Prosegur Security Introduces the World's First EAS System with an Integrated Ad Platform

Global leader in security technology launches all-new EVO system featuring one-of-a-kind monitoring that pays for itself through advertising revenue

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., Dec. 15, 2021 -- Prosegur Security, a global leader in security technology, has launched EVO, the world's first EAS system with an integrated ad platform that can pay for itself through advertising revenue while also providing retailers with valuable data on in-store traffic. The EVO system features monitors that play retailer-approved ads at store entrances, managed remotely by Prosegur and its technology partner INEO.

"Silicon Valley and even major online retailers have created major revenue generation platforms through advertising. EAS is strategically placed in one of the most important locations inside the physical store where consumers can be influenced to buy more," said Tony D'Onofrio, CEO of Prosegur's global retail business unit. "It is time for EAS to evolve into a powerful AI cloud-supported advertising platform with increased security and operational features. The EVO system's large monitors can play a welcome message, information on mask-wearing and social distancing, store's current specials and more. Best of all, brands are willing to pay to have their ads appear on the screens too, offsetting or completely paying for the cost of the system itself."

The EVO system is built on a patented EAS media integration platform developed by Prosegur's partner INEO, which allows for automated and remote management of ads across the entire store chain. Ads can be regionally-targeted, or even made unique for one specific location.

Read more here


Interface Shares its 2022 Networking Predictions for Retail & Restaurant Markets

Earth City, MO (December 15, 2021) — Interface Security Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, today shared its networking predictions for the restaurant and retail markets.

Network transformation will gain ground in spite of supply chain issues

Retail and restaurant brands were forced to pivot their business models and customer engagement strategies to tackle the disruptions during the pandemic. We saw that brands that embraced digital transformation by revamping network infrastructure and implementing pervasive connectivity solutions, such as Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) and wireless WAN, regained growth faster.

Supply chain bottlenecks have delayed plans for procuring new equipment. Enterprises may be forced to leverage multi-vendor infrastructure due to inadequate supply of devices for large networks, shortage of Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches and specialty Wireless Access Points (WAPs). We expect supply chain issues to ease up in Q2 2022 and businesses redoubling their efforts to accelerate network transformation.

Read more here
 

LA Times Challenges Retailers' Crime Data
Retailers say theft is at crisis levels. The numbers say otherwise

Organized retail crime is haunting the nation this holiday season.

With industry groups sounding the alarm, politicians have declared the issue a priority. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would increase the budget of the California Highway Patrol next year to beef up its Organized Retail Theft task force. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta met with retailers, online marketplace companies and law enforcement Tuesday to develop strategies to fight organized retail crime. Police and prosecutors say criminal justice reforms need to be rolled back to deter smash-and-grabs.

Although some retail and law enforcement lobbyists cite eye-popping figures, there is reason to doubt the problem is anywhere near as large or widespread as they say. The best estimates available put losses at around 7 cents per $100 of sales on average.

It’s easy to get attention for sensational claims, however, particularly when they come from official sources. Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Assn., told the San Jose Mercury News that in San Francisco and Oakland alone, businesses lose $3.6 billion to organized retail crime each year.

That would mean retail gangs steal nearly 25% of total sales in San Francisco and Oakland combined, which amounted to around $15.5 billion in 2019, according to the state agency that tracks sales tax. Can that be right? In a word: no.

The country’s largest retail industry group, the National Retail Federation, estimated in its latest report that losses from organized retail theft average $700,000 per $1 billion in sales — or 0.07% of total sales — an amount roughly 330 times lower than the CRA’s estimate.

Broader crime statistics paint a picture of a decreasing problem, not one on the rise. National crime statistics from the FBI show shoplifting decreasing steadily every year from 2015 through 2020, the most recent data available. Larceny — the taking of property without using force or breaking in — declined 16% between 2010 and 2019, then dipped even lower in 2020, the data indicate.

