Smart Stores Can Help Avoid Theft
Stop the Steal: Smart Stores Help Brands Meet Consumers in New Settings

Smart stores, featuring sensors and inventory tracking, help avoid stockouts and theft.

Inventory keeps retailers in business. Inventory keeps consumers loyal to their preferred to merchants. Inventory makes impulse buying possible and keeps sales flowing.

Inventory has also, for a long time, been a bit of a hit-or-miss proposition — merchants might have too much stock on hand, languishing on shelves, ripe for markdowns. Or there might be too little on hand, which would send disappointed customers to the nearest competitor. In at least some cases, and notably so during recent years and with the rise of self-checkout, theft depletes inventory.

In fact, studies have shown that a significant percentage of consumers have admitted to using self-checkout kiosks to aid them in their stealing; locked-up inventory, on the other hand, tends to discourage shopping — and, certainly, browsing, which depends on a tactile experience. You can’t examine a new shaving cream’s ingredients, for example, if it’s sequestered behind an alarmed sheet of plastic.

In the report recently done in collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and Cantaloupe, “Overcoming Retail Challenges: Smart Stores to the Rescue,” we found that with the rise of “smart stores,” which connect security and analytics, the state of inventory management improves, and keeping the right goods in stock, and on hand, becomes more science than art.

“Next-gen self-service commerce is redrawing the boundaries of conventional retail, enabling businesses to embed commerce directly within consumer environments and capture previously inaccessible market opportunities,” PYMNTS wrote.

Underpinning it all — and especially where inventory has been concerned — artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and even weighted shelf sensors, have improved record keeping in terms of the items that are in demand (or are not). pymnts.com


Shoplifting Up 14% in Baltimore - Police Say It 'Isn't a Priority'
Shoplifting surge strains Baltimore retailers, prompts call for action
At the Harborview Wine and Spirit store, Ms. Liz has been grappling with a growing issue: shoplifting. "The past eight months to a year, it’s gotten worse than it has been before," Ms. Liz said. Shoplifters have been brazenly taking items and leaving without consequence.

According to the latest data from the Baltimore Police Department, citywide shoplifting has increased by 14% year-to-date. Four of the nine districts have seen significant spikes over a seven-day period compared to last year, with the Eastern district up 67% , the Southeast 70%, the Western 200%, and the Northwest a staggering 400%.

Cailey Locklair of the National Retail Federation said, "It’s an immense problem. It’s time that we had a much more serious conversation about this because stores will continue to close across Maryland."

Currently, shoplifting is not considered a felony unless $1,500 worth of merchandise is stolen at one time.

Ms. Liz recounted a conversation with an officer who told her, "You know this isn’t a priority." She responded, "I said in other words, I’m wasting my time even calling, so why bother." The lack of urgency from law enforcement is impacting her business.

Now Ms. Liz is concerned about her job. "If people are taking everything out of here, how is my boss going to pay me," Ms. Liz said. She is calling for more action from law enforcement and lawmakers. foxbaltimore.com


Shoppers Conflicted Over Security Guard Presence
Some Portland shoppers are noticing more security guards. But does it make them feel safer?
Fred Meyer security guards — kitted out with a flak jacket and what looked like a stun gun or firearm at their waist — started patrolling the Gresham outlet and checking her receipt. The aisles of the cosmetics section were reconfigured, too, creating a store within a store, and a second line to wait in.

Half of the 600 Portland-area voters polled by The Oregonian/OregonLive last month reported that they see more security guards where they shop than they did a year ago.

A hefty 85% of local residents say they feel safer around security guards or neutral about them. Just 15% of residents feel less safe with guards around, compared to 44% who feel safer and 41% who reported a neutral stance.

Fotheringham says she still sees guards at the Fred Meyer, though they’ve eased up a bit about checking receipts.

That’s in line with the 61% of Multnomah County residents who say guards are more frequently deployed where they shop, compared to this time last year. That’s higher than in suburban Washington and Clackamas counties, where less than half of poll-takers indicated they’ve seen more guards. Specifically, 44% of Washington County residents and 38% of Clackamas County residents say they’ve noticed more guards.

Lancisero and Fotheringham point to another demographic trend identified in the poll: 54% of shoppers over age 65 believe that security guards increase safety, compared to just 37% of poll respondents between the ages of 18 and 29. oregonlive.com


Global Shoplifting Surge
Ireland: New Data Reveals 159% increase in Sligo/Leitrim shoplifting

MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú calls for tougher penalties and measures to tackle rising retail crime across Ireland.

New figures show that there has been a 159% increase in shoplifting incidents in the Sligo-Leitrim district since 2003. The figures, obtained from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) by Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, reveal that shoplifting has dramatically increased across most counties in Ireland over the past 20 years.

To combat the rise, MEP Ní Mhurchú has called for mandatory prison sentences for anyone caught shoplifting on more than one occasion, updates to the Public Order Acts to allow prolific offenders of retail crime to be excluded from premises for a certain period, and support for targeted Garda operations to tackle retail crime and remove assets from those suspected of organized retail theft.

She has also called for the introduction of a specific offence for assaulting a retail worker and an end to the practice of ‘retail defamation,’ where someone can sue a retailer for defamation if they are stopped with a bona fide belief that they have stolen something from the shop.

In October, Gardaí in Carrick-on-Shannon arrested four men in connection with shoplifting in the area as part of Operation Táirge, a national initiative aimed at combating organized retail crime. leitrimobserver.ie


In Case You Missed It: New Jersey Law Targets ‘Near Crime Wave’ of Retail Theft
 

Cereal Company Impacted by Employee Data Breach
WK Kellogg confirms employee data breach tied to Cleo file-transfer flaw

The Michigan-based breakfast cereal company confirmed it used Cleo as a vendor for human resources data.

