D&D Daily Mobile Edition

The D&D Daily Mobile Edition
LP, AP & Cybersecurity's #1 News Source

5/16/25

D-Ddaily.net

Inventory challenges are complex, affecting every part of your operations - from shrink and fraud to efficiency and customer satisfaction. Shrink isn’t always obvious; it hides in small, overlooked spots where traditional systems miss it. That’s why you need visibility into every aspect of your business to fully grasp and tackle your losses. Our suite of inventory modules - Physical Inventory, Inventory Adjustments, Expiring Inventory, and RFID - gives you that visibility, transforming scattered data into clear, actionable insights.

What you’ll learn:

Spotting Shrink Through Inventory Adjustments: Gain firsthand insights from Karen Walls, Manager of Asset Protection at DSW, as she discusses how the Inventory Adjustments Module has been instrumental in identifying patterns of shrink, uncovering internal fraud, and streamlining inventory accuracy.

Optimizing Inventory Accuracy: Discover how the Physical Inventory Module consolidates data for improved accuracy and provides a strong foundation for all inventory reporting, ensuring a consistent and accurate investigation.

Managing Expiring Inventory Proactively: Learn how the Expiring Inventory Module provides visibility into at-risk inventory, helping businesses reduce waste and maximize profitability. For retailers, learn how tracking trend-specific or season-specific stock can help determine and prevent loss associated with these cycles.

Embracing RFID for Future-Ready Inventory Management: Explore the capabilities of the RFID Module in providing precise tracking of product movements, monitoring shrink trends, and enhancing operational efficiency. Understand how Agilence is prepared to support RFID data integration as adoption grows, positioning your organization at the forefront of inventory innovation.

Keneavy Krenzin, Vice President of Product Management, will explore how Agilence’s inventory modules work together to create a unified view of inventory activity, using real-world examples to illustrate their combined impact.

The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

Supermarket Chain Blames ORC for Price Hikes, Urges Federal Action
Organized retail crime causing increased grocery prices at Boston Stop & Shops
Confronted with “more economic challenges than ever before,” Stop & Shop is calling on Congress to pass legislation to stop organized retail crime, an issue it says is causing prices to climb.

The Quincy-based regional supermarket chain says brick-and-mortar retailers in Boston and elsewhere in the Bay State are “struggling with the vast impact of organized retail crime,” and action is needed to prevent it.

President Roger Wheeler has revealed the issue in a letter sent to members of the Massachusetts delegation in response to an inquiry about potential price gouging at Stop & Shop’s urban store locations.

“Retail theft is a major concern for retailers like us, and we need legislators to act swiftly by advancing legislation … to help protect our customers and associates,” Wheeler said in the letter, sent on Wednesday. “Our business’s ability to continue to invest in our stores, our customers, and our communities relies on Congressional action to stop organized retail crime.”

Wheeler highlighted the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, reintroduced last month, that would look to “crack down on flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes.”

The legislation, reintroduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), would specifically establish an organized retail and supply chain crime coordination center within the Department of Homeland Security. bostonherald.com

Stronger Retail Crime Enforcement Needed in the UK
Government acts as UK retail crime escalates

Despite the new legislation, industry leaders highlight the necessity for stronger enforcement and greater support for those affected.

Retail crime in the UK has reached unprecedented levels, with incidents of theft and violence against shop staff surging in the past year. In response, the government has introduced new legislation aimed at curbing the growing crisis.

In response to the escalating retail crime crisis, the UK government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill 2025. Key measures include the creation of a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, carrying a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

The bill also repeals Section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, which previously allowed shoplifting of goods valued under £200 to be treated as a summary offence. This change ensures that all shop thefts are treated with the seriousness they deserve, with potential custodial sentences of up to seven years.

Retail industry bodies, including the BRC, have welcomed the proposed legislation but stress the need for effective implementation and enforcement. They advocate for increased police presence and better support for retail workers to combat the growing threat of retail crime. retail-insight-network.com

Friction Between PDs and CA City Leaders Over Retail Crime
California police department defends retail crime crackdown, bashes cities that don’t punish thieves
Police in a Southern California city used the Mother’s Day arrest of a shoplifter to highlight its own tough stance on theft, while also commenting on lax attitudes toward retail crime in the Golden State.

Seal Beach police posted an Instagram photo of a theft suspect nabbed on suspicion of stealing flowers, and penned a lengthy caption saying its harsher approach to shoplifting differs from other California cities where the crime is “so normalized that it’s barely reported, let alone prosecuted.”

