6/2/25

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How Natural Disasters Can Fuel Retail Crime
Climate Disasters Add New Layer of Complexity to Retail Crime Response

By the D&D Daily staff

As organized retail crime (ORC) continues to challenge the retail industry nationwide, an emerging factor is further complicating prevention and response efforts: climate-related disasters.

From hurricanes disrupting supply chains to wildfires forcing evacuations, extreme weather events are increasingly colliding with retail crime patterns, leaving loss prevention teams with new vulnerabilities to manage. In recent years, several retailers have reported surges in looting or opportunistic theft in the wake of natural disasters — a trend that experts say is likely to intensify.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Retail Federation (NRF) have both acknowledged the growing threat at the intersection of climate risk and ORC. In coastal regions, for instance, hurricane evacuations have left shuttered stores exposed to looting and break-ins. In the West, wildfires have complicated inventory management and recovery efforts after organized theft rings strike.

Retailers are now being urged to integrate climate resilience into their loss prevention strategies. That includes backing up surveillance systems with battery or solar power, digitally tagging inventory for real-time tracking, and coordinating with local emergency managers to ensure crime response continuity during disasters.

Some large chains are also developing mobile loss prevention units — response teams that can be rapidly deployed to high-risk locations before or after an event.

“Organized retail crime is evolving, and so must our response,” said Karen Santos, VP of Asset Protection for a national pharmacy chain. “Climate disruptions are no longer rare — they’re part of the new operating environment.”

The growing intersection of climate and crime is also gaining attention in legislative circles. A bipartisan bill introduced earlier this year in Congress proposes grant funding for retailers to harden their infrastructure against both ORC and climate-related vulnerabilities.

While ORC has traditionally been viewed through a criminal justice lens, experts say retailers must now take a more holistic approach — one that considers how broader societal disruptions can accelerate criminal opportunity.


Stop Making Excuses for Retail Criminals
Real issue behind need for retail lockboxes ignored. Don't make excuses. | Letters
I have worked in retail in some capacity for the last 18 plus years and have seen the changes that have led to more and more things being locked up, sad as it may be.

(While he does not condone stealing, Causey mentioned situations where he has sympathy when it comes to essential items), whether it was food stamps not covering as much as a person would like or seniors and their pricey drugs, and that made me think. I tried to remember how many times in my 18 years did I see someone steal who actually needed it, and the answer is once.

One time I saw, along with my boss, a young mother try to empty the contents of a can of formula into a bag because she couldn’t afford it. My boss at the time stopped her, told her that there were options available and then paid for a new can for her and her child. One time, so in Causey's world that would be justified.

But to the person who stole a floor display of Doritos, do we justify his nacho cheese cravings? Or to the person who stole 40 bottles of Tide, do we justify his need to either have his clothes extra clean or to have a side hustle? Or to the diaper girls who stole three carts full of diapers, do we justify wanting to change diapers more often than normal? Or to the man who stole 20 bottles of body wash, do we justify his need to want to be "Zest fully" clean?

Also, the lock boxes, locking doors and security measures are not free. The company has to pay for them, as well as the cost of the items that have been stolen.

I will agree that, yes, the bigger issue at hand is being ignored here, but not the one that Causey thinks. The issue at hand is not who the president is or whether or not needing security is racist, which it isn’t, but rather the issue is why we have allowed people to bring us to this point where things need to be locked up and why we make excuses or justify the actions of some over others. jsonline.com


Canada Continues to Battle Retail Crime

$5M Anti-Crime Initiative to Fight Robbery, Shoplifting & More
B.C. launches public safety program aimed at stopping non-violent street crime
British Columbia has launched a new public safety program aimed at reducing robbery, shoplifting, vandalism, property damage and other non-violent street crimes in high-traffic business areas.

Terry Yung, minister of state for community safety and integrated services, said the program is a "direct result" of feedback from police and the business community across the province.

"We heard loud and clear what they wanted," Yung told Friday's press conference in Vancouver. "Street-level crime such as theft, robbery (are) undermining businesses and making it sometimes untenable for them to be around."

