Theft Down 6% Nationwide in 2024
Real-Time Crime Index Shows Nationwide Trends

The Real-Time Crime Index launched recently with data from more than 300 agencies nationwide. It's designed to show national crime trends as they develop from as many agencies as possible with as little lag as possible.

This category includes “the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. Examples are thefts of bicycles, motor vehicle parts and accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud. Attempted larcenies are included. Embezzlement, confidence games, forgery, check fraud, etc., are excluded.”

The RTCI is a sample of reported crime data from hundreds of law enforcement agencies nationwide which mimics national crime trends with as little lag and the most accuracy possible. Crime statistics are inexact, but sampling agencies in this way is a proven method for accurately measuring trends while waiting for national crime estimates published each year. Standardizing the offenses collected and time periods measured from hundreds of agencies makes it possible to evaluate trends up or down as they develop.

Not all crimes are reported to police, and the RTCI can only measure those offenses that are reported to police. Crime data is inherently imprecise with frequent (usually small) variations between different data sources. This methodology is designed to ensure that crime trends are being captured accurately even if the exact figures reported either publicly by an agency or by the FBI may differ depending on the available data source.  realtimecrimeindex.com


Using AI to Fight Gift Fraud & ORC
Retailers Adopt Advanced Tech to Thwart Gift Card Fraud, Organized Retail Crime
Gift card fraud is a pervasive challenge. In 2023, gift card-related fraud comprised $217 million of the record-high $10 billion in funds lost from scams nationwide. In 2023, gift card sales topped nearly $200 billion in the U.S., and about 50 percent of U.S. consumers said they planned to buy gift cards due to their convenience.

However, this convenience factor also plays right into the hands of scammers, allowing them to bypass traditional fraud-prevention methods such as address verification and delivery. According to a 2022 survey conducted by AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons, 34 percent of U.S. adults said they or someone they know had been targeted by scams seeking payment by gift card. Of those who were targeted, 24 percent followed through by purchasing gift cards and sharing the activation numbers with a scammer. A quarter of respondents said they’d given or received gift cards that had been drained of funds.

Publicly Accessible Information and Data Analytics to the Rescue

With the increasing proliferation and sophistication of scammers, a growing number of retailers are leveraging publicly available information (PAI) and analytics to surface key insights for threat detection. Retailers are empowered to vastly improve the monitoring and analysis of gift card transaction patterns, identifying anomalies, and implementing proactive measures to prevent fraudulent activities before they impact retailers and customers.

Advanced artificial intelligence and analytics help identify fraudsters, particularly when they're working in tandem with others, by tracking suspicious activities and mitigating risks to help safeguard the integrity of gift card programs and fight the growing scourge of gift card fraud.

By leveraging publicly available and difficult-to-obtain data, together with analytics, brands can surface relevant threat detection insights to stay ahead of quickly evolving fraud tactics. The AI quickly seizes on evolving threat patterns to recognize current as well as shifting fraud schemes.

Retailers need this type of comprehensive approach in their efforts to battle scammers, who continue to refine their own attacks to drain gift cards and commit other types of fraud. They also need to lean into PAI and analytics, in conjunction with existing security operations and investigations, to safeguard the integrity of their gift card programs and to demonstrate their commitment to customers, reinforcing brand trust. mytotalretail.com


Fighting the Sale of Stolen Goods Online
Rep. Spanberger presses online retailers on counter retail-theft measures
Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger sent letters to several prominent online retailers Monday seeking “information on their efforts to curb the resale of stolen goods.”

Those who participate in organized retail and cargo theft will often resell those items online in third-party marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace – and that crime has a cost that is ultimately passed on in part to the consumer.

“In Virginia, $1.3 billion in merchandise is stolen annually – contributing to more than 12,000 lost jobs and more than $80 million in lost tax revenue,” according to a press release from Spanberger’s office.

That’s why Virginia passed a law in 2023 ratcheting up the penalties for organized retail crime. Congress also passed the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act last year.