“We decided that allowing criminals to steal without consequence wasn’t just bad policy—it was a betrayal of the residents and businesses we swore to protect,” Seal Beach police wrote Monday on social media. “That’s why, unlike in some counties, when you commit theft in Seal Beach, you don’t get a ticket or a warning. **You go to jail.**”

The police department, based in Orange County, said its “zero tolerance” policy was inspired by the brazen retail theft seen throughout the state following the COVID-19 pandemic. California turned into a haven for rampant shoplifting after the coronavirus lockdowns wound down. washingtontimes.com

Robberies Up in Atlanta, Despite Overall Crime Drop
Atlanta crime overall continues declining. Community programs lead the change
Atlanta’s police chief and members of the department’s Criminal Investigations Division report crime has gone down in many categories. The department credits using a wide range of strategies for the improvement.

Homicide, vehicle theft, and shootings are all down compared to this time last year. Vehicle theft saw the largest decline, from 1,347 cases in May of 2024 to 790 this year.

There has been a slight rise in some crimes including robbery and sexual assault. APD reports 26 cases of rape compared to 21 this time last year and 202 robberies compared to 154 in 2024.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens recently proposed a 19% increase in police funding. APD reports some of the money will go toward expanding the C.A.R.E Unit, a civilian unit handling non-emergency calls. gpb.org

Thefts prompt Southern California grocery store to change bag policy
A Grocery Outlet store in Hemet is now requiring customers to leave their reusable shopping bags and personal bags with a cashier due to a rise in theft.

Mobile, AL 2024 Crime Report: Homicide numbers up; other violent crimes were low

New Dashboard Surfaces Allentown, Pa., Crime Data to Public

The Real Reason the Retail Apocalypse Never Arrived?
Has Physical Retail Endured the Worst of Its ‘E-Commerce Disruption Era,’ or Is More Uncertainty Ahead?
The Colliers report illuminated several key data points in favor of the argument of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail synergy, rather than the domination of the latter by the former:

E-commerce stability: Held steady at 16.4% of all retail sales in Q4 2024 — the same as in Q2 2020, and up from 6.6% in Q4 2014.
Retail space resilience: U.S. retail space vacancy rate was just 4.2% as of Q1 2025, and shopping center occupancy reached a decade-high peak.
Omnichannel fulfillment: 30% of online retail sales are supported by physical stores through curbside pickup, in-store pickup, and direct shipping from store inventory.

“Physical stores still account for the vast majority of core retail sales — 76.2% — and the pace of erosion is slowing as online growth stabilizes,” the Colliers study underscored.

By 2030, Colliers expects that omnichannel methods will fulfill more than a third (36.3%) of online orders. On the other side of the equation, physical retail stores will likely shoulder at least some of the responsibility for fielding returns related to online purchases. Data suggests that 77.1% of those polled by Colliers agreed or strongly agreed that they were reluctant to pay return fees for items bought online — a trend that is becoming more commonplace due to a variety of factors. retailwire.com

The Tariff Pressure Continues to Build
Tariff fallout takes hold as pressure builds on retailers and consumers
The Trump administration’s evolving tariff policies are starting to hit home—impacting both the psyche and behaviors of businesses and consumers.

Consumers are showing clear signs of concern. Forty-six percent of consumers worry about rising fashion and clothing prices due to tariffs, and over half say they’re willing to switch brands based on price, per a mid-April survey by Wunderkind.

Spending behavior is already shifting. Twenty-three percent of shoppers have started cutting back on nonessential purchases—even before most price increases have appeared on shelves. More ominously, 37% plan to reduce spending during the summer and holiday periods.

Small businesses are growing more pessimistic. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 1.6 points in April, the second straight month below its 51-year average. The share of owners expecting better business conditions dropped 6 points from March, the lowest since last October.

Business owners are bracing for headwinds. The net percentage expecting higher real sales volumes declined for the fourth consecutive month, down 4 points in April. The share planning to boost inventory investments fell 3 points to an 11-month low. emarketer.com

Not Just Walmart: Canada's Loblaw to Raise Prices Over Tariffs
Loblaw CEO warns of “large wave” of tariff-related increases
While the tariff situation might be improving between the U.S. and other countries, that’s not yet the case here in Canada. In fact, we’ll be facing a large wave of tariff-related increases in the weeks ahead, warns Per Bank, CEO & President, Loblaw Companies Limited.

“Our customers might have seen a “T” symbol on our shelf labels, which indicated that a product has been impacted by tariffs. So far, we’ve been able to limit the number of T symbols on our shelves to a little over 1,000 items. But our inventory is running out, and in the next week or two, the number of products with a T symbol will surge to over 3,000. Within the next two months, that number could peak at over 6,000,” wrote Bank in a LinkedIn post.

