is to make the world healthier and happier. We have been on a mission for nutrition - changing people's lives with great nutrition products & programs - since 1980. Together with our Herbalife Nutrition independent distributors, we are committed to providing solutions to the worldwide problems of poor nutrition and obesity, an aging population, skyrocketing public healthcare costs and a rise in entrepreneurs of all ages.

Available exclusively to and through dedicated distributors in more than 90 countries. Herbalife has over 8,000 employees worldwide, and our shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HLF) with net sales of approximately $4.4 billion in 2017. To learn more, visit Herbalife.com or IAmHerbalife.com. selectminds.com

New Job Growth: Acreage Holdings posted Director of Security in New York, N.Y.
Acreage Holdings is the largest vertically integrated, multi-state owner of cannabis licenses and assets in the U.S. We deeply believe in the transformational power that cannabis has to heal and change the world. Our mission is to champion and provide access to cannabis' beneficial properties by creating the best quality products and experiences.

● Reported second quarter revenue on August 13, 2019 of $17.7 million, up 501% over 2018 Q2.
● Pro forma revenue* for the second quarter was $36.6 million.

The Director of Security will provide and oversee execution of the organization's security management strategy and programs. 88 dispensaries, 1.2M sq. ft of cultivation.

The position is categorized into the operations group and there's store line jobs currently listed in various facilities.

Special Attention: Canopy Growth and Acreage Holdings Merging Second Quarter Statement - August 13th "During the second quarter, we received overwhelming support from our shareholders and a final court order to proceed with our historic arrangement with Canopy Growth. The arrangement unlocks significant potential and will help further position Acreage as the leading cannabis operator in the United States" said Kevin Murphy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Acreage.

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Gap, Kohl's, L Brands and Nordstrom reporting financial results this week

Tailored Brands Sells Corporate Apparel Business for $62M

Over 75% of apparel, footwear will still be hit with tariffs Sept. 1

Mass. Bill Would Freeze Gov. Use of Facial Recognition Due to Bias


Quarterly Results

Dillard's Q2 comp's down 2%, sales down 2.8%

Last week's #1 article --

Mass shootings in the United States: When, where they have occurred in 2019
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, a total of 253 mass shooting incidents have occurred as of August 4.

In 2018, a total of 340 mass shooting incidents occurred across the U.S., which is a slight decrease from 346 incidents in 2017.

The number of 2019 incidents is higher than that of the same time period in 2018, in which 88 incidents occurred through May 7, 2018.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting is described as four or more individuals being shot or killed in the same general time and location. The F.B.I. defines a "mass killing" as the killing of three or more people in a public place, but the federal agency also defines a "mass murderer" as someone who has killed four or more people in the same location.

The Gun Violence Archive lists itself as a not-for-profit organization that documents gun violence and gun crime nationally. abc15.com

Click image to view interactive map of 2019 shootings