Yung said the initiative will help police address repeat offenders, building on the work of the "highly successful" Specialized Investigation and Targeted Enforcement program, which is aimed at stopping those who commit violent crimes.

In Vancouver, he said the specialized investigation program contributed to a 27-per-cent decrease in violent crimes in the Hastings Crossing area of the Downtown Eastside and a 45-per-cent drop in violent assaults involving weapons in the Gastown neighbourhood.

The minister said the B.C. RCMP is administering the new Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement program and police departments across the province may apply for funding by submitting proposals for reducing non-violent street crime.

The province has allocated up to $5 million to launch the initiative, though Yung said the money is "a start." The B.C. government will continue to support policing while waiting for results from the program before deciding the next steps, he said. stalbertgazette.com

   RELATED: Business group 'cautiously optimistic' over $5M B.C. public safety program


PD ORC Unit Busts Nationwide Ulta Robbery Scheme
Nearly 200 Ulta Beauty stores got robbed. Two people were arrested in Boise
Boise police arrested two men from Texas on Wednesday who are suspected of being involved in at least 195 robberies at Ulta Beauty stores nationwide. Police estimated that over $100,000 in products was stolen.

The Boise Police Department’s Organized Retail Crime Unit was alerted to the presence in Idaho of the suspects after one allegedly stole things from an Ulta Retail store in Burley. Ulta Retail is part of the Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho, which comprises police departments and businesses that work together to stop organized retail crime.

The Ulta store in Burley provided the Boise Police Department with information about the suspect’s appearance and vehicle. Police estimated the travel time from Burley and waited at the Ulta Beauty store on Milwaukee Street in case the suspect headed there.

“These arrests highlight the outstanding work being done by our Organized Retail Crime Unit,” Detective Marshall Plaisted said in a news release. “Their proactive approach, collaboration with retailers, and swift action not only led to the arrest of a suspect connected to over 195 thefts nationwide, but also helped protect Idaho businesses from ongoing significant financial losses.”   idahostatesman.com


Big news for Shreveport: Major crime categories are way down

Corpus Christi's rate of violent crime is high. What's the story?
 

 
The 2025 Most Valuable Apparel, Luxury and Retail Brands

By Tony D'Onofrio - President, Sensormatic

The new Kantar BrandZ leadership branding report has arrived and it is time to summarize my favorite content and categories. The 20th edition of this research finds that since 2006, over $9.3 trillion has been added to the Global Top 100, now valued at $10.7 trillion.

Brands from the United States, "now comprise 82% of the total value of the Global Top 100, up from 63% in 2006, but a rise among Chinese brands and volatility caused by escalating tariffs could threaten this order. Chinese brands have doubled their value over the past 20 years, now accounting for 6% of the overall value of the Global Top 100. These shifts have come at the expense of European brands, which for now account for only 7% of the Global Top 100 (down from 26% in 2006)."

"Even through economic crises, the world’s most valuable brands have consistently outperformed the S&P 500 and MSCI World Index over 20 years. This is irrefutable proof of marketing’s value. A brand is a company’s most valuable asset, and the last thing businesses should be doing in response to market shocks is cutting marketing investment."

"Brands that disrupted their category or reinvented themselves have accounted for almost three-quarters (71%) of the incremental $9.3 trillion of value created in the Global Top 100 since 2006. In 2025 this includes Stripe and Chipotle, which have entered the ranking for the first time (in 85th and 86th place) and Aldi, which has been in the Global Top 100 for 15 of the past 20 years, and is currently ranked 94th."

This article focuses on the global branding leaders in apparel, luxury and retail. All content is from the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Report including ideas on avoiding brand failures, insights to branding leadership, and a peek at AI future impact.

   Click here to read Tony's full article


$300M Tariff Drag for Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. braces for as much as $300M in tariff-related costs

As import levies threaten the apparel retailer’s momentum, including a potential $150 million hit to margins, executives said pricing won’t change.

