GSX 2023

Visit These D&D Daily Partners at GSX 2023
Starting Today

September 11-13 in Dallas, TX
 

D&D Daily Partner	Booth Number		D&D Daily Partner	Booth Number
	3732			2917
	3233			3549
	1732			3041
	2745			4167
Click here for full list of GSX exhibitors

Axis Communications expands its offering in key categories with new solutions launched at the 2023 Global Security Exchange

Axis Communications showcases new developments in body worn, radar and video intercoms at GSX 2023

As organizations in every industry seek to gain efficiencies through technology, Axis Communications continues to deliver new solutions with expanded capabilities. In keeping with its proactive approach to product development, the company will launch its latest innovations at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, September 11-13, including a compact, lightweight body worn camera; a body worn activation kit for auto-recording in stressful situations; a high-frequency radar device for accurate detection, classification and tracking; and a discreet but powerful video intercom with deep learning capabilities. These newest additions to Axis’ growing portfolio will be displayed in booth #3233 alongside the company’s entire collection of products and solutions launched so far in 2023.

For those not attending the show, Axis welcomes visitors to demo all their products and solutions at any one of their Axis Experience Centers across the Americas and around the globe, including Dallas, Texas. Axis Communications plans to showcase its latest video, audio, analytics, end-to-end, and other solutions at GSX 2023.

Read more here


Your Monday GSX 2023 Guide
GSX 2023 officially kicks off this morning and it’s going to be the action-packed day you’ll need your boots on for (figuratively speaking, we strongly recommend wearing shoes with great arch support onsite in Dallas).

Here are some of the highlights that you won’t want to miss whether you’re in Dallas in person or attending digitally. All times are in Central Time (CT).

Check it out here
 

Retail Theft & Shrink By the Numbers
Shrink and theft losses near $1 billion at Lowe's — here's how much they're costing other retailers

CNBC analyzed the balance sheets of seven retailers to determine how much money they’re actually losing from shrink and retail theft.

A range of retailers are again blaming shrink as one of the reasons they saw another quarter of lackluster profits. But some of those companies have started to offer more detail than ever on how much shrink, or items lost to factors like external or employee theft, damage or vendor fraud, is cutting into their bottom lines.

During second-quarter earnings reports in August and September, nearly two dozen retailers said shrink has continued to weigh on profits. But the details each company provided, and the explanations they gave for losses, varied widely.

When they reported second-quarter results, some companies like Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods
offered clues into how much shrink is costing them and squarely blamed theft.

Meanwhile, Ulta and Foot Locker , which both blamed “organized retail crime” for losses in May, did not mention theft during their most recent results. They only used the term “shrink” when discussing how it squeezed margins.

Lowe’s has some of the highest shrink numbers among the companies analyzed by CNBC. It has blamed a range of factors for the losses. Sometimes it has said organized retail crime cut into profits, but in other cases, it blamed weather-related damages.

Over the last few quarters, more and more retailers have called out shrink as a drain on profits and blamed theft for those losses. But they have offered few details about how much inventory losses are actually costing them. Experts have said some companies could be using crime as an excuse to distract from other operational challenges that drive shrink, such as poor inventory management and staffing issues.

Here’s how much shrink is costing those retailers, based on a CNBC analysis:

• Lowe’s  - Fiscal 2022 annual shrink loss: $997 million
• Target -  Second quarter shrink cost: $219.5 million
• Macy’s - Second quarter shrink cost: $11.2 million
• TJX Companies - Fiscal 2023 shrink cost: $150 million higher than the year prior
• Ulta - Fiscal 2022 shrink cost: $71.46 million higher than the year prior
• Dick’s Sporting Goods - Second quarter shrink cost: $27.1 million
• Dollar Tree - Second-quarter shrink cost: at least $87.84 million  cnbc.com


Portland Nike Store Closes Permanently Over "Theft & Safety Issues"
Nike abandons Portland store re-opening amid 'theft and safety issues'

Nike had offered to pay off-duty police officers to beef up security at the store

Nike has reportedly decided not to re-open its factory store in Portland, Oregon, which it closed temporarily last fall due to "theft and safety issues."

The neighborhood's business group, the Soul District Business Association (SBDA), called the decision "a major economic blow."

"This news has landed like a lead balloon in our district," John Washington, the SDBA's executive director, said in a news release. "We had all been holding our breath since last November when the store quietly shuttered its doors due to internal and external theft and safety issues. But, like so many of us riding out the fallout of the pandemic and protests, we held out hope that Nike, city officials and community leaders would recalibrate and realign order. But it looks like it's game over."

