Retailers across the nation are revolutionizing the checkout experience using Zebra Technologies’ advanced AI-powered self-checkout solutions. These innovations are not only accelerating the checkout process but also significantly reducing theft and shrinkage. By implementing Zebra’s real-time computer vision and smart kiosks, retailers have seen a marked improvement in both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Zebra’s integrated systems provide retailers with real-time anomaly detection, reduced scan errors, and enhanced staff efficiency, ensuring a seamless experience for both shoppers and store associates.

Visit Zebra at NRF Protect for an Exclusive Demo!
 

Home Depot Raid One of Several that Triggered LA Unrest
Day laborers recount ICE raid outside Los Angeles Home Depot

Workers who witnessed the raid say officers arbitrarily grabbed and detained migrants. The immigration sweep was one of several that sparked a wave of unrest.

LOS ANGELES — Angel knew from the moment he raised his hand with a whistle and shouted “Labor!” at a white van pulling into the Home Depot parking lot full of workers last Friday that something felt wrong. His creeping suspicion exploded into full-blown fear just as the doors of the van opened and masked agents began pouring out.

“La migra!” Angel and another day laborer yelled. More than 100 men and women standing in the parking lot began to run. Six migrants who said they were present recounted how federal immigration authorities began handcuffing anyone they could grab in one of several raids in the city that would spark a wave of unrest and leave immigrant workers of all stripes jolted.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation was one of several Friday in Los Angeles that drew widespread criticism from elected leaders and community activists in a city that is home to one of the largest undocumented immigrant communities in the country. As word spread, protesters hit the streets to confront the officers and denounce their actions as a broad attack against immigrant families. The indignation continued into Sunday as officers fired tear gas at demonstrators outside a downtown building where some National Guard troops mobilized by President Donald Trump had been stationed.

The hardware store parking lot was empty for the first 24 hours after the raid. The immigration sweep spooked many day laborers who said they could not recall another enforcement action in which people had been detained so seemingly arbitrarily. But by Sunday, they began to return. Their numbers were far fewer but, they said, they showed up because they had to. There were too many bills to pay and mouths to feed not to work.  washingtonpost.com


LA Fashion District Another Target of ICE Raids
Timeline and Maps of the L.A. Immigration Protests and the Federal Response
Helmeted police in riot gear turned out on Friday evening in a tense confrontation with protesters in downtown Los Angeles, after a day of federal immigration raids in which dozens of people across the city were reported to be taken into custody.

Around 3 p.m. Pacific, a crowd of dozens gathered in the Fashion District near downtown Los Angeles after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents appeared at an apparel manufacturer there. Dozens of federal agents arrived in riot gear to disperse the crowd and clear a path for two white passenger vans leaving the area. The operation was one of three immigration raids on Friday in Los Angeles.

Later in the afternoon, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Federal Building, calling for an end to immigration raids in the city.

Early in the standoff, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired "flash-bang" concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests.

Clashes in Los Angeles between federal agents and people protesting immigration raids continued into its third day on Sunday. Around 300 National Guard members are in the city after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 troops, a move sharply criticized as inflammatory by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. About 500 Marines are also ready to deploy. nytimes.com nbcnews.com


Anti-ICE protests, unrest emerge coast to coast

Newsom Seeks Control Of National Guard From Trump; LAPD Puts City On Tactical Alert Over ICE Protests

Trump Jumps at the Chance for a Standoff in California Over Immigration
 

Why The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is 'Pivotal'
Could Federal Legislation Be the Final Piece in the Fight Against ORC?

By the D&D Daily staff

As organized retail crime continues to surge across the United States, many retailers and law enforcement officials are pointing to one potential solution that has yet to be fully implemented: comprehensive federal legislation.

While states have ramped up their efforts in recent years—passing dozens of ORC-specific laws and creating regional task forces—retailers argue that state-by-state enforcement has led to uneven results and jurisdictional gaps. Criminal networks that operate across multiple states can exploit these inconsistencies, making it difficult for local agencies to track, arrest and prosecute offenders effectively.

Enter the Combating Organized Retail Crime (CORC) Act, a bipartisan bill reintroduced in Congress that aims to centralize the fight. The legislation would establish a coordinated federal response through a new Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center, led by the Department of Homeland Security. The center would facilitate intelligence sharing across federal, state and local agencies, as well as with private-sector partners like retailers and shipping carriers.

Industry groups such as the National Retail Federation and Retail Industry Leaders Association have long pushed for such a federal framework, arguing that sophisticated criminal enterprises often rely on digital marketplaces, third-party sellers and interstate logistics systems that transcend local enforcement capabilities.

"Retail crime is no longer limited to a single store or city—it’s a national problem that requires a national solution," said one retail loss prevention executive familiar with the legislation.

The proposed law also includes provisions to elevate certain offenses—such as large-scale gift card fraud or interstate fencing operations—to federal crimes, making it easier for prosecutors to bring stronger charges. Advocates say this would not only improve deterrence but also streamline investigations across jurisdictions.

