Get vital AI, privacy updates at CLEAR conference

Retailers rapidly deploying face matching software to prevent deadly violence, ORC loss

The Coalition of Law Enforcement & Retail conference is almost here with the very latest face matching AI updates! Join us in Orlando and learn how retailers are rapidly deploying face matching software to address deadly in-store violence and crippling ORC losses.

Don’t miss the dynamic session “Face Matching in Action: Understanding the Technology, Legalities, and Privacy Concerns” November 8 at 4 p.m. It’s presented by facial recognition expert NYPD Sgt. Edwin Coello (ret), FaceFirst’s director of data, governance, and public safety. Stop by the FaceFirst booth to get one-on-one answers to your questions. CLEAR is a training conference for law enforcement professionals, retailers, and industry professionals.

Recall: Many retailers initially resisted CCTV systems, citing “Big Brother” concerns. Bold retailers followed the lead of banks and added cameras. Eventually, customers perceived stores with cameras as safer. Now retail security cameras are ubiquitous, and only about one percent of all recordings are ever reviewed.

Modern face matching technology transforms security cameras from passive, reactive tools to proactive, real-time violence prevention tools. Face matching software provides advance warning of threats and immediate event notifications. Retailers receive instant notifications when known threats enter—a vital situational awareness advantage when seconds matter.

Retailers using facial recognition software have matched active-shooter threats, disgruntled ex-employees, violent ex-spouses, members of ORC syndicates, murder suspects, arsonists, and sex offenders. They have also helped find missing Amber Alert children, missing elderly citizens, and human trafficking victims.

If you knew there was a proven solution to keep your valued customers and associates safer from violent offenders, would you implement it? The real risk is answering no. FaceFirst’s solution is fast, accurate, and ethical—learn more today at facefirst.com.

Retail Crime Legislation Gains Momentum in D.C.
NRF's National 'Fight Retail Crime Day' - By the Numbers

NRF’s National Fight Retail Crime Day was an outstanding success!

Here are the numbers:

● Our grassroots network sent almost 800 letters to 215 members of Congress in just one day.
● We recognized nearly 100 lawmakers who have already signed on to support the 2 pieces of legislation.
● Over 20 lawmakers shared their commitment on their social media channels.

It’s never too late to get involved. Help us keep up the momentum by clicking here.

NRF's priorities include:

• INFORM Consumers Act (S.936/H.R. 5502): Requires online marketplaces to verify the identity of high-volume third-party sellers to help curb the sale of stolen and counterfeit merchandise. NRF supports inclusion of the INFORM Act in the pending Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) manager's amendment.

• Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (S.5046/H.R. 9177): Establishes a new Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center that will help federal, state and local law enforcements agencies better coordinate to effectively combat criminal activities. Recently introduced in both chambers of Congress, NRF is advocating for additional cosponsors.

We invite you to share this information widely with your colleagues and networks. Every voice counts.

Workplaces Becoming Hotbeds of Violence
18,000 Workplace Fatalities Since 1992 - 500+ Mass Shootings So Far in 2022

Taking Steps to Prevent Workplace Violence

Employers need to be wary of new laws and regulations that limit what they can do.

In both fact and perception, the United States has become a much more dangerous place to live and work than it was just a handful of years ago. The danger extends beyond the street to the workplace as well, and how to protect your workforce is a question almost all employers have to ask themselves in the current environment.

From 1992-2019, workplace violence has killed almost 18,000 people, according to a recent study conducted by NIOSH, the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (which includes incidents that occurred outside the workplace but stemmed from work-related issues.)

While this is not a new problem, the current situation does represent a renewed challenge to employers because it has arisen following the widespread deterioration of mental and emotional health because of the COVID-19 lockdowns, and now heightened emotions erupting over political differences.

As of mid-September, there had been 508 mass shootings in the United States this year, resulting in 545 fatalities and 2,089 wounded. Murder rates in a number of cities have hit record levels, as have the incidents of assault and injuries resulting from street violence. It is not surprising that the soaring rise in the crime rate has risen to the level of a top public concern and campaign issue.

Many of these shootings involved workplace violence, observes attorney Paige S. Newman of the Akerman law firm. She says the rise in workplace violence, and violence in general, should prompt employers to consider what they can and should do to protect their employees, customers and business. “It is especially important to do so now, as more and more employers are requiring their employees to return to work in person following the pandemic,” Newman stresses.