Local ABC affiliate KATU reported in February that the retail giant had offered to pay for off-duty police officers to help beef up security at the store on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard — a proposal that never came to fruition — before announcing that it would ultimately abandon the store that community activists had fought to get opened in the neighborhood.
 
Portland Police expressed doubt about officers' ability to fulfill Nike's proposal at the time, citing an officer staffing shortage in a city that previously voted to defund its police.

"We are aware of the letter, and I believe there will be a conversation in the future on the topic. That being said, there are several large roadblocks that would have to be overcome, including the fact that with the level of staffing we have, we struggle to even fill overtime for regular shifts at the precincts," the police department told KATU earlier this year.

Portland voted to defund its police department in 2020 and subsequently struggled with an increase in violent crime, leading to calls from its mayor for millions in police investment just one year later. The city has continued to struggle with crime and rampant drug use. foxbusiness.com

   RELATED: Retail theft remains a bottom-line breaker


Theft Surge Puts Retail Employees 'In The Line of Fire'
How the Rise in Shoplifting Is Hurting Retail Employees
The last few years have been tough for the retail industry, and in particular, the retail employee experience. "Retailer efforts to reduce theft have put employees in the line of fire of disgruntled customers who are angry about merchandise not being easily accessible on the shelf," said Steven Rowland, host of The Retail Warzone podcast and a former retail manager. "It's just one in a long list of situations where low-wage retail employees are set up for abuse from the public."

Making a Hard Job More Difficult

Among the recent factors diminishing the retail employee experience are:

1. Increases in theft and theft-deterrence policies. Retailers experienced a 26 percent increase in organized retail crime in 2021, according to the NRF, and 8 in 10 retailers reported increased violence and aggression associated with such crime. In response, some retailers have locked up certain products and taken other loss-prevention measures that have made life more difficult for retail employees.

2. Political and cultural clashes in the aisles. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a spate of viral videos appeared in which customers who opposed mask-wearing confronted retail employees about store requirements that customers and workers wear masks. Retail employees often had to serve as front-line enforcers of local public health mandates and store policies on masking, on top of their other in-store duties.

3. Inventory and supply chain problems. Retail stores have encountered unprecedented challenges in keeping certain goods in stock, most (in)famously toilet paper and baby formula, largely due to supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. Ongoing supply chain problems have created frustrations for both customers and the front-line employees who have to respond.

4. Reduction in retail profits and impact on staffing. The loss of foot traffic during the pandemic and the spate of shoplifting have only exacerbated its financial woes.

5. Ongoing tension around unionization. Labor shortages during the pandemic led some retail workers to either quit and find another job, or stay and demand better pay and working conditions. shrm.org


Theft & Robbery Surges Across California's Largest Counties
Retail Theft and Robbery Rates Have Risen across California
So-called smash-and-grabs at high-end stores across the nation frequently make the national headlines, as do retail closures—especially in San Francisco—that are seen as partly due to shoplifting. Our examination of retail theft and robbery in California points toward recent increases across the state. Using the most up-to-date data and focusing on California’s 15 largest counties, we find that while these recent trends are especially notable in the Bay Area and the Central Valley, there have been significant jumps in commercial burglaries in Southern Coastal California, and Los Angeles County has the highest commercial robbery rate.

Data on reported commercial shoplifting—defined under Proposition 47 (2014) as entering a commercial establishment with intent to steal property valued at less than $950 during business hours—failed to reveal evidence of increases until 2022, when the state saw a 28.7% jump from the unusually low rates of the pandemic years. Even after this sizeable increase, the shoplifting rate in California remains 8% below its pre-pandemic level. However, shoplifting is not the only type of retail theft that can shed light on the challenges retailers may be facing.

Unlike shoplifting, commercial burglaries increased during the first year of the pandemic; after a 5.8% uptick in 2022 the rate is 15.7% higher than in 2019.

The data shows that the commercial robbery rate has increased by 13.3% since 2019, with an uptick of 9.1% in 2022.

In sum, the 2022 data shows that while California’s shoplifting rate jumped notably in 2022, it remains lower than it was at any point in the decade before the pandemic. The commercial burglary rate, however, reached its highest level since 2008, and the commercial robbery rate rose to roughly where it was in 2017. The challenges of retail theft and robbery appear to be widespread, but they vary across the state. ppic.org

Store Owners Blast California's 'Soft on Crime' Policies
CA store owners sound off on retail theft hurting business

Small business owners say rising crime has scared away customers, caused sales losses

As small businesses find unique ways to fend off suspected thefts or criminals, two California business owners explained exactly how a crime surge has hurt their livelihoods.

