Checkpoint Systems Increases Their Commitment to the LP Foundation

The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) announced that Checkpoint Systems has advanced its support of the LPF by becoming the most recent Bachelor level partner. The Bachelor level partnership secures certification course scholarships and complimentary LPF memberships for Checkpoint to distribute to those in the loss prevention industry.

Headquartered in Thorofare, NJ, Checkpoint Systems, a division of CCL Industries, is a vertically integrated RF/RFID solution provider for retail. Their intelligent retail solutions are built upon 50 years of radio frequency technology expertise, innovative high-theft and loss prevention solutions, market-leading software, RFID hardware and comprehensive labeling capabilities to brand, secure and track merchandise from source to shelf.  Read more in today's Vendor Spotlight column below.
 

Yellow vest protests: 147 arrested as violence returns to Paris
Police in Paris arrested more than 100 people as protests to mark the first anniversary of the anti-government yellow vest movement turned violent. Yellow vest (gilets jaunes) rallies took place nationwide on Saturday, a year after they first erupted.

Tear gas and water cannon were used by police in Paris, where thousands of protesters thronged the streets. Rioters unleashed some of the worst violence the city has seen in months. With many clad in black and wearing masks to hide their faces, rioters in parts of the city burned barricades, vandalised banks, set rubbish bins on fire and hurled cobblestones at police.

By Saturday evening, Paris police said 147 people had been arrested across the capital.

The nationwide protests were intended to send a message to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government has been accused of ignoring the needs of ordinary citizens. bbc.com

Protesters Shut Down Luxury Department Store Galeries Lafayette in Paris
Protesters in Paris entered the Galeries Lafayette Sunday, causing the famous department store to be evacuated, reports WWD.

Numerous brands including Armani, Balenciaga, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Prada have stores within the historic building.

The protests that took place in two of the city’s main retail centers, including Galeries Lafayette, were sharing specifically anti-consumerist slogans.

Luxury storefronts on the Champs-Élysées became the target of violent protests earlier this year and Vice reported that during the first wave of demonstrations last year, exclusive stores boarded up their windows in preparation for violent protests. highsnobiety.com
 

Michael Bloomberg Pushed ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Policing. Now He’s Apologizing.
Ahead of a potential Democratic presidential run, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York on Sunday reversed his longstanding support of the aggressive “stop-and-frisk” policing strategy that he pursued for a decade and that led to the disproportionate stopping of black and Latino people across the city.

“I was wrong,” Mr. Bloomberg declared. “And I am sorry.”

The speech, Mr. Bloomberg’s first since he re-emerged as a possible presidential candidate, was a remarkable concession by a 77-year-old billionaire not known for self-doubt: that a pillar of his 12-year mayoralty was a mistake that he now regrets. It was also, in some ways, a last word on an era of aggressive policing in New York City that began a generation ago under former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani — though the fallout on neighborhoods is still felt to this day. nytimes.com

Starbucks’ open bathroom policy may be hurting foot traffic, new study finds
Starbucks' changes to its bathroom policy appear to be impacting foot traffic for the coffee giant, despite sales that have outpaced expectations, according to recent data.

Since opening its bathroom doors to the public in the wake of a controversial incident in Philadelphia, the coffee giant has seen a 6.8% drop in store attendance per month relative to other coffee shops nearby, according to the findings of a joint study from the University of Texas at Dallas and Boston College.

“When you throw open the policy to let people come in and just use the bathrooms and the tables, maybe people come in and find the bathrooms are dirty, and the tables are crowded,” David Solomon, Assistant Professor at Boston College Carroll School of Management, told YFi PM. “And so they don't buy the coffee as well... The results in our study highlight the difficulty companies can have when trying to engage in different forms of socially responsible behavior.”

Back in May 2018, Starbucks vowed to implement a “Third Place Policy,” meaning anyone could use the coffee chain’s facilities without having to make a purchase. starbucks.com

What should I do to reinforce security measures at this time of year?
Here’s some advice from Jewelers UnBLOCKed:

● Create obstacles. Use display cases and holiday décor to block thieves from running straight in and/or out of your store. All areas that contain valuable merchandise should be visible to both customers and staff. Avoid any blind spots.

● Stay under the radar. If you’re planning a vacation, don’t advertise your absence; refrain from posting vacation pictures until after you return. Posting while traveling makes your store, employees and even your home susceptible to invasions, crimes and thefts.

● Double and triple check seasonal employees. Even if they’re temporary, you need to ensure that all employees are trustworthy. Don’t forget to perform background and reference checks.

● Limit the number of pieces that can be presented to a customer to between one and three pieces of jewelry or watches at a time, and post signage of this policy. If a customer complains, sales associates can point to the sign and mention its store policy. Deter potential thieves from trying to take off with a stockpile of jewels.

● Keep store windows clear. A cluttered window blocks criminal activity from being seen outside. instoremage.com

Four Tactics to Mitigate Workplace Conflict
Whether it's your staff facing a workplace conflict or tension between you and a coworker, it's worth validating the tension-and understanding why it's there.