The Virginia law made it a class 3 felony for anyone caught conspiring or acting with others to steal more than $5,000 of retail product within 90 days. The INFORM Consumers Act requires “online marketplaces to collect, verify, and disclose certain information about high-volume third-party sellers offering new or unused consumer products” and to shut down seller accounts that don’t provide the requested information.

Spanberger, in her letters, requested information on how online retailers track and respond to suspicious activity that could result from organized retail or supply chain crime. “Organized retail crime (ORC) and cargo theft continues to skyrocket, and it is evident that stopping these criminal enterprises will require the full cooperation of all impacted parties,” said Spanberger.

The Virginia Retail Federation supported her efforts. thecentersquare.com

   Read Rep. Spanberger's official post here


 'Everything is a Retail Theft Bill'
What drove Calif. Democrats to seek stiff bills on retail theft? Experts explain
The changes across the retail landscape have contributed to fierce debates in the California Legislature over how to combat retail theft. Lawmakers introduced bills cracking down on so-called smash-and-grabs in past legislative sessions, but this year has drawn intense attention in a Legislature seeking to increase penalties for shoplifters.

Rachel Michelin, the president of the California Retailers Association, encountered roadblock after roadblock as she attempted to persuade lawmakers to enact solutions for retail theft over legislative sessions in years past.

Her efforts grew futile, and she turned to Newsom to devote resources to combating what she saw as an increasing problem. But this year proved different.

“We went from ‘Couldn’t get anything done,’ to now, ‘Everything is a retail theft bill,’” Michelin said, noting her trade group nearly couldn’t “keep up” as lawmakers requested the group’s endorsement of bills.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, cemented retail theft’s prominence by creating a select committee focused on studying the cause behind it. The urgency grows as an initiative to repeal portions of Proposition 47 is headed to voters’ ballots and Democrats are in talks to add amendments to bills hoping to repeal the referendum.

Lawmakers last month sent 10 bills, addressing various components of retail theft, to Newsom’s desk. But how did the California Legislature arrive at this junction? Criminal justice experts pointed to a number of factors. postguam.com


California's Prop 36 Would Beef Up Theft Penalties
Prop 36 explained: Toughening up consequences for hard drug and theft crimes in California
Proposition 36 asks California voters to broadly increase the penalties for fentanyl dealers and theft crimes by reclassifying some that are currently misdemeanors as felonies. The measure attempts to undo parts of Proposition 47, which voters approved a decade ago, that loosened the penalties around the crimes.

The issue has divided Democrats, with several mayors and district attorneys backing the measure, while California's top Democratic leaders have been trying to fight this measure since the start of the year. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire have all repeatedly stated they do not think Prop 47 needs change.

They first tried to negotiate it off the ballot by introducing several proposals to crack down on organized theft rings. Legislative leaders tried to say their proposed laws would have legally clashed with Prop 36 to justify a move that would have canceled those organized theft laws if voters approved this measure. Democratic legislative leaders scrapped the plan and eventually passed the proposals.

Gov. Newsom also made a last-minute attempt to get a competing crime measure on the November ballot but ended up canceling the effort.  kcra.com


Forest Park, IL: Police department awarded grant to target retail theft

Biden Administration Claimed Crime Rate Is at 50-Year Low. Is It?
 

Top Retail Execs Seeing Shorter Tenures as Boards Lose Patience
Retail, consumer CEOs see shorter tenures as boards act more quickly
When two of the most powerful brands in retail and packaged foods last month ousted their CEOs, it signaled corporate boards are more ready to toss top executives before activist investors tell them to act.

The tenure for U.S. retail and packaged goods company CEOs has this year on average been about 7 months shorter than chiefs who were in office in 2024 in the autos, finance, tech and manufacturing industries, data to August 31 from executive compensation research firm Equilar show.