WK Kellogg Co. confirmed that at least one employee was affected in a December hack related to a vulnerability in Cleo file-transfer software, according to a regulatory filing with the Maine Attorney General’s office.

The Michigan-based breakfast cereal company said Cleo servers, which were used to transfer employee files, were hacked on Dec. 7. WK Kellogg said it first learned of the hacking incident on Feb. 27.

The breached data included the name and Social Security number of one employee based in Maine. However, it is not immediately known if the personal data of other employees was also breached.

As previously reported, critical flaws in Cleo file-transfer software came under mass exploitation in December. Just last week, Sam’s Club said it was investigating a potential attack after Clop referenced the company on its leak site. cybersecuritydive.com


'Critical' CISA Cuts
Trump admin under scrutiny as it puts major round of CISA cuts on the table

Congressional members plan to raise questions Tuesday as hundreds of critical jobs could be slashed in the coming weeks.

The Trump administration is facing renewed scrutiny from Congress and other officials following reports that massive job cuts are coming to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as early as this week.

CISA is expected to slash up to 1,300 jobs through a combination of terminations and other incentives, according to a report by CBS News. The agency is expected to initially offer buyouts, according to Axios, but later expand the list to send out “reduction in force” notices depending on how many workers accept buyouts.

The administration has come under heavy criticism by national security and cyber industry analysts in recent months, who warned additional cuts at CISA will severely weaken the U.S. at a time of heightened nation-state threats from China and Russia. cybersecuritydive.com
 

Over 5K Ivanti VPNs vulnerable to critical bug under attack

Los Angeles, CA: Burglars ram truck into luxury eyewear store, steal $150K worth of merchandise in Fairfax District
A group of burglars broke into a luxury eyewear store in the Fairfax District Sunday, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. Surveillance video shows the burglars reverse a truck into Hall of Frames. Four thieves are then seen crawling through the narrow cracks to get in. They then use a crowbar to smash the glass cases. They managed to escape with about 200 pairs of glasses valued at roughly $150,000 in just under two minutes. This is not the first time the store gets broken into. Hall of Frames manager Simon Babouchian said this is the second smash-and-grab at the location since February. "The first time was a shock, and the second time was like 'Is this really happening again?'," said Babouchian. He said they were just starting to recover from the last break-in during Super Bowl weekend. The shop is known for celebrity clients such as Kim Kardashian and Quavo and for carrying designer brands like Cartier and Lowe.  abc7.com


Sweetwater, TN: Five charged after theft of airsoft guns from Sweetwater store
McMinn County deputies arrested five people on Monday they say attempted to steal airsoft guns and other items from a Sweetwater business. Deputies responded to Sweetwater Airsoft on County Road 275 in the early hours of April 7 following a report of an ongoing theft. Police said in a release that business was also burglarized the night before. Two suspects were located inside a pickup truck at the business and three others were located on the property when deputies searched the area. The suspects were identified as Joshua Weber, 18, of Vonore; James Whitner, 20, of Sweetwater; Blake Fisher, 19, of Athens; and Paiden Davis, 24, of Vonore, along with a 17 year-old male juvenile. McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said in a release that investigators believe Weber and the juvenile previously visited the business and returned the night before with the three others to burglarize it.  wate.com


Perry, IA: Burglar steals thousands of dollars in Pokémon cards from Perry trading card shop
Police in Perry are searching for a suspect who broke into TCG Planet, a local trading card store, and stole an estimated $25,000 to $40,000 worth of Pokémon cards. The burglary occurred shortly after the store closed on Sunday evening, and the owners say the thief was caught on surveillance video. Justin Estes, who opened TCG Planet in January, described how the burglar gained access to the store. "Like I said, there's the door here that he came through," Estes explained, pointing to the damaged entryway. The thief reportedly broke through two back doors to reach the store's valuable Pokémon card collection.  kcci.com


Maccomb County, MI: One in East Coast trio admits to Shelby Twp. store theft: Trio face holds from ICE
One of three East Coast women accused of stealing $6,000 in beauty products from a Shelby Township store who was suspected of thefts in other areas has pleaded guilty to first-degree retail fraud. Evelyn Romero-Berrospi, 39, of Newark, N.J., entered the plea last Thursday in Macomb County Circuit Court and faces a May 12 sentencing by Judge Michael Servitto for a January incident at the Ulta Beauty store on 26 Mile Road in the township. A second charge of operating organized retail crime will be dismissed at sentencing as part of a plea deal with Macomb prosecutors. Romero-Berrospi and her two co-defendants are not citizens and are subject to “holds” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to jail records. Romero-Berrospi’s country of origin was unclear. Warren police also have a retail-fraud warrant for Romero-Berrospi. Co-defendants Brenda Ampudia-Tocto, 28, of the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., and Nayely De Los Santos-Arana, 20, of Lakewood, N.J., also waived their exams and face proceedings in circuit court.  macombdaily.com


Spring Hill, TN: 2 organized retail crime suspects arrested for Ulta thefts

Westmoreland County, PA: Suspects grab $3K in merchandise from Hempfield Dick's, flee store

Melbourne, Australia: Collins Street Fendi store targeted in Melbourne ram-raid, $21,000 of luxury goods stolen

Waterloo, ON, Canada: Five charged in string of butter thefts, $8000 of product stolen