Report: Retailers Embracing New Approach to Managing Loss
RILA Research Examines Adoption of Total Retail Loss Concept

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) today published “Total Retail Loss 2.0: From Theory to Practice,” a report which analyzes the global retail industry’s adoption of Total Retail Loss (TRL), a concept first introduced by RILA and University of Leicester Emeritus Professor Adrian Beck in 2016.

Based on an online survey of nearly 100 retailers, as well as interviews with senior asset protection executives, Professor Beck examined five factors when reviewing retailers’ approach to TRL and its applicability: awareness, adoption, review, development, and implementation.

The research found:

● 89% of retailers surveyed were aware of TRL
   - 64% of those believed TRL had some impact in their organizations

● 53% of respondents had either fully embraced the concept or adopted some of its elements
   - 47% were thinking about using it in the next year

In addition to understanding the awareness and utilization of TRL across the industry, the report considers challenges to adoption, tips on getting started with the concept, and reveals an updated TRL typology.

“Our goal when we teamed up with Professor Beck was to establish a more uniform approach to measuring loss across the industry in hopes of mitigating challenges retailers face managing loss,” said Lisa LaBruno, RILA executive vice president of retail operations and innovation. “Fast forward three years, TRL has gained significant traction globally and retailers are finding great value in this approach. It’s exciting to see the industry leveraging this work and we’re optimistic that TRL adoption will continue to expand.” rila.org

The full report can be accessed here.


Liberty Lake, WA: OpenEye announces plans to double workforce, expand HQ following acquisition by Alarm.com
OpenEye is expanding its Liberty Lake headquarters following an acquisition by Alarm.com, a home automation and monitoring company. The cloud-based video surveillance company is planning to double its workforce and move to a larger facility, which is anticipated to open in 2020 in Liberty Lake. OpenEye has already posted job listings for software engineers, developers, and sales and technical support positions.

OpenEye employs more than 100 people in product development, delivery and support in Liberty Lake. The company’s web services platform – which utilizes in-cloud computing, data analytics, information security and the Internet of Things – serves more than 14,000 locations nationwide. spokesman.com


Amazon Sells Clothes From Factories Other Retailers Blacklist
After a deadly 2013 factory collapse, most big U.S. apparel companies agreed to steer clear of dangerous plants in Bangladesh. Not Amazon.

After a 2013 factory collapse killed more than 1,100 people in Bangladesh, most of the biggest U.S. apparel retailers joined safety-monitoring groups that required them to stop selling clothing from factories that violated certain safety standards. Amazon.com Inc. didn’t join.

According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, the site today offers a steady stream of clothing from dozens of Bangladeshi factories that most leading retailers have said are too dangerous to allow into their supply chains.

A yellow gingham toddler top embroidered with flowers was among those clothes, listed on Amazon for $4.99 by a New York City retailer. The Journal traced the top to a factory in Chittagong, Bangladesh, that has no fire alarms and where doors are of a type managers can lock and keep workers in. A laborer at the factory, 18-year-old Nasreen Begum, said she spends 12-hour days there stitching shirts with 300 others. “You’re trapped inside until the time you complete the orders,” she said.

The Journal found other apparel on Amazon made in Bangladeshi factories whose owners have refused to fix safety problems identified by two safety-monitoring groups, such as crumbling buildings, broken alarms, and missing sprinklers and fire barriers.

U.S. retailers such as Walmart Inc., Target Corp. , Costco Wholesale Corp. and Gap Inc. have agreed to honor bans imposed by those two groups, to have their supply chains inspected and to disclose to the groups the factories that supply them. wsj.com

Edwardsville, IL: Worker alleges Amazon distribution center's negligence led to fall
An alleged trip and fall at an Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville has prompted a lawsuit as the plaintiff alleges the online retail giant and the owners of the facility are liable for his injuries. Jimmy Horneman filed suit Sept. 26 in St. Clair County Circuit against Amazon, which rents the property at Lakeview Corporate Drive in Edwardsville, and the owners, CP Logistics and Lex Edwardsville, alleging negligence.

The core of Horneman's argument is that on Sept. 30, 2017, during a work visit to the Edwardsville facility, he tripped over a parking block because it was the same color as the rest of the lot and there were no warning signs. The suit alleges the defendants failed to keep the premises in a "safe and usable" condition for those visiting the property. This included "negligently and carelessly" failing to provide a "safe ingress and egress" from the guard shack to the parking lot. madisonrecord.com

Harris County, TX: Spring woman files $1M lawsuit against Target, says she was misidentified as ‘taco seasoning bandit’
Life was on course for Alaina Alejandra Villa until, she says, Target misidentified her as the taco seasoning bandit. Police tagged her, based on surveillance videos, as the culprit of a crafty shoplifting spree over three days at Target stores in Atascocita and Spring, according to a $1 million federal lawsuit Villa filed Tuesday.