Given the high visibility of mass shootings over the past year, it is important to make sure that employees know what to do if such a situation arises in the workplace. Employees should be trained on how to respond to events involving violence, including the locations of emergency exits, how to lead others off the premises in emergency situations, and how to report any suspicious behavior. ehstoday.com

Pennsylvania & Washington Have Highest Per Capita Rate of Retail Theft
Lawmaker Highlights Spike in Retail Crime in Washington as Concern, Calls on Legislature to Address Issue

The state government needs to take action on retail crime, State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, argued in a news release this week.

“While we’ve seen a spike in many areas of crime, retail theft and other retail crimes are especially a problem,” Schoesler said. “Retail crimes hurt not only stores and shops, but also consumers because these crimes force retailers to raise prices. The Legislature, the governor and the attorney general need to take action to greatly reduce retail crime in Washington.”

The value of items stolen from stores more than doubled in Washington state from 2019 to 2020 and the Washington Retail Association estimates organized crime groups stole $2.7 billion from retailers in 2021.

Washington also has the second highest per capita rate of retail theft of any state in the country after Pennsylvania. Last year, 23,323 cases of shoplifting were reported in Washington state in 2021. Seattle also ranked eighth among large cities for retail crime in 2021.

Schoesler says retailers have seen an increase of theft and fraud on their property as organized retail theft rings have become more “brazen, violent and sophisticated in targeting stores.” He believes these organized crime groups are putting customers and store employees in danger and are involved in other crimes such as human trafficking, money laundering and narcotics.

Schoesler sits on the Senate Labor, Commerce and Tribal Affairs Committee, which held a work session on retail crime last week. According to Schoesler, the work session is a sign organized retail crime has come on the Legislature’s radar, but added the issue still needs to be made a high priority for when the legislative session starts in January. chronline.com

SF's New Tough-on-Crime DA Meets with Walgreens & Westfield Mall
After losing opioid lawsuit, Walgreens pushes San Francisco to address crime
Walgreens has thousands of stores across the country, yet in San Francisco the massive Illinois-based pharmacy store chain has become a symbol of The City's social strife.

As Walgreens unsuccessfully defended itself from The City’s accusations that it played a key role in creating the opioid crisis roiling San Francisco, it has simultaneously pushed city officials to address the increase in crime in its stores.

New San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has taken meetings with executives from Walgreens and the operators of Westfield Mall, who are pushing her office to rein in retail crime, in recent weeks. The District Attorney’s Office says the meetings are a reflection of her commitment “to addressing crime and retail theft.”

“She specifically met with Walgreens and Westfield about how their on-site security staff and store employees can coordinate with the District Attorney’s Office and San Francisco Police to address organized retail theft rings and retail theft broadly,” DA spokesperson Randy Quezada wrote in an email.

“Organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco. Part of our efforts to combat it includes regular conversations on topics of mutual interest with members of the San Francisco Police Department, the office of the Mayor, Supervisors, and the District Attorney,” Kris Lathan, a company spokesperson, wrote in an email to The Examiner.

Police reports of shoplifting in San Francisco have increased sharply this year, according to San Francisco Police Department data. Across the four different levels of shoplifting recorded in police data, there were 2,346 reports made this year through Sept. 30. That’s a 35.6% increase over 2021. themoorecountynews.com
 
NYC Grand Larcenies Up 40% from 2021
Robberies & Burglaries are Up 33% & 30%, Respectively

NYC Safety Tracker: New online tool tracks crime in your neighborhood
Eyewitness News has created an exclusive new tool that you can use to track which crimes are happening in your neighborhood on a weekly basis. It's called the Neighborhood Safety Tracker.

There's a drop down menu on the website that will tell you how many homicides, burglaries, assaults, auto thefts, grand larcenies, sexual assaults and robberies are happening.

Grand larcenies so far this year are trending up 39.9% compared to the same time period in 2021. However, the larceny rate over the last 12 months is up when compared to the annual average over the last three years. The city is averaging 1016 larcenies a week over the last 12 months. In 2019, that number was 832 a week.

Robberies so far this year are trending up 33.3% compared to the same time period in 2021. However, the robbery rate over the last 12 months is up when compared to the annual average over the last three years, and the frequency of robberies remains higher than it was before the pandemic. The city is averaging 334 robberies a week over the last 12 months. In 2019, that number was 257 a week.

Burglaries so far this year are trending up 29.9% compared to the same time period in 2021. However, the burglary rate over the last 12 months is up when compared to the annual average over the last three years. The city is averaging 303 burglaries a week over the last 12 months. In 2019, that number was 207 a week.