Tariffs could add $250 million to $300 million to Gap Inc.’s gross incremental cost this year, ultimately siphoning $100 million to $150 million from fiscal year operating income after mitigation efforts, the company warned Thursday.

The levies threaten the momentum at the retailer, whose Old Navy and namesake brands posted further year-on-year sales and market share gains in Q1. Old Navy net sales rose 3% to $2 billion, with comps up 3%. Gap net sales rose 5% to $724 million, with comps up 5%.

U.S. trade policy is doing Gap Inc. no favors, though for now the apparel conglomerate’s brands won’t adjust their pricing policies, executives told analysts Thursday.

Uncertainty prevails. A federal court this week blocked several Trump administration tariffs imposed under emergency declarations, then they were at least temporarily restored Thursday when an appeals court stayed that injunction. The added challenge comes amid progress around pricing at Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic, with greater pricing power at Gap and “strong sell through at full price” at Zac Posen’s GapStudio, according to CEO Richard Dickson.  retaildive.com


It's All About the Employees
Retail: Why you Should Include Your Employees in Your Marketing
As online purchases increased and face-to-face consumer engagement with staff reduced, more and more retail brands leaned into communications that reflected this new reality. They focused on purpose, product superiority, promotion and emotional benefit.

The result? Employee-centric communications were relegated to the scrap heap of advertising.

But now, there has been a renaissance. Brands like Curry’s, Kwik Fit and Bensons for Beds have realised that for their best chance of differentiation, they should return to the truth of what made their image successful in the first place – their employees.

To build on this shift, here’s why more retailers should follow their lead.

1. Empowering employees.
2. Promoting a positive work culture.
3. Showcasing expertise.
4. Humanising the brand.
5. Creating authenticity.
6. Creating emotional connections.
7. Building a community feel.
8. Social media advocacy.  retailtouchpoints.com


Replicating Apple's Retail Strategy?
Meta is planning to expand physical stores and hire retail workers

It has plans to open physical stores and hire workers, which could mirror Apple's retail strategy.

Meta's retail ambitions come as it seeks to boost sales of hardware products like its smart glasses.
Meta has been working on plans to open physical stores and hire retail workers, Business Insider has learned.

Meta has only one physical retail space, Meta Store, which it opened on its campus in Burlingame, California, in 2022. The store lets shoppers test out some of its hardware products, including its Meta Quest VR headsets and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, much like its rival Apple, which has more than 500 retail stores globally.

It's unclear how many stores Meta might open or on what timeline, but it experimented with the idea last year by opening a pop-up store, Meta Lab, to sell its smart glasses in Los Angeles. businessinsider.com


Poll: The Next Class of Safety Professionals

Some Retail Workers Are Worried About Switch 2 Packaging
 

By Rhett Asher - Senior VP, Partnership Development - ALTO USA

In retail asset protection, there’s a pivotal moment that often defines the outcome of a safety incident: apprehension. For many retailers, that moment represents a hard-earned win, the result of thorough investigation, reporting, and courageous action by store and AP teams. But what happens next?

Too often, the answer is: not enough.

We hear it firsthand. From frontline staff who encounter the same individuals repeatedly. From asset protection leaders who invest in building cases, only to see them stall in the courtroom backlog, to prosecutors overwhelmed by caseloads and forced to triage justice. These stories reflect a larger, systemic problem: a lack of legal follow-through after an arrest.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about acknowledging a structural reality. Our criminal justice system is burdened and fragmented, and often lacks the connective tissue necessary to sustain consequences for habitual retail offenders. And yet, the need has never been greater.

According to Auror’s latest US Retail Crime Report, in the U.S., 10% of offenders cause 68% of total reported event value. These are not opportunists; they’re repeat offenders who return to stores knowing there’s little follow-through to stop them. In fact, between 2023 and 2024, ALTO found that 50% of its total supported retail crime cases involved a repeat offender. This is a cross-store, cross-community problem, and it demands a coordinated solution.

Retailers can’t solve this alone. Neither can law enforcement, nor prosecutors. What’s needed is greater alignment; a collaborative, persistent model that bridges the gap between incident and accountability. This means better communication, shared data, clear escalation pathways, and legal support that doesn’t end at the point of arrest.