The “Taco seasoning bandit,” as she’s called in court documents, was reportedly caught on video in July 2018 at the self-checkout aisle, palming a 99-cent Knorr spice packet and scanning its bar code repeatedly as she faux-scanned an air purifier ($152.99), a duvet ($89.99), two window valances ($49.98), a dinnerware set ($59.99), a Rocket vacuum ($189.99) and other household items.

The Harris County district attorney charged Villa with misdemeanor theft, saying she matched the image of the woman on the surveillance video in the store and parking lot. Villa says after being wrongfully identified by authorities, she turned herself in on the theft charge. After multiple postponements, the prosecutor dismissed the charges, checking a box on the form that said, “probable cause exists but case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.”

Villa, who is Hispanic, says she was misidentified and jailed due to her race. She has maintained her innocence, refused multiple plea offers, and is now seeking monetary damages and accusing the chief security staffer and the Target company of defamation, malicious prosecution, wrongful imprisonment and negligence. houstonchronicle.com

UK: Manchester, England: Association of Convenience Stores to host Crime Prevention Security Summit
The ACS event will provide retailers with the opportunity to hear from a number of experts about the latest developments in crime tackling equipment and how it could be used to protect their business interests. It will focus on key areas of retail crime including protecting people, theft, robbery and burglary and fraud and internal theft. The event, which is being staged on 27 November, builds on the organization’s long-established drive to tackle retail crime which includes the annual Crime Report and the “It’s Not Part of the Job” campaign with the home office. The ACS has also been busy lobbying politicians for some time to get better support for retailers and their colleagues. talkingretail.com

How Facebook Bought a Police Force
The Bay Area has long been a sandbox for technology giants who are no longer merely occupying communities, but building and reshaping them. In Menlo Park, an affluent, mostly white city of 35,000, Facebook at one point paid workers not to live in lower-income neighborhoods near the company’s headquarters. And now, there's a police unit that is funded by Facebook to patrol the area surrounding its campus. The bill comes in at over $2 million annually - big money in a small city.

The “Facebook Unit,” as it was nicknamed by Menlo Park police, has not gotten much attention outside of these communities, despite being one of the nation’s only privately-funded public police forces.

Public records obtained by Motherboard - hundreds of pages of notes, proposals in draft and final form, presentations, and emails between Facebook and the Menlo Park Police Department over several years - provide an unprecedented look at how the partnership was forged and how it operates, as well as at public concerns about law enforcement’s intimate ties to one of the most powerful technology companies in the world. vice.com

Indeed Names H-E-B Top-Rated Workplace In Retail Third Straight Year
For the third year in a row, San Antonio, Texas-based H-E-B was named the No. 1 top-rated workplace for retailers by job listing site Indeed. The rankings are based on employer ratings and reviews by employees on Indeed.

Indeed's 25 Top-Rated Workplaces: Best Retailers

1. HEB
2. Vans
3. Costco Wholesale
4. Nike
5. Wegmans
6. QuikTrip
7. Best Buy
8. T-Mobile
9. Publix
10. Nordstrom
11. Bath & Body Works
12. Foot Locker
13. Sephora
14. Hobby Lobby
15. American Greetings
16. American Eagle Outfitters
17. Gap
18. The Home Depot
19. Whole Foods Market
20. Sherwin-Williams
21. T.J. Maxx
22. Verizon
23. Kohl's
24. Hot Topic, Inc.
25. Marshalls
indeed.com

9 In 10 Employees Come To Work Sick, Survey Shows
Are coworkers literally making each other sick? In new research from global staffing firm Accountemps, 90% of professionals admitted they've at least sometimes come to the office with cold or flu symptoms. Of those respondents, 33% always go to work even when they're under the weather.

Among the 28 U.S. cities in the study, Charlotte, Miami (96% each), Austin, Chicago and Cincinnati (93% each) had the most employees who show up while feeling ill.

More than half of those who report to the office with a cold or the flu (54%) said they do so because they have too much work on their plate; another 40% don't want to use sick time. prnewswire.com

62% of Employees Want Leadership To Speak Openly About Mental Health
Multiple studies show that anxiety in the workplace is peaking and burn-out at work is common. What now? The intuitive answer would be for businesses to create more awareness of mental health symptoms and how to get help. Many companies are doing just that. But today’s employees are asking for more. A younger demographic in particular is looking for more open, meaningful connections to leadership and want to hear directly from them on mental health issues.