For leaders, it might turn you into a referee of your own staff sometimes. And you might even run into a conflict like this yourself. So what do you do to clear the air? A few thoughts worth considering:

Consider the importance of the battle. Sometimes the small stuff will be just too small to really give your time. In a guest post for the website People Matters, motivational speaker and leadership coach Abhinav Goel suggests that workplace conflicts often carry different levels of weight, and that weight means that there will be small stuff in the mix. He notes that it's important to see the bigger picture, including broader cultural issues at play. In terms of trivial fights, he writes: "Every time you encounter a situation where you feel like picking up a battle, ask yourself-'Is this battle even worth my time?' You will realize that, more often than not, you will walk away from a simmering yet insignificant situation with your head held high."

Don't pretend the tension isn't there. But ignoring small conflicts doesn't mean letting the tension fester. Writing for Forbes, WebFX Founder William Craig noted that ignoring underlying tension that comes with office environments simply makes things worse. "Refusing to meet workplace conflicts head-on, and patiently-or being ambivalent or playing favorites by not taking one of the parties seriously-is a quick way to sour the tone and trustworthiness of your workplace," Craig writes. "If people don't feel they can be candid with you about their conflicts and disagreements, and expect a patient ear in return, they'll stop trying."

Consider the root causes. Frustrating personal interactions often can go deeper than what's on the surface, and it's ideal to know how a person's position, their values, or their personal life could be affecting their response. "When we're interacting with a difficult person it's so easy to focus on counterpoints and deflating their arguments and noticing their flaws," Inc. writer Scott Mautz noted. "Instead, put your energy into saying more thoughtful things and asking better questions to get to a deeper knowledge of where they're coming from."

Don't be afraid to mediate. Leaders may not necessarily be involved in every workplace debate, but they may need to step in to clear things up, depending on the scale, notes Mike Kappel of Patriot Software Company. "You might need to guide the conversation. And if hurt feelings run high, it's likely you'll need to redirect the topic so your employees return to the real problem," Kappel writes for Entrepreneur. "If you're in a position to give advice on next steps, highlight the positive aspects of the process and suggest related topics or actions they can work through after the meeting." And depending on the size of the conflict, you may have to mediate more than once. associationsnow.com

ISCPO 360 Security Podcast
Episode 8 - Conversation with Ryan Yost of Avery Dennison
Ryan Yost is vice president/general manager for the Printer Solutions Division (PSD) for Avery Dennison Corporation. He was appointed to this position in April 2017, after serving as director of Commercial.

In his role, Ryan is responsible for worldwide leadership of and strategy for the Printer Solutions Division, focused on building partnerships and solutions within the Food, Apparel and Fulfillment industries. As the general manager of PSD, Ryan is also responsible for the core business functions for the division, including operations, marketing, finance, human resources, communications, legal, and information technology. iscpo.org

CEO confidence wanes under Trump
CEO confidence, which leapt in Trump’s early days, has since plunged to levels not seen since the darkest days of the financial crisis in 2009. “The Trump administration lost the C-suite in 2018,” says Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican who ran the Congressional Budget Office from 2003 through 2005 and now heads the American Action Forum, a center-right think tank. “I think the cause is mainly trade.”

Small-business owners rejoiced when Trump won, but their optimism, as surveyed by the National Federation of Independent Business, began to slump substantially a year ago. Hundreds of industry associations, from the tiny American Down and Feather Council to the huge National Retail Federation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are publicly opposing his policies on trade, immigration, or both. The fear among many businesspeople is that, after a strong start, he’s now doing more harm than good and has no significant policy levers left to pull. fortune.com

NRF: October retail sales grew 4.2% over last year
Retail sales in October increased 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted over September and were up 4.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year, the National Retail Federation said today. The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants. nrf.com

U.S. Commerce Dept: October retail sales up 0.3% over last month
The Commerce Department said on Friday retail sales increased 0.3% last month, excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services. Data for September was revised lower to show the so-called core retail sales slipping 0.1% instead of being unchanged as previously reported. cnbc.com

WeWork to cut over 4,000 jobs
WeWork is planning to cut roughly a third of its workforce, according to a New York Times report that cites anonymous sources. Between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs worldwide could go as the company attempts to recover from massive losses that “led it to the brink of collapse.” The cuts, expected to be announced this week, will draw widely from WeWork's operations, with the core subletting business accounting for roughly 2,500 of the lost positions. The office-sharing company recently dropped plans to go public after investors lost confidence. nytimes.com

Walmart names Kathryn McLay as Sam’s Club CEO

Trump reverses course on flavored e-cigarette ban over fear of job losses

Allied Universal Acquires Louisiana-Based Vinson Guard Service, Inc.

Five Below starts selling products for more than $5

The eBay community raises more than $1 Billion for charities globally
 

Senior LP Job Postings Removed from Website:

• Director of Loss Prevention, Safety & Security - Al J Schneider Company - Louisville, KY
• Dir. of Loss Prevention Operations - Nike - Beaverton, OR
• Director of Risk Safety - Super Valu - Providence, RI