At ALTO, we’ve seen that when these pieces come together, outcomes change. Cases move forward. Offenders are held accountable. Store teams feel safer. And community trust begins to rebuild.

But this isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. And progress requires infrastructure: consistent processes, informed advocates, and a mindset shift that moves beyond individual wins toward systemic change.

Let’s stop asking why the cycle continues, and start working together on how to stop it. Retailers, businesses, prosecutors, police departments, solution providers, and local communities all have a role. When we commit to follow-through, we don’t just protect stores; we help restore public safety and dignity in spaces where people work and shop every day.

The apprehension of a repeat offender shouldn’t be the finish line. It should be the turning point.

Will Tariffs Help Prime Day Sales?
Tariffs are likely to drive Prime Day purchases

Consumers are looking to stock up on essentials and other goods as fears of tariff-driven price increases loom, according to a recent Tinuiti survey.

Over half of consumers shopping this year’s Prime Day intend to stock up on everyday essentials, while 45% said they’re looking to buy products they think will get more expensive later in the year due to tariffs, according to a new report from Tinuiti.

About one-third of consumers said tariffs are also causing them to seek out deeper discounts before making a purchase, with the majority of survey respondents saying products need to be discounted at least 20% in order to be considered a good deal.

Shoppers will turn to social media to learn about Prime Day deals, with 47% turning to Facebook, YouTube (41%), Instagram (39%) and TikTok (28%).

Consumers are looking to save money on goods at a time when several retailers have announced tariff-induced price hikes.

Shoppers are looking to make early purchases not knowing where tariffs are headed, according to the survey of over 1,000 Amazon Prime members conducted earlier this month. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they made purchases earlier in the year due to that uncertainty. retaildive.com
 

71% of Shoppers Want AI-Driven Shopping
AI takes over eCommerce tasks as Visa and Mastercard adapt
Visa and Mastercard have announced major AI initiatives that could reshape the future of e-commerce, marking a significant step in the evolution of retail technology.

The initiatives—Visa’s Intelligent Commerce and Mastercard’s Agent Pay—move beyond traditional recommendation engines to empower AI agents to make purchases directly on behalf of consumers.

Visa is partnering with leading tech firms, including Anthropic, IBM, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Stripe, to build a system where AI agents shop according to user preferences.

Meanwhile, Mastercard’s Agent Pay integrates payment functionality into AI-driven conversational platforms, blending commerce and conversation into a seamless user experience.

These announcements follow years of AI integration into retail, with adoption growing at 40% annually and the market projected to surpass $8 billion by 2024. Retailers initially used AI for backend optimisation, but nearly 87% now apply it in customer-facing roles. dig.watch


Parcel handling gets a makeover in the e-commerce era

Featured Job Spotlights
 

Staffing 'Best in Class' Teams Every one has a role to play in building an industry. Filled your job? Any good candidates left over? Help Your Colleagues - Your Industry - Build a 'Best in Class' Community
	Manager Field Loss Prevention - Arizona (Remote) Remote - Posted May 23 The Loss Prevention team is a key strategic pillar within Staples US Retail organization and our people are the heart of our success. We believe in collaboration, curiosity and continuous learning in all that we think, create and do. We are investing in our people and our stores, empowering our people to learn, grow and deliver. Come be a part of a team that's leading the way in a new era of working and living...
	Region Asset Protection Manager Jackson, MI - Posted April 17 The Region Asset Protection Manager will be the primary subject matter expert in regard to the training, auditing, and investigatory needs of Dollar General. Their key efforts are to reduce shrinkage and increase profitability through proactive training mediums, standardized audits and the resolution of internal and external investigations...
	Manager, Regional Loss Prevention Birmingham, AL / Nashville, TN - Posted March 7 This position is responsible for managing all aspects of loss prevention for a geographic area to reduce and control shortage and other financial losses in 124+ company stores. The coverage areas average $850+ million in sales revenue...

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