“On average, our store portfolio combined carry roughly 80,000 items. So while the majority of products will be unaffected, customers will start to see more impacts in non-produce categories like natural foods, pantry staples, health & beauty products, and more.

“It’s been good to see Prime Minister Carney and other leaders engaging in dialogue with U.S. officials, as we’re all hoping for a rapid de-escalation of this situation. We were also pleased to see the change in policy, where only finished food products from the U.S. are subject to tariffs." retail-insider.com

Is Guidance Irrelevant Amid Tariff Uncertainty?

Target launching 10,000 new products between now and August

Dollar Tree opens 9,000th store

Wayfair to expand retail footprint with third large-format store

All the News - One Place - One Source - One Time

Thanks to our sponsors/partners - Take the time to thank them as well please. If it wasn't for them The Daily wouldn't be here every day for you.

Click here to learn more

Cyber Risk Should Be a Top Focus for Retailers
'Retailers don’t always take cybersecurity risk as seriously as they take other forms of risk'

Retail Risk is Serious Business – and it’s Time we Acted Like it
From a risk and compliance perspective, defense, finance, tech, and healthcare are generally thought of as the “riskiest” industries — but the retail sector is more vulnerable than it might appear. Organized retail crime (ORC), fraud rings, evolving regulations and other challenges all have the potential to cause significant disruption in the retail sector, and most retailers have invested considerable time and resources to mitigate them. Unfortunately, today’s retailers need to recognize that the industry has become a prime target not just for regular criminals but for cybercriminals, too.

Retailers don’t always take cybersecurity risk as seriously as they take other forms of risk. Business leaders don’t always want to approve the budget needed for another cybersecurity solution they don’t really understand, and they may not want to implement new security procedures that create unnecessary friction or don’t help sell widgets.

That’s a mistake — one that risks leaving the retail industry perilously exposed. But no store would tolerate that level of exposure with its credit card readers — or worse, with its food safety protocols. The reality is that cyber risk is just as serious as financial risk, food safety risk and other dangers — and it’s time we started acting like it.

It’s Time to Treat Cyber Risk Like Food Safety Risk

No retailer would ignore the threat of credit card skimmers or food safety risks — but many fail to treat security and compliance risks with the same level of import. Unfortunately, poor risk management practices can be just as damaging as ORC, fraud rings or food safety violations — if not more so.

Cybercriminals increasingly recognize that retailers don’t protect their digital environments with the same level of care as financial institutions, healthcare organizations and other traditional targets — despite having mountains of data that are every bit as valuable. With the financial impact of security incidents becoming more severe with each passing year, the time for retailers to act is now.

Strong risk management isn’t optional for retailers anymore — in today’s threat environment, it’s important to know where your vulnerabilities lie in order to make truly risk-informed business decisions. By managing risk and compliance in a holistic manner, retailers can safeguard their digital environments and avoid becoming easy prey for attackers seeking a quick score. retailtouchpoints.com

Another Retail Cyberattack
Luxury fashion giant Dior latest high-profile retailer to be hit by cyber attack as customer data accessed
Luxury French fashion brand Dior is the latest high-profile retail firm to be hit by a cyber attack - with customer data accessed as a result, the company has confirmed.

The scale of the breach remains unclear, but a message about the breach has been posted on the firm's South Korean website, and there have also been reports of customers in China being notified of the incident.

In a statement, Dior said no financial information was impacted as part of the breach, and it was in the process of informing affected customers "where necessary".

The incident comes in the wake of a number of UK retailers, including Marks and Spencer and Co-op, being hit by hackers.

On Wednesday, NatWest revealed it was subject to 100 million cyber attacks each month, as cyber crime continues to skyrocket.

According to the message posted to Dior's Korean website, the company discovered the breach on May 7, and that "contact information, purchase data, and preference data" is among the information compromised by the hackers. No groups or individuals have yet claimed responsibility for the attack. lbc.co.uk

Science-Driven Approach to Cybersecurity
Building cybersecurity culture in science-driven organizations
In this Help Net Security interview, Anne Sofie Roed Rasmussen, CISO at Novonesis, discusses how a science-driven organization approaches cybersecurity, aligning innovation with protection, measuring cultural progress, managing shadow IT, and earning trust from scientific leaders.

How do you measure progress when it comes to building a cybersecurity culture in a science-driven organization?