In a recent study of 1,000 employees, 62% of respondents said having someone in a leadership role speak openly about mental health would make them feel more comfortable talking about it themselves. The research also showed that only 26% felt any action was being taken to address mental health in the workplace. forbes.com
 

NRF: Holiday shoppers plan to spend 4% more this year
Consumers say they will spend an average of $1,047.83 this holiday season, up 4 percent from the $1,007.24 they said they would spend last year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Shoppers between the ages of 35 and 44 plan to spend the most at $1,158.63.

Retailers are expected to import near-record volumes of merchandise ahead of the tariffs that are scheduled to take effect on a wide range of consumer goods from China on December 15.

The consumer survey comes on top of NRF’s annual holiday spending forecast, which takes into account a variety of economic factors to project overall spending rather than per-consumer spending. The forecast estimated that holiday retail sales in November and December will be up between 3.8 percent and 4.2 percent over 2018 for a total of between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. nrf.com

Deloitte: Retailers Can Expect Jolly Holiday Shopping Season
● Shoppers are expected to spend $1,496 per household during the holiday season this year.
● The top 20% of spenders account for 60% of total dollars people plan to spend during the holiday season.
● The bulk of holiday spending ($596) will go to experiences and celebrations — including entertaining at home, socializing away from home, travel and restaurants.
● Consumers of all age groups likely to rely more on Cyber Monday than Black Friday.
● People surveyed expect to spend 59% of their holiday budget online, compared with 36% in-store.
● Promotions will influence 81% of consumers this holiday season. prnewswire.com

Why a Shortened 2019 Holiday Calendar Should Concern Retailers
This year, consumers will have six fewer days for holiday shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And only one in three are aware of the impending calendar crunch, according to July 2019 data from RetailMeNot. There's no doubt that the shortened holiday calendar is going to sneak up on many consumers and impact their holiday shopping. The largest share (34%) of US internet users surveyed by RetailMeNot said they would begin searching for holiday deals earlier because of the tight timeframe. And nearly as many (28%) said they would make their first holiday purchase sooner.

But not everyone is ready to plan out their holiday gifts that far in advance. Instead, some are looking to retailers that offer expedited shipping to help alleviate the strain of the condensed holiday shopping season. And others are just stressing out about finishing their shopping on time. emarketer.com

Walmart to match up to $1.5 million donated through El Paso Giving initiatives

Walmart creeps on Christmas with promo deals before Halloween

Target associates to get more OT pay for Christmas

Target takes on Amazon with enhanced holiday fulfillment

Bucks County, PA: Rite Aid sold a distribution center to Walgreens, which doesn’t want it,
so 350+ are losing their jobs
 

Senior LP Job Postings Removed from Website:

● VP Risk Management - Simon Property Group - Indianapolis, IN
● Associate Dir. Security & LP - GOAT - Los Angeles, CA
 

A Look at the Pricing of Cybercrime Goods, Services
It should matter to security and risk professionals how much a digital stack of credit card numbers sells for within cybercrime communities. Tracking pricing trends within illicit marketplaces is an important barometer that can inform decision makers about threats and the risk they present to private-sector organizations, public-sector agencies, and law enforcement. An understanding of these fluctuations not only illustrates new developments within the cybercrime landscape, but can help dictate response efforts.

Therefore, Flashpoint analysts have decided to revisit a 2017 survey of prices for a number of offerings available across a representative sample of deep & dark web (DDW) markets. The findings are available today in a new research paper called, “Pricing Analysis of Goods in Cybercrime Communities.”

One conclusion that stands out: unlike the hardly static pace of activity, pricing for products and services for sale on underground sites has remained relatively constant.

Since 2017, there have been modest price bumps for some long-standing offerings related to fraud and cyberattacks. But these shifts are miniscule compared to the dramatic innovation happening in other depths of the cybercrime ecosystem - specifically with respect to targeted ransomware and SIM swapping, to name two.

Another constant from 2017: It’s still unclear what the determinants are for pricing trends within the cybercrime economy. Prices can vary drastically across the DDW, and the reasons for the discrepancies remain largely unexplained. flashpoint-intel.com

Chartered Institute: IT Security Industry is Stagnating
The IT security industry threatens to be overwhelmed by cyber-threats if it doesn’t relax hiring rules, the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) has warned. In one of its first pronouncements since being awarded a prestigious Royal Charter, the industry body argued that the sector is stagnating and ill-equipped to cope with an escalating skills crisis.

Global skills shortages in the sector stand at nearly three million, including 142,000 in EMEA, according to the most recent stats. Only 24% of current infosec staff are thought to be women.

CIISec’s own survey of information security professionals revealed that 89% of respondents were male, and 89% were over 35, pointing to a major diversity issue.