Due to a rise in retail theft and crime, which Madan and Hernandez-McCollow blame on Democrat-led policies, some businesses have been installing electric fences or fog alarms to stop crimes in their tracks.

Madan’s convenience stores are part of the many nationwide that lost an estimated total of $86.6 billion in 2022, according to Capital One shopping research.

"We cannot ask our employees to stand their ground because that's a violation of the policy. So that is why you see so much happening in California," Madan said.

She referenced Senate Bill 553: "It would become illegal for business owners and employees to confront looters, shoplifters and street criminals. And in anticipation, you already see people walking out with stuff just like on the videos that you're noticing. And the employees are unable to stop them because then we are held liable for stopping them."

"This law is going to be very, very bad for small business owners," Madan continued.

For Hernandez-McCollow’s two restaurants, sales have reportedly dropped an estimated 30% due to the crime issues.  foxbusiness.com


Retail Crime Expert & ALTO USA Senior VP Discusses Retail Crime
Retailers being forced to make changes in order to save inventory, sales

Stores across the country and in the Tri-State are being targeted by thieves.

“It’s the highest I’ve ever seen it in over 40 years of being involved in this topic. Not only is it the highest level of activity, but the violence level is off the charts,” said Karl Langhorst, an adjunct professor of criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati.

Langhorst also currently works in asset protection for several large corporations across the country.

“Just about every major community, up to and including Cincinnati, organized crime is a pain point for retailers. And when it becomes a pain point for retailers, understand it’s already a pain point for law enforcement and the community at large,” he explained.

Langhorst says these thefts are distinctly different from shoplifting. The thieves are not stealing for personal need, but instead for resale - it is organized and they are often working to support drug habits.

“They have no fear, which means they have little regard for human life, so retailers have been forced to take that hands-off policy to protect not only their employees but their customers as well,” added Langhorst.

The expert says that even if they are caught, these criminals often get a slap on the hand and are back out re-offending in no time. He calls it a cycle that is taking a toll in various forms.

Stores in cities like New York and San Francisco are now locking merchandise up in cages. Dick’s Sporting Goods is being forced to lay off workers to offset a 23% drop in profits due to organized retail crime. Some other retailers are shuttering their brick-and-mortar stores altogether. fox19.com


Arizona Takes Tough Stance Against Retail Theft
Smash & grab crimes will face tougher prosecutions, vows Maricopa Co. Attorney
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is making her message very clear that stealing from retail stores in Arizona will not be tolerated.

Mitchell’s comments come days after a viral video showed a man trying to steal more than $150,000 worth of items last Friday at a family owned jewelry store in Old Town Scottsdale. The man accused of trying to steal is Troy Bell. He was initially booked for shoplifting and assault charges. But the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office feels it’s appropriate to file more serious charges. Bell could now face time in prison.

“This is not the state you want to be in to mimic the behavior you are seeing on the news and other parts of the country such as Los Angeles,” Mitchell said.

The county’s top prosecutor says would-be thieves need to understand retail theft is something that will not be handled lightly by her office. “I do not want to see Maricopa County or Phoenix or other surrounding areas turn into the hellscape that is Los Angeles,” Mitchell said.

The crime was a big topic of conversation for Mitchell. Bell was originally booked on shoplifting charges but Mitchell says because of the amount he tried to take, he is now being charged with Class 2 felony theft. This means mandatory prison time. “Again, this is not the state and certainly not the county you want to be in to commit these types of offenses,” she said.

Last July, Mitchell created a team to tackle retail theft. Prosecutors work with local business owners to ensure successful prosecution of these crimes. Mitchell previously said the Los Angeles District Attorney, George Gascon will not prosecute retail theft below $1,000. Gascon is a familiar name in Arizona, having previously served as Mesa’s police chief between 2006 to 2009. azfamily.com
 

N.M. governor announces suspension of open, concealed carry in Albuquerque

Oakland leaders address residents' frustration over rising crime

Global Companies Lost $1T Due to Physical Security Incidents in 2022
'Economic Unrest' is Biggest Security Hazard Over Next Year - Security Budgets to Soar

World Security Report Finds Physical Security Incidents Cost Companies USD$1 Trillion in 2022

Landmark research on world security gauged opinions of 1,775 chief security officers based in 30 countries

IRVINE, Calif. — Sept. 11, 2023 — According to the first-ever World Security Report (commissioned by  Allied Universal®), large, global companies lost a combined $1 trillion in revenue in 2022 due to physical security incidents. Economic unrest is expected to be the greatest security-impacting hazard in the next 12 months, a significant increase on the prior year.