One thing that has gone up is the visibility of open theft from stores. Ubiquitous security cameras and smartphones mean that few crimes go unrecorded, and videos of people loading up bags and carts with products and walking out the door make for viral content. latimes.com

Fencing Dangerous Stolen Goods Online
Why smash-and-grab pharmacy thefts can be more dangerous for consumers

When it comes to resold baby food and over-the-counter medications, wasting your money on an ineffective product is the best-case scenario, one expert said.

Smash-and-grab robberies typically target goods like clothing, jewelry, accessories and electronics, all of which have high resale values. But when the thieves raid pharmacies, the stakes increase.

Many of the items stolen from those vendors are regulated, such as over-the-counter medications and baby formula. If the items are then fenced — when buyers knowingly accept stolen goods to resell — quality standards that ensure efficacy and safety can no longer be guaranteed.

Legislative efforts are in motion to try to curtail the sale of such potentially dangerous items.

The Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-commerce Act, or SHOP SAFE, aims to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods by providing incentives for platforms to screen and vet sellers and products, penalize repeat offenders and provide consumers with relevant information.

The CEOs of 20 retailers, including Rite Aid Corp., CVS Health and the Walgreens Boots Alliance, signed a letter Thursday asking Congress to pass the Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act, or INFORM Consumers.

It would require online marketplaces to authenticate the identities of “high-volume third-party sellers” to deter the sale of stolen and counterfeit goods and “prevent organized retail crime rings from stealing items from stores to resell those items in bulk online.” The act would also allow consumers to see basic identification and contact information for the third-party sellers.

“Criminals are capitalizing on the anonymity of the internet and the failure of certain marketplaces to verify their sellers,” the letter says. “There is no simple answer to stopping organized retail crime or the sale of counterfeits — but key to stemming the tide of these growing problems is transparency.”

Brewer and Spangler urged consumers looking to stay safe to buy only from known retailers.

“When it comes to over-the-counter medication or baby products and food, consumers should avoid third-party marketplaces altogether. Products could be counterfeit, stolen, expired or tampered with,” Spangler said. “Buyer beware: If you think you’re getting a great deal on over-the-counter medication from a marketplace, you’re getting something that’s either stolen or counterfeit.” nbcnews.com

Retail & Law Enforcement Join Forces to Stop Theft & Violence
Police, retailers seek assistance in fight against theft, smash-and-grabs
As thieves become increasingly bold, retailers are seeking support from their police and lawmakers to prevent the kinds of smash-and-grab robberies that are taking hold nationwide in places such as Florida, California and Illinois.

In an effort to protect their stores, retailers throughout the country are dedicating more money and resources in loss prevention equipment and technology, according to the National Retail Federation. Surveillance and security systems have helped to apprehend suspected thieves, but investing in new technology or increasing police presence alone isn’t likely to mitigate the problem. Some believe it will take a collaborative effort between retailers, police, lawmakers and court officials to make a lasting impression.

“They’re protecting themselves already, doing the best to protect themselves and their customers,” said Illinois Retail Merchants Association President Rob Karr. “We need cooperation.”

NewsNation reached out to 100 police departments, 26 of which responded with statements about their efforts to combat the recent wave of robberies.

Departments throughout the country agreed that to protect personal items, people should lock their cars and avoid having packages delivered to areas where they might be left out in the open. As for retail safety, customers are likely to notice increased police presence near shopping centers this holiday season.

“Many retail establishments will hire off-duty officers to work at their business in uniform as a deterrent/security,” the Kansas City Police Department said in a statement. Those officers tend to work more hours at businesses that experience an uptick in shoppers during the holiday. newsnationnow.com

Inside the Hunt for Retail Theft Rings
NBC News’ Vicky Nguyen takes us to Perrysburg Township, Ohio, where a team of detectives respond daily to organized retail crime and track stolen goods online. The goods often end up on Facebook Marketplace. In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson says in part, “We prohibit the sale of stolen goods on our platform and use a number of tools to prevent this kind of fraud.” nbcnews.com

Kim Foxx rethinking retail theft policy
Amid growing outrage over organized retail crime, the Cook County state's attorney says she's reconsidering her stance on what constitutes a felony.