Science, exploration, and innovation are at the heart of our organizational DNA. However, no one is immune to making mistakes—anyone, regardless of their role, can fall victim to a phishing attack or other forms of social engineering. To measure progress in building a cybersecurity culture, we focus on both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

On the quantitative side, we track phishing simulation success rates, incident response times, and the number of reported security concerns. On the qualitative side, we assess changes in mindset through employee feedback, engagement during training sessions, and participation in cybersecurity discussions. Progress is evident when security stops being seen as an external burden and becomes embedded in daily routines—when people instinctively ask, “Is this secure?” as part of their decision-making process.

Ultimately, it’s about creating an environment where security isn’t just a responsibility for the IT team but a shared value embraced by everyone across the organization. helpnetsecurity.com

Russia-linked hackers target webmail servers in Ukraine-related espionage operation

Coinbase suffers data breach, gets extorted (but won’t pay)

Amazon Warehouse Safety Still Under a Microscope
Amazon claims warehouses are getting safer. Critics say progress is too slow
Injury rates in Amazon warehouses fell in 2024 for the third year in a row, but a coalition of labor unions that tracks the data said Amazon isn’t making improvements fast enough.

In 2020, founder and then-CEO Jeff Bezos said the company was committed to become “Earth’s safest place to work.” Injury rates had spiked in 2019, reaching as high as 8.7 incidents per 100 workers, according to Amazon.

The rate fell in 2020 but jumped up again in 2021. Since then, by Amazon’s count, rates have fallen each year. The Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of labor unions that tracks Amazon injury data, reported the same trend.

Where Amazon and SOC differ is in how they analyze the data that Amazon submits to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Amazon reports two metrics: its recordable incident rate in the U.S., which include work-related injuries that require more than basic first-aid treatment, and its lost-time incident rate, which includes work-related injuries that require time away from work. In 2024, Amazon’s recordable incident rate was six per 100 workers while its lost-time incident rate was 1.2 per 100 workers.

To measure serious injuries, the SOC combines those metrics for its rate and in a report released Thursday found that the serious injury rate among warehouse workers last year was 6 per 100 workers compared to about 6.5 per 100 in 2023.

Amazon in its latest safety performance report, released in March, attributed its decline to billions invested in safety efforts since 2019. Amazon said warehouses were inspected and retrofitted with adjustable workstations to help with common injuries like musculoskeletal disorder, which come from repetitive and strained movements. seattletimes.com

Amazon cuts more jobs: 'As part of our ongoing work to make our teams ...,' says
Amazon has reportedly fired 100 employees within its Devices and Services division. According to a report by Reuters, the company said the jobs represented a small number of the total for the unit and were part of its regular business review. The Devices and Services unit is responsible for developing popular hardware products such as the Echo smart speakers, Fire TV devices, and Ring security systems. To recall, Amazon also laid off some employees from Alexa-related jobs in 2023.

Amazon layoffs: What the company said

In a statement given to Reuters, Amazon spokesperson said, “As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our product roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles.”

While the full scope of the layoffs remains unclear, reports indicate that a variety of teams within the Devices and Services unit have been affected. This suggests a broad restructuring effort rather than targeting a specific product line. timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Walmart US eCommerce Sales Jump 21%

Amazon speaks: Brownsville getting a delivery station

Paterson, NJ: Paterson police looking for 4 men wanted in connection with jewelry store robbery
Police are looking for four men who are wanted in connection with a smash and grab robbery at a jewelry store in Paterson, New Jersey on Wednesday. Police say four men entered Bilal's Jewelry store on Main Street around 12:30 p.m. and used a crowbar to break the jewelry display case. An undetermined amount of jewelry was stolen, police said. The incident was captured on surveillance video showing the suspects ransack the store while an employee was inside. No one was injured. abc7ny.com

Boston, MA: Police seek help identifying suspects in theft of $20K in sunglasses from Sunglass Hut
Police are turning to the public for help identifying a group of suspected thieves who allegedly swiped nearly $20,000 worth of sunglasses from a store in Boston on Wednesday. Officers responding to a report of a robbery at Sunglass Hut at 335 Newbury Street around 12:45 p.m. learned that 41 pairs of sunglasses valued at $19,750 had been stolen from the store, according to the Boston Police Department. boston25news.com

Cheyenne, WY: Woman Charged With Felony Shoplifting
A 27-year-old Cheyenne woman is facing a felony charge after allegedly shoplifting more than $1,000 in merchandise. According to a booking sheet, on Friday, May 9, Leigha Ashley-Vel Stewart was transported to the Laramie County Detention Center on a warrant for one count of felony theft, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison, up to a $10,000 fine, or both. kgab.com

Estero, FL: 3 women arrested after being accused of stealing from Ulta store in Estero
Three women were arrested after being accused of stealing from an Estero Ulta store on Saturday. According to Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, on May 10, around 1:47 pm, three women entered the Ulta Beauty store at Coconut Point and took $986 worth of items without paying. After receiving tips through Crime Stoppers, all three women have been identified, located and face charges. gulfcoastnewsnow.com

