Canadian cargo theft more common than people think, expert says - Columbia Sportswear hit hard  The theft of truckloads of merchandise is much more common than the general public thinks, according to a trucking expert. "In this industry, we know it's not the opportunistic criminal that's identifying a whole truckload of merchandise and says: 'Hey, this looks like something fun to steal'," said Jennifer Fox, vice-president of trade and security with the Ontario Trucking Association. "What we have is a very organized criminal element in place." According to research of cargo thefts by the Ontario Trucking Association, food products are the number one commodity being stolen, as well as house hold products. The reason? They're easy to off-load and get rid of quickly. There is also a high demand for food and household items year-round, she said. Fox added that cargo theft is also often not reported, making it difficult for her organization to pinpoint how frequently they occur. "We have, for years, been trying to bring more attention to the issue," she said. "Initially, I think there was hesitation from the trucking industry to start talking about this issue and how often it's happening. There's a real fear about the negative image that can be conjured up by your customers and the public if you seem to be victimized by this." More trucking companies are, however, coming forward with information about thefts, Fox said. There's a level of frustration in the industry that it seems the criminals are getting more sophisticated in how they operate. "They have things such as GPS blockers now, so you put a GPS on your trailer and the criminal element can use these GPS blockers and essentially block that signal," she said. cbc.ca

Free Half-Day Fraud Seminar in Vancouver on Sept. 22 - Register Soon, Seating Limited  On September 22, the Fraud 360 World Tour comes to downtown Vancouver to deliver a free half-day seminar on their trademark 360° view of fraud. A complimentary continental breakfast and lunch will also be provided. Register quickly because seating is limited. The seminar will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, located at 655 Burrard Street. Bring your notepad and questions and learn from fraud experts about current data, global trends, changes in Payment Card Industry compliance and future forecasting affecting transactions. Click here to see the schedule and session list.

Best Buy sales soar in U.S., plunge 25.6% in Canada
Shares of U.S. electronics giant Best Buy Co. Inc. soared 12.57% August 25, thanks to unexpectedly strong sales and profit in the U.S. as well as a strong outlook. That made it the best performer in the S&P 500. The company's Canadian subsidiary, Burnaby-based Best Buy Canada, however, was a drag on the company's business. Best Buy does not specifically break out Canadian sales but it reports on its international division, which is now almost exclusively Canadian. Sales in that division fell 25.6% to US$650 million in the quarter, which ended August 1, compared with US$874 million in the same quarter a year ago. Canada is essentially the company's entire international division given that Best Buy completed the sale of its business in China in February. biv.com

As U.S. retailers eliminate on-call scheduling, Loblaw signs part-time workers deal with union up north  A month after ratifying a six-deal with the union that represents 12,000 of its employees in Ontario-avoiding a strike in the process-Canada's biggest food retailer has inked another deal with the United Food and Commercial Workers that aims to make life easier for part-time workers. Under the terms of the new deal, according to the Toronto Star, Loblaws Great Foods and Superstores will introduce several pilot projects to make the schedules of part-time workers more predictable and guarantee them better hours. It provides part-timers with 10 days advance notice of scheduling, instead of the previous three-a longstanding source of irritation for part-time workers with families, studies and other jobs to juggle. canadiangrocer.com

Canadian Salary Growth to Slow
Canadian employers are expecting salaries to rise by an average of 2.5 per cent in 2016. This is down from the average 2.8 per cent salary increase expected for 2015, as reported in last year's Trends in Human Resources survey, an annual project from Morneau Shepell. The average salary increase figures include expected salary freezes. retaincanada.ca

Nine West sold to American owner of brand, new subsidiary to run business

British Fashion Brand REISS Plans Cross-Canada Store Expansion

Laura's Shoppe Inc to close 20 stores by Sept. 13, seek rent cuts on 26 others

Vacant Target Canada locations inspire Tumblr page

Three police officers win Canadian Banks' Law Enforcement Award for innovative investigative work

Labour Day Retail Hours: What Retailers Need to Know


Retail Fast Facts: August 2015

Highlights: 
Total monthly retail sales changed by 3.7 per cent over the comparable month last year.
Total sales excluding food, automotive and gasoline changed by 4.5 per cent over the comparable month last year. Read more