Much of the problem is that employers continue to prioritize technical experience and skills when hiring, despite the fact that two-thirds (65%) of respondents to the survey claimed that learning on the job is preferable, CIISec said. That means the industry is missing out on a potential trove of able candidates who have gained commensurate skills in other fields. infosecurity-magazine.com

Cyberattacks, Application Vulnerabilities Increase by 40% in September 2019
In the month of September, there was a 40-percent increase in total cyberattacks compared to August, returning to July levels, according to a Contrast Labs September 2019 AppSec Intelligence Report. The most prevalent serious vulnerabilities across the applications observed were Cross-Site Scripting, XML External Entity Injection and Cross-Site Request Forgery. One percent of these attacks were connected to a vulnerability within an application, representing a .7 percent decrease from last month. The other 99 percent were probes and did not connect with a corresponding vulnerability within the target application, says the report. securitymagazine.com

Minnesota Drone Bill allows warrantless biometric use in specific circumstances
Under a new bill unanimously passed by the Minnesota joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Data Practices, no state or local law enforcement jurisdiction is allowed to deploy an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, if it is equipped with any kind of facial recognition or other biometric-matching technology unless it is expressly authorized by a warrant or an exception that’s allowed under the measure. In addition, no law enforcement agency can use a UAV to collect data on public protests or demonstrations unless expressly authorized by a warrant or an exception pursuant to the legislation after it’s signed into law. The bill now goes to the full House and Senate for consideration, and where it is expected to receive more onerous scrutiny. biometricupdate.com

Security Operations Centers: 6 Vital Lessons & Pitfalls

10% of Small Businesses Breached Shut Down in 2019
 

Orlando, FL: Video Released of Disney World costume theft; former employee sold over $29,000 of stolen goods
Authorities have released photos and videos of costumes and other props that were reported stolen from Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction at Magic Kingdom. Investigators say the photos and videos were pulled from the phone of Patrick Spikes, a former Disney World employee accused of stealing $7,000 worth of costumes from the attraction. Spikes is also accused of selling the costumes, receiving more than $29,000 through PayPal.

Photos released Wednesday show Spikes wearing wigs taken from Disney World. Others show various costume pieces from the Haunted Mansion attraction, including a dress and a purple shirt labeled, "A.A. Magic Kingdom Haunted Mansion Fig. 31 A." Spikes, along with his cousin, is accused of entering backstage areas of the Magic Kingdom between July 23, 2018 and January 8 of this year. Authorities said the two stole wigs, costumes, and other props from the Haunted Mansion.
 
In documents released earlier this year, authorities said Spikes used his Disney employee ID to access the backstage areas. Photos that investigators say were found on his phone show behind-the-scenes areas of Haunted Mansion, including the dining room scene. mynews13.com

Anaheim, CA: Group of men caught on camera pulling Grab & Run at Ulta Beauty
A group of young men walked into an Ulta Beauty Store & Salon at Anaheim Plaza a week before Halloween with bags ready–just not for candy. They combed through the aisles during business hours grabbing whatever within reach before running out the door. One woman who happened to be shopping captured a snippet of the scene when it all went down. The theft alarm system can be heard beeping. Another woman tells the shoplifters that the police are coming before five of them finish up and leave. Ulta workers trailed behind them filming with their phones. In the past 24 hours, the video has already tallied almost 150,000 views. Ulta Beauty’s social media team definitely saw the footage. “The safety of our guests and associates is a top priority,” the company responded via Twitter. “We are aware of and currently reviewing this matter. Our procedures aim to prevent theft and protect our guests and associates, while continuing to provide an outstanding shopping experience.” ocweekly.com

Santa Clarita Valley, CA: SCV Sheriff’s talk crime prevention with retailers
To help reduce crime, law enforcement needs your help. That’s the message local retailers and loss-prevention teams heard from Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials Wednesday morning as part of the station’s quarterly meeting to address retail theft and other crimes local businesses experience. The meeting, held at the station, covered topics such as credit card fraud, counterfeit money and the use of fake identification cards with a variety of retailers, such as Home Depot, Target, Walmart and Kohl’s, according to Detective Michelle O’Brien. It’s all about communication between businesses and law enforcement, said O’Brien, who has coordinated special operations targeting retail theft.

For retailers interested in attending upcoming meetings, with the next expected in January , O’Brien suggests calling the station at 661-255-1121 or emailing her at emobrien@lasd.org.  signalscv.com

Thomasville, GA: Two women crash car following $1,600 Lowe’s theft

Pittsburgh, PA: Men went on $1,500 shoplifting spree at Walmarts in Harrison, Frazer

Ridgeland, MS: 2 wanted for $500 credit card fraud buying gift cards

Palm Beach, FL: Lake Worth Beach man stole razor blades from Publix