The report also found that companies anticipate a surge in threats and hazards like social unrest, climate change, fraud and theft. As a result, physical security budgets are predicted to increase significantly to keep people, property and assets safe. Security leaders intend to focus investments on advanced technology and providing security professionals with additional skills and training.

Fraud – deception intended to result in gain – is likely to be the biggest external threat over the coming year. The leaking of sensitive information is predicted to be the biggest internal threat. Dangers posed by hackers, protestors, spies and economic criminals are expected to soar.

Key findings from the World Security Report:

Security Threat and Incident Findings

• Economic unrest was reported by 47% as the greatest security-impacting hazard in the next 12 months -- up from 39% in the previous year.

• Climate change events are on the rise and the second most concerning hazard

• Leaking of sensitive information is expected to be the biggest internal threat in the next 12 months according to 36% of respondents.

• Fraud is expected to be the biggest external threat in the next year, predicted by 25% of CSOs.

Security Budgets

• Physical security budgets at 46% of respondent companies are set to significantly increase in the next 12 months.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is top of the agenda for future physical security technology investment

Read more here


Quit Rate for Retail Workers 70% Higher Than Other Industries
US Retail Workers Are Fed Up and Quitting at Record Rates
To be a US retail worker in 2023 means fielding an onslaught of growing American anxieties about everything from high prices to politics. Increasingly, some workers say the job isn’t worth the wages.

Low pay, erratic schedules and monotonous tasks have long been a challenge for the nearly 8 million Americans working in retail, but the pandemic years have added a host of taxing new duties. Employees must cope with an uptick in shoplifting and customer orneriness. They manage online orders and run up and down the aisles to unlock items as quotidian as toothpaste.

A 2022 McKinsey study found that the quit rate for retail workers is more than 70% higher than in other US industries. And the Covid years made the problem worse. Before 2020, turnover for part-time retail employees — who make up the bulk of the in-store work force — hovered around 75%, according to data from Korn Ferry. Since then it’s shot up to 95% and hasn’t budged, which has at times led to understaffed stores.

The declining worker experience follows a tough decade for retailers. Stores that survived the “retail apocalypse” have had to find ways to cut costs and boost profits with fewer shoppers. For many, particularly small brands, that has meant reducing headcount, or finding other ways to bring in money. Physical locations increasingly double as returns and logistics centers, as companies build out hybrid online and offline services. The early years of the pandemic brought a slight respite, as people stuck at home spent their time — and stimulus checks — on online shopping. But that quickly gave way to supply chain issues that snarled inventories and the era of high inflation.

To hear rank-and-file retail employees tell it, working conditions started to deteriorate when they returned to the job after mandatory Covid lockdowns. Customers didn’t particularly like being told to wear masks or forgo free samples. But as health and safety protocols eased, tensions didn’t.

Nearly four out of five companies have seen a rise in “guest-on-associate violence” over the last five years, according to the National Retail Federation, a trade group. And in today’s era of political polarization, some have been caught in the crossfire of the culture war. bloomberg.com


Apples Facing Bans in China
US House panel chair: Chinese iPhone ban aims to quash Apple's market access
A wider ban on China state employees from using Apple's iPhones is not surprising and seeks to limit a Western company's market access, the chairman of the U.S. House panel on China told Reuters on Thursday.

"This is textbook Chinese Communist Party (CCP) behavior - promote PRC (People's Republic of China) national champions in telecommunications, and slowly squeeze western companies' market access," U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher said in an emailed statement.

"American tech companies seeking to cozy up to the CCP must realize the clock is ticking,” added Gallagher, a Republican.

China in recent weeks has widened curbs on the use of iPhones by state employees, telling staff in at least three ministries and government bodies to stop using their Apple mobile phones at work, Reuters reported on Thursday, following earlier reports by the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. reuters.com


Signet Jewelers Makes a Minor Move With Major $1.2 Billion Implications for the Jewelry Retail Industry
Signet Jewelers, despite facing a decline in revenues, reported positive results in North America, where over 90% of its revenue originates, with sales down 7.1%. The company expects a continued decline in engagements for the rest of the year due to disruptions in dating behavior caused by the pandemic. Signet also made a significant acquisition, acquiring SJR National Retail, a jewelry and watch repair company, for $6 million, opening the door for Signet to provide business-to-business repair services to independent jewelers, potentially creating a $1.2 billion opportunity in the services sector. retailwire.com


Forty-five new Sephora shops opening at Kohl’s this fall

More Bartell Drugs locations to close this month

Asian malls in the U.S. are thriving post-pandemic, bucking a retail trend