Palm Beach Gardens, FL: Miami man nabbed for $2000 Gucci belt heist with baby at The Gardens Mall

View ORC Archives

Case Goes Public?
Share it with the industry

Submit your ORC Association News

Visit ORC
Resource Center

Shootings & Deaths

Aurora, CO: Three shot, one killed in Aurora strip-mall shooting
Police are looking for suspects after three people were shot, one fatally, while in a west Aurora strip-mall parking lot Wednesday night. Police were called to the parking lot of 1155 S. Havana St. at about 8:30 p.m. after reports of a shooting there. “One man was found in the parking lot and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” Aurora police spokesperson Agent Matt Longshore said in a statement. Another man suffering life-threatening injuries from gunshot wounds was taken to a nearby hospital . “A short time later, officers located a woman who had arrived at the hospital by private vehicle with a gunshot wound,” police said. “She remains hospitalized with serious injuries.” Police said an initial investigation revealed that at least one of the victims knew a suspected shooter. sentinelcolorado.com

Metairie, LA: JPSO investigates shooting on Veterans by Lakeside Mall
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office says a shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. JPSO confirmed that a man showed up at a nearby hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound on Veterans Memorial Boulevard just outside Lakeside Mall Deputies have not released information as to how the shooting started or if they identified any suspects in the case. A few blocks away on 26th Street and Athania Parkway, about a dozen deputies surrounded a scene at an office building parking lot. Investigators were looking into a black Hyundai Elantra that had a bullet hole in it. fox8live.com

Los Angeles, CA: Dispensary Security Guard opens fire at suspected burglars
A security guard working at a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary opened fire on suspected burglars early Thursday morning, authorities confirmed. The attempted burglary was reported around 4:20 a.m. at the ERBA Markets location at the 12000 block of W Pico Blvd, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. There, police said three or four male Hispanic suspects wearing masks attempted to break into the store with crowbars. At that point, a security guard used a firearm to shoot at the suspects. No one was struck by the gunfire, police said. The suspects fled the scene and remain at large. ktla.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Grand Island, NE: Walmart worker accused of stealing over $30K from store
A Grand Island man is facing a felony charge in Hall County Court after being accused of stealing money from his employer, Walmart. Ivan Maceo-Alvarez, 61, is charged with felony theft by unlawful taking of more than $5,000. The charge stems from a report filed by a Walmart loss prevention employee, who told Grand Island Police that Maceo-Alvarez had stolen more than $28,000 between March 11 and April 25. According to court documents, surveillance footage reviewed by police shows Maceo-Alvarez taking cash—sometimes several thousand dollars at a time. An affidavit states a total of $30,821 was stolen across nine separate incidents. An officer attempted to speak with Maceo-Alvarez, but he refused and was subsequently arrested. ksnblocal4.com

Sparks, NV: California woman arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Scheels

Queens, NY: 72-year-old employee pistol-whipped during armed robbery at deli

Houston, TX: Police looking for suspects after jaws of life used to rob Kingwood ATM

Shreveport, LA: Two men indicted by federal grand jury for store robberies

Feature Your Job Here For 30 Days -
70% Aren't On The Boards
Post your job listing

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

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...

Featured Jobs

To apply to any of today's Featured Jobs, Click Here

View Featured Jobs | Post Your Job

Energy is the primary force behind success and without it mediocrity or failure is almost guaranteed. The ability to move things forward and influence change requires energy and there's a direct correlation to the amount of it and to the degree of success. It's great to start off energized and gung ho about a project or initiative, but it's critical to maintain the energy thru to completion. As one senior executive has said, "there's no bad plan -- it's always a matter of execution" and execution is all about energy. So when you think you've lost your energy, take a break, do something different, and give your mind a chance to re-energize. Because the worst thing you can do is to try to execute without it.

Just a Thought,
Gus

Post Your Tip or Advice!
(content subject to approval)

NRF PROTECT 2025
June 23-25

GROC Retail Crime Conference
August 13

CLEAR Annual Conference
October 20-22

See More Events

Recruiting?
Get your job e-mailed to everyone... everyday
Post on our Featured Jobs Board!

Not getting the Daily?
Is it ending up in your spam folder?
Please make sure to add d-ddaily@downing-downing.com to your contact list, address book, trusted sender list, and/or company whitelist to ensure you receive our newsletter.
Want to know how? Read Here

SUBSCRIBE

FEEDBACK

www.downing-downing.com

Advertise With The D&D Daily