And now, their time in the top job may be shrinking as consumers buying iced lattes, chocolate bars and detergent become pickier, leaving companies with less time to innovate and demonstrate performance. At the same time, corporate directors are quicker to act, bankers, lawyers and academics say, forcing CEOs to deliver quickly or face an abrupt exit.

"There is a fresh lack of patience at the board level," said Jim Rossman, global head of shareholder advisory at Barclays, opens new tab. "With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and some stronger economic data, there is plenty to judge a CEO's management abilities by and if they aren't performing they are out."

Consumer packaged goods and retail chiefs to August 31 have held the top job for 7.7 years on average, according to Equilar, which tracks Russell 3000 companies. This compares with other big industries like finance CEOs who had their jobs 10 years on average, and tech CEOs who lasted nearly 9 years on average, Equilar data shows. reuters.com


Is the Post-COVID Shopping Boom Finally Over?
America's shopping spree is over and retailers are facing a new world of cautious consumers

America's post-pandemic shopping boom appears to be winding down.

America's wild, multi-year shopping spree has come to an end — and retailers who got used to Americans dropping cash on just about everything are in a tough spot.

Companies are now grappling with the emergence of a more price-conscious consumer than they have seen in years. Many people have drawn down their excess savings from the pandemic and are becoming painfully aware of the accumulated price increases, even as inflation has come down from multi-decade highs seen in the middle of 2022.

According to a survey conducted by McKinsey & Company, 76% of US consumers said they expected to "trade down" over the third quarter, which includes things like delaying purchases, searching for discounts, or opting for a buy now, pay later plan at checkout.

It's not that Americans have stopped spending. US retail sales came in stronger than expected in July, with Americans spending more overall compared to the prior month, according to Census data. But consumers are flashing signs that they're way more eager to bargain hunt, and more picky on what they splurge on, according to Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.  businessinsider.com


Ranking Best Retail Workplaces
Wegmans ranks #1 on Fortune’s ‘Best Workplaces in Retail’
Wegmans has ranked first on the 2024 “Best Workplaces in Retail” list. The list comes from Fortune, who analyzed survey responses from thousands of employees in the retail industry.

This has been the ninth time that Wegmans has scored at the top of the list. Last year, the grocery store chain ranked fourth place on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list.

In a statement, Colleen Wegman, the President and CEO of Wegmans Food Markets, shared the most important thing to consider when serving the community.

“We believe the best way to serve our communities, is by taking care of our people,” Wegman said. “We are so proud to celebrate nine years of this honor together and thank our people and our customers for making it possible.”

Wegmans beat out Sheetz and Target, which came in second and third place respectively on the list. rochesterfirst.com


GameStop eyes more store closures as sales fall 31%

A store optimization review is underway as the video game retailer continues to face significant obstacles.

As part of a store portfolio optimization review, GameStop said it is identifying stores for closure. That move “may result in the closure of a larger number of stores than we have closed in the past few years.” retaildive.com


Bed Bath & Beyond plans Mexico stores

Albertsons and Kroger CEOs tell skeptical government that grocery mega merger won’t lead to store closures and higher prices

Will Agentic AI Help or Hinder the Customer Experience?


Publishing Note: The D&D Daily did not publish a newsletter yesterday due to a power outage. We apologize for any inconvenience.
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Divisional Director, Loss Prevention (Stores) job posted for Tractor Supply in Nashville/Brentwood, TN
The Divisional Director for Loss Prevention (Stores) is responsible for supervision of multiple regional loss prevention managers throughout the country to include staffing, development, performance oversight and budgeting for the assigned regions. This position will develop, maintain and manage exception-based reporting review for the regional loss prevention manager team and drive shrink reduction initiatives in all stores. tractorsupply.careers


Loss Prevention Director job posted for Rent One in St. Louis, MO
The Loss Prevention Director is on the front line of defence to identify and prevent theft of cash and merchandise. A great Loss Prevention Director is driven, has outstanding analytical skills, and is not afraid to dig in and find the truth. This position is never boring and requires extensive travel (4 to 5 days a week) throughout Rent One and RNR stores. indeed.com