The retail theft ‘crisis’ isn’t what you think it is
The recent panic over retail theft reveals tensions at the heart of American consumerism
 

US: 51.1M Cases - 821.3K Dead - 40.2M Recovered
Worldwide: 271.8M Cases - 5.3M Dead - 244.4M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 328  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 552
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Another Grim COVID Milestone
‘A terrible tragedy’: US passes 800,000 Covid deaths – highest in the world

Figure deemed doubly heartbreaking amid widespread availability of vaccines, as WHO warns Omicron is spreading at unprecedented rate

The US death toll from Covid-19 has passed 800,000, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after vaccines became available last spring.

The figure represents the highest reported toll of any country in the world, and is likely even higher. The US accounts for approximately 4% of the world’s population but about 15% of the 5.3 million known deaths from the coronavirus since the outbreak began in China two years ago.

The grim milestone comes as the world braces for rise in cases of the new Omicron variant, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning it was spreading at an unprecedented rate. theguardian.com

'Inhumane' Pharmacy Work Conditions?
Retail pharmacists say they are overworked and burned out due to short-staffing and the increased demand for COVID-19 shots

Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid say they are recruiting more workers to meet increased demand.

Insider spoke to 6 current and former pharmacists at CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Clinicians said they experienced burnout from high workloads and did not receive adequate support from the pharmacies to handle increased workload from COVID-19 vaccines.

Walgreens locations in Idaho recently shortened pharmacy hours due to lack of staff. Pharmacy patients said they experienced longer wait times at CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart locations in Indiana, Colorado, Kentucky, and Connecticut, according to local news reports.

The problem worsened as more people became eligible for COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Food and Drug Administration authorized a Pfizer jab for kids aged 5 to 11 last month, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended all adults get a booster shot once eligible

"We are expected to fill hundreds of medications per day, with less and less support staff, and more workload," a former CVS pharmacist in Connecticut told Insider. "COVID has exacerbated this already inhumane situation." businessinsider.com

The Return of Retail Mask Mandates & Shopper Limits?
Apple retail reinstates mask mandate and limited store capacities over COVID-19 case increase
Apple is reinstating its mask mandate at all US retail stores due to rising COVID-19 cases, according to Bloomberg’s Terminal. Once again, the company will begin limiting store occupancy at several locations.

As posted by Bloomberg‘s journalist Mark Gurman, Apple decided to reinstate the mask mandate a few days after the new Omicron variant started to raise concerns over a new rise of COVID-19 cases in the US.

The report says: "The technology giant said it’s requiring masks for shoppers — a rule that had been dropped at about half of its U.S. stores — to “support the wellbeing of customers and employees.”

“Amid rising cases in many communities, we now require that all customers join our team members in wearing masks while visiting our stores,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.

This news also comes days after Apple had to shut down an Apple Store in Texas due to a COVID-19 outbreak. The company will also begin limiting store occupancy once again at several locations. 9to5mac.com

The 'Return-to-Office' That Never Comes
COVID-19 Thwarts Return-to-Office Plans—Again

How the omicron variant may further complicate the return to the office.

COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise. The U.S. is averaging over 120,000 cases and 1,200 deaths daily. Monday, the U.S. surpassed 50 million confirmed cases and is nearing 800,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The delta variant is still driving this current surge. That has experts concerned about what could happen in the coming weeks. The new and constantly evolving information about COVID-19 continues to be a source of confusion and frustration for employer and employees alike.

Some companies have begun the return-to-the office plan. Office occupancy in the U.S. increased from 33% in August to 40% in December, according to data from Kastle Systems. But for many workers, coming into the office is a personal choice and not required five days a week.

Clifton and his analysts at Gallup estimate that “when the pandemic wanes and something close to ‘normal’ returns, there will be a 37% reduction of in-person days worked per week for those 60 million employees who can work from home.”

In other words, remote work and empty desks at the office is something employers are going to live with long after the pandemic is declared over. ehstoday.com

The Pandemic Effect: Hybrid work is dead, long live “work”

Sixth COVID wave, fuelled by Omicron, to hit France in January