With shoplifting losses reaching an estimated $112 billion nationwide in 2023, and public pressure mounting following high-profile smash-and-grab incidents, support for a federal role is gaining traction. If passed, the CORC Act could represent a pivotal shift in how the country confronts the growing threat of organized retail crime.


Will More Retailers Pull Self-Checkout to Stop Theft?
Dollar General's self checkout gamble could spell the end of the machines for good
It may be the end of self-checkouts as we know it after Dollar General's tech gamble paid off. The retailer removed self-checkouts from 12,000 stores nationwide in 2024 - leaving them in only a handful of locations.

The company said at the time that it made the move in order to cut rising 'shrink', the retail term for theft. The value store had seen shoplifting soar since installing the tech. Now it seems removing the machines is helping stop theft.

The company reported that lower shrink and higher inventory markup were major factors in boosting its income by 8 percent to $392 million in the first quarter of this year, Retail Dive reported.

Chief Financial Officer Kelly Dilts said improvement in shrink rates will be a tailwind throughout the year and that 'should be the gift that just keeps on giving.'

'The removal of self-checkout is sensible at Dollar General. The stores are pretty small and don't really need self-checkout,' Neil Saunders, retail expert at GlobalDatatold DailyMail.com.

Other chains may follow in its footsteps, he added, but he does not think it is likely they will disappear entirely from all stores. dailymail.co.uk


Facial Recognition: 'Powerful Tool for Catching Criminals'
New Orleans eyes expanding use of facial recognition software by NOPD

A powerful tool for catching criminals in New Orleans isn’t being used these days

But after the New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street and last month’s jailbreak by 10 Orleans Parish detainees, some civic and elected leaders say it's time the city loosened the reins on the Police Department's use of facial recognition technology.

With about 200 cameras geared for facial recognition in New Orleans, Project NOLA works with Louisiana State Police troopers, federal agents, and also sheriffs in nearby parishes. But Kirkpatrick stopped the alerts to NOPD officers on April 7 pending a review of the arrangement, and whether it complies with the city ordinance.

The move came as the Washington Post was reporting a story that found New Orleans police were among the first adopters of citywide “live” facial recognition, with suspects identified in real time.

“This tool could have been helpful in the expeditious recognition of the escaped inmates. Could have assisted with the terrorist attack,” said Thomas in a text message. “We have oversight and restrictions on this tool.”

The latest push to loosen the rules for NOPD, which remains under federal court oversight, drew public support last week from the NOLA Coalition, a group of more than 600 businesses and nonprofits that formed in 2022. It called Thursday on city officials to get behind “constitutional use of such advanced policing technology” and to give officers better access to it.  nola.com


Cincinnati sees uptick in violent crime in 2025

UK: Thousands of criminal cases collapsing due to missing or lost police evidence
 

More Tariff Price Hikes
Lululemon to raise prices as progress stalls in the US

As the retailer plans modest tariff-induced price hikes, CEO Calvin McDonald said U.S. shoppers are growing more “discerning” than those in Canada.

Lululemon is raising prices and prepping for a hit to gross margin as tariffs sweep the industry, executives said on a Thursday earnings call. CFO Meghan Frank said the price increases would be modest, strategic and apply to just a small portion of its assortment. They’ll go into effect in the second half of Q2 and into Q3.

Lululemon also said margins would decrease more than planned given the current 30% tariffs on China and 10% on remaining countries. Gross margin is expected to decline by 110 basis points this year, compared to previous guidance for a 60 basis-point decrease.

While Needham analyst Tom Nikic called Lululemon’s results “fairly lackluster,” he and others noted that the market’s reaction was outsized compared to the retailer’s actual performance, especially given that guidance cuts were the result of tariffs. retaildive.com

RELATED: What Are the Indirect Tariff Impacts on Off-Pricers?


Workforce Well-Being Still Top Priority for Employers
Employers to Maintain or Expand Well-Being Programs Despite Economy

“Employers continue to regard well-being as central to their workforce strategy," says Ellen Kelsay, CEO of Business Group on Health.

Soaring health care costs, an uncertain global economy and other world events won't disrupt employers who remain committed to investing in well-being for the coming year, according to Business Group on Health’s 2025 Employer Well-being Strategy Survey.

A strong majority, 93%, have reported plans to maintain or even expand well-being offerings for 2025, with 73% maintaining these programs and 20% increasing them.

While committed to this investment, nearly all employers, 94%, will raise expectations of well-being vendors to deliver improved outcomes. They will also turn to well-being dashboards, a tool that tracks and measures relevant data, to help evaluate vendors. ehstoday.com


Survey: Consumers pull forward purchases, plan to cut spending ahead of tariffs
Seven-in-10 (70%) consumers say that they will reduce overall spending once new tariffs on imported goods go into effect, according to a new survey from e-commerce platform ESW. Millennials top the list of those planning spending cutbacks, with 78% indicating a reduction. More than half (54%) of baby boomers say they plan to stop buying certain imported goods to avoid higher prices. chainstoreage.com


Torrid to close as many as 180 stores, 30% of its fleet

DFW Airport rolls out more facial recognition tech to cut wait times
 

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