Homicides so far this year are trending down 14.3% compared to the same time period in 2021. However, the murder rate over the last 12 months is about the same when compared to the annual average over the last three years, and the frequency of killings remains higher than it was before the pandemic. The city is averaging 8 homicides a week over the last 12 months. In 2019, that number was 6 a week.  abc7ny.com

UK's Retail Crime Surge Continues
Retail crime expected to worsen in coming months
Retail crime levels are expected to significantly worsen in the coming months as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact households in the Humberside Police force area. According to figures issued by the force the rate of these types of crime increased after shops re-opened after the pandemic. Now, they are expected to rise again as the festive season approaches.

This comes as Humberside Police launches it’s new initiative to fight retail crime and keep shop workers safe.

Superintendent Paul French said: “As we now approach the sort of challenges associated with cost of living, it’s absolutely essential that we work, side by side with our businesses and retailers collectively to reduce risk of these type of offenses.

“But also, to hold to account those responsible, while providing a range of support to address underlying root causes that might be contributing to those crimes taking place.”  gi-media.co.uk

San Francisco Crime Out of Control
Intruder breaks into Nancy Pelosi’s home, attacks husband Paul with hammer

Bellevue police continue crackdown on retail theft

Gun reform on the ballot in OR after string of devastating mass shootings

US: 99.2M Cases - 1M Dead - 96.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 634.7M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 613.7M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 812

COVID Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths Remain Low

U.S. Retail, Tech & Logistics Companies Cut Ties with China After COVID
American companies increasingly look outside of China after Covid disruptions

Nearly twice as many U.S. companies cut their investment in China this year versus last year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai found in its latest survey.

Nearly twice as many U.S. companies cut their investment in China this year versus last year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai found in its latest survey, released Friday. For 2022, 19% of respondents said they were cutting investment in China, up from 10% in 2021, the report said.

The top reasons for doing so were Covid-related shutdowns, travel restrictions and supply chain disruptions, survey respondents said. “Confidence has been shaken,” the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said.

The metropolis of Shanghai suffered one of the harshest lockdowns in China earlier this year, dragging down the national economy in the second quarter with barely any growth. A bounce of 3.9% in the third quarter brought year-to-date GDP growth to 3% — well below the official target of around 5.5%.

One-third of respondents redirected planned China investments to other destinations in the past year, the survey found. That’s nearly twice the number last year, the report said, noting Southeast Asia was the most popular destination, followed by the U.S. Southeast Asia attracted the majority of redirected investment, especially in tech, logistics and retail, the survey found. cnbc.com

COVID Triggered Reduced Hours
Restaurant operating hours are still shorter compared to 2019, report finds

Restaurants have trimmed their weekly operating hours by 7.5%, or 6.4 hours, compared with pre-pandemic schedules

It’s not just your imagination. Restaurants aren’t open as long as they used to be. Eateries have trimmed their weekly operating hours by 7.5%, or 6.4 hours, compared with pre-pandemic schedules, according to a new report from Datassential.

The food analytics firm found that 59% of the more than 763,000 U.S. restaurants are operating on shorter schedules in October than they were in 2019. Every state except Alaska saw a decrease in restaurants’ average weekly operating hours.

Restaurants are still struggling to find enough workers to staff their locations, and cutting hours is one way they’re addressing that challenge. The slow return to the office means weaker demand in business centers. And areas that closed down aggressively during the pandemic are still bouncing back. cnbc.com

Long COVID & Remote Work's Impact on the Workforce
How much is long COVID reducing labor force participation? Not much (so far)
There is growing evidence that some people infected with the COVID-19 virus experience long-run health problems known as long COVID, potentially leading them to drop out of the labor force. At the same time, the advent of remote work might have increased the participation of people with disabilities.

Although labor force participation and hours of work for people with disabilities have both increased since the start of the pandemic, the most likely explanation is a composition effect among people who report a disability to the CPS: People with long COVID are more likely to work and work more hours than people who would have been disabled absent the pandemic.

However, our evidence suggests that remote work might have had some small positive effect on the participation of 45- to 64-year-olds with disabilities, increasing the labor force by up to 121,000 workers. brookings.edu

Just 8.5% Have Gotten New Booster
It’s a Bad Time to Be a Booster Slacker
Americans aren’t getting the new bivalent COVID shot. What does that mean for the looming winter wave?
Since the new booster became available in early September, fewer than 20 million Americans have gotten the shot, according to the CDC—just 8.5 percent of those who are eligible. The White House COVID-19 response coordinator, Ashish Jha, said at a press conference earlier this month that he expects booster uptake to increase in October as the temperatures drop and people start taking winter diseases more seriously. theatlantic.com

A new day in retail pharmacy: The evolving role of the pharmacist

China locks down part of Wuhan, nearly three years after first Covid case emerged

35,000-Foot View of Potential Kroger-Albertsons Merger
Kroger-Albertsons merger: Looking at the numbers

Some stats that quantify the mega-merger’s potential impact

The Kroger-Albertsons merger deal would combine the first- and second-largest U.S. supermarket operators into one, mammoth grocery retailer. As regulators get under way with the review process, industry observers are sizing up the potential market impact.

Together, The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. would form a national company with 4,996 stores, 66 distribution centers, 52 manufacturing plants, 2,015 fuel centers and more than 710,000 associates across 48 states and the District of Columbia. The merged entity also would be the fifth-largest retail pharmacy operator by locations, with 3,972 pharmacies.

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. operates food and drug stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Based on fiscal 2021 data, Kroger and Albertsons combined generated about $210 billion in revenue, $3.3 billion in net earnings and $11.6 billion of adjusted EBITDA.

Market share view

Consumer data specialist Numerator said Thursday that, by acquiring Albertsons, Kroger would reach two in three U.S. shoppers. Currently, Kroger captures nearly 65 million shoppers, yet post-acquisition its shopper base would jump by more than 21 million households.

The combination also would give Kroger a more national presence, since Albertsons has a heavy presence in the West (12.5% CPG market share through September), the Mountain region (10.4% share) and New England (7% share), according to Numerator data. In any event, Kroger-Albertsons would become the second-largest grocery retailer behind Walmart. supermarketnews.com
 
Retail's Self-Checkout Explosion
Zebra Technologies Report: Nearly half of retailers are converting cash registers to self-checkouts
Indicating a shift away from cashiers, a Zebra Technologies survey of 4,200 international respondents found that 82% of retail decision-makers are planning to invest more in technology over the next three years. Almost half (45%) said they are converting more cash register space to self-checkout space, and 43% are clearing space for contactless checkout kiosks.

According to the report, less than half of shoppers use self-checkouts. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of shoppers said they prefer contactless payment options and the ability to check out anywhere in the store. Eighty-three percent of retail employees said self-checkout kiosks allow them to do higher-priority tasks and better serve customers.

Retailers have increasingly adopted self-checkout technology in recent years, but implementing these tools properly is critical. Zebra Technologies, which itself sells retail technologies like mobile computers, noted that self-checkout and mobile checkout options provide customers with speed and convenience and enable store associates to help other customers on the sales floor.

The Zebra Technologies survey suggests that retailers are leaning into self-checkout stations. A June RBR report estimated that shipments from self-checkout technology providers will grow to more than 300,000 by 2027. retaildive.com

AI Cashlierless Checkout: The Future of C-Stores?
Convenience-store retailer Choice Market debuts AI-powered store
Choice Market has unveiled a new format. The Denver-based retailer has opened a location in its new, small-sized (less than 2,000 sq. ft.) “mini-mart” format at The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver. Open round the clock, 365 days per year, the new Choice leverages artificial intelligence and vision systems to checkout customers without a cashier.

Similar to Choice’s other three locations, the shopping experience at the new store is powered by “Choice Now,” a frictionless shopping technology that allows customers to enter their payment information on the Choice app, select their purchases and just walk out. As its first mini-mart, however, the Anschutz store is the first Choice to operate without a cashier be open 24 hours a day.

AI-powered ceiling cameras determine what customers have purchased and automatically send an e-receipt to their phone. The app also provides access to the Choice Rewards Program. The company plans to include the technology in all future stores. Two more Denver locations are opening soon, with expansion beyond Denver planned for 2023. chainstoreage.com
 
Retailers & Other Businesses Urge Biden to Help Avert Rail Shutdown
300 business groups call on Biden to intervene in rail unions contract vote
Three hundred business groups are calling on President Joe Biden to intervene in the ratification of the national tentative agreement he helped broker last month between rail unions and US freight railroads.

In a letter sent to the president Thursday, retail, agricultural, manufacturing, and trucking associations jointly asked the president to ensure that the tentative agreement is ratified. The groups include American Trucking Associations, the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, and the National Retail Federation.

“It is paramount that these contracts now be ratified, as a rail shutdown would have a significant impact on the US economy and lead to further inflationary pressure,” the letter states.

The groups believe the President’s intervention could push the unions to vote for ratification, just as he emphasized the need to come to an agreement last month to avoid a nationwide US freight rail strike that would have brought the US supply chain and economy to a grinding halt. cnn.com

N.Y.C. Job Seekers Can No Longer Be Kept in the Dark
A new city law going into effect on Tuesday will require companies with at least four employees to post salary ranges for openings, even if the jobs involve remote or hybrid work.

From 'labor hoarding' to layoffs: Get ready for a brutal U-turn in the job market

The Backroom Podcast: Retail bankruptcies are poised for a comeback

Forrester: Five retail predictions for 2023