Record Level RSVP NRF LP Council Meeting in NYC Jan. 16th - NRF VPLP Reports
The D&D Daily Recognizing 30 Plus Years of Steering the Industry Jan 16th
For over 30 years, this group of executives has volunteered their time and helped steer the direction and development of the LP industry.

Comprised of over 40 senior LP/AP retail executives, representing the full cross section of retailers, they formulate the educational path for the industry's largest conference each June at NRF Protect. By identifying and debating the industry's challenges, emerging technologies and emerging threats and risk, they bring together the industry's best and brightest from inside the industry and other disciplines to make sure they're planting the seeds of growth and responding to the threat and shrink landscape on a national level.

Focused on improving the knowledge, standing and influence of the retail senior level LP professional, their seven permanent committees work on industry core initiatives that develop, inspire, support, and reflect a strong, diverse LP community.

Over the last 30 years, this group of passionate and committed individuals have changed faces a number of times, but their mission has never altered. It's always been a strong and centered effort that's basically gone by unnoticed and never recognized on a national level. Nor has it ever been expected or even wanted for that matter.

But watching them from the press box, so to speak, over the last 30 years, their efforts have helped define this community and have helped develop literally thousands of individuals. More so than most even imagine, and that's the reason we at the Daily want to recognize them and call this out to the community. As each one of them deserves a thank you. For they have made a difference and will continue to. Just a thought, Gus Downing

To learn more about our Jan. 16th "Live in NYC" 2018 reception and party, where we'll be honoring the NRF LP Council, click here.

Read our series of articles on the NRF LP Council - directly from past and present council leaders and members - here.

Agilence Adds 36 Banners, Reaching 35,000 Deployed Locations in 2017
Agilence, Inc., the leader in cloud based data analytics for store performance and loss prevention, today announced continued growth driven by product enhancements and robust sales of its 20/20 Data Analytics platform.

Along with user-centric improvements and added functionality to the core 20/20 platform, 2017 was marked by the release of two vertical-specific products: 20/20 Rx and 20/20 Grocery, as well as the rebranding of the restaurant-dedicated product, 20/20 Restaurant. These products were originally embedded within 20/20 Retail, but due to increased demand they were partitioned into their own specific products and engineered to provide more value to the unique industries they serve. In addition to the vertical-specific products, Agilence released new modules to enhance the core analytics platform: Inventory, Financial, and Direct Store Delivery; the latter of which is specifically for the grocery industry. agilenceinc.com

Turkey Hill Markets enhances security measures to improve safety for customers, employees
Credits LPRC For Keeping Up to Date with Solutions
As part of their ongoing commitment to providing an enjoyable shopping experience for customers and a safe work environment for associates, Turkey Hill Mini Markets has taken proactive steps to enhance security at their stores throughout Pennsylvania.

Recent measures include increased exterior lighting, changes in window signage to make store exteriors more visible from inside, ongoing security training for associates, and various behavioral and technology-based methods and tools to deter, prevent, and detect crime and illicit activity in and around stores.

"As members of the Loss Prevention Research Council, we receive continuous updates on advanced security solutions for our industry," said Matt Dorgan, Division Asset Protection Manager, Turkey Hill Minit Markets.

Dorgan added that, while the best approach is to prevent adverse events before they happen, Turkey Hill is well prepared when incidents occur.

"Obviously, we are limited in how much detail we can share," Dorgan said. "But as a result of these efforts, law enforcement has increased apprehensions and we've been able to collect information that folds right back into more-effective prevention. Our primary focus is on doing everything we can to create safe, convenient environments that the individuals and families we serve can count on 24/7 for the fuel, food and beverage items, and other merchandise they need." berksmontnews.com

2018 Salary Forecast: Smaller Real Wage Increases in the U.S. and Globally
December forecast by the Hay Group division of consultancy Korn Ferry reveals that, adjusted for inflation, employees in North America and around the world are expected to see a smaller rise in their take-home pay in 2018, and pay consultants warn this may lead to lower engagement and productivity.

In the United States, an average 3 percent pay increase is predicted by Korn Ferry, the same as for 2017. Adjusted for the expected 2 percent inflation rate in 2018, however, the real wage increase is 1 percent-down from last year's 1.9 percent. shrm.org

Workplace Legal Trends for 2018
Legal protections for employees are likely to expand at the state level in 2018 but shrink under federal law, employment law attorneys say.

At the state level, more sexual harassment training laws and pay equity legislation may be passed, as well as laws legalizing marijuana use and requiring paid leave.

Continued High Number of Retaliation Claims Even if a discrimination or harassment claim fails, a retaliation claim may prevail, he noted. All that is needed to win such a claim is to show protected activity, an adverse employment action and a causal connection between the two.

Sexual Harassment Training Employers should take a look at their sexual harassment policies, complaint and investigation procedures, and training programs, attorneys said. "The impact from what's happening in Hollywood and in politics will trickle down, and we may see new harassment laws and more training mandates at the state level."

Marijuana Laws and Drug Testing Policies Multistate employers will likely face more state and local regulatory efforts in 2018 regarding marijuana use, Lomax predicted.

Furthermore, a tight labor market combined with the increasing number of jurisdictions that recognize medical or recreational marijuana are causing employers to rethink drug testing practices that have been in place for decades, he said.

"In 2018, we are likely to see a continued expansion of employee-friendly rulings in this area," Orr and Rizzi said. shrm.org

Retailer of the Future Will Look a Lot Like Wal-Azon
We're not there yet, but if you look at Amazon with a much bigger physical footprint and Walmart with a much greater digital footprint you'll get a glimpse of the mass retailer of the future. In the model that is emerging, digital matters but so do stores.

Walmart is a great example of an aggressive response by a retailer once it realized the urgency of the Amazon threat. The company's acquisition of Jet and the Jet team helped unlock the path forward. Now, Walmart offers in-store and curbside pickup points and continues to expand and refine them. It is tightly connecting its online property to store locations and offering many different options for customers. chainstoreage.com

On the rise: Same-hour pickup and same-day delivery
Retailers will develop new programs so that online and mobile customers shop from local inventories, tying it to a service that delivers to the doorstep. chainstoreage.com

Retail's "Normal Evolution"
Tough Year for Retail Coming to an End
Although the first set of sales figures for the holiday shopping season seem bright and full of cheer for retailers, 2017 has been the industry's toughest year yet.

The traditional brick and mortar retail industry enjoyed a strong end to a terrible year, but will it be enough to stave of the closing of stores that were close to the edge.

Most experts say no.

At a time when employers hired nearly 2 million workers and unemployment reached a 17-year low, retail was one of the biggest job losers - employment fell by 36,000 jobs. Only telecommunications lost more.

But those in the industry say this was not what others referred to as a "retail apocalypse." Instead, it's a normal evolution.

"There is always going to be winners and losers in an industry like this. It constantly in a state of flux," said Tom McGee, CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers, a trade group of mall owners. "The whole image of the demise of traditional retailing is overblown."

McGee points out that occupancy rates at the nation's malls remain at about 93%, and that the number of enclosed malls have remained stable, even though high-profile department store chains such as Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy's have closed some of their anchor locations."

But while it's true that store opening announcements are also up compared to 2016, according to Fung, those openings total only 3,433. That's just under half of the number of store closing announcements. And most of those opening plans were announced by Dollar Tree and Dollar General, two bargain brands.

As for the job losses, some of them are due to retailers using more automation, such as self-checkout lanes, as they struggle to control costs and find the workers they need in a time of low unemployment.

Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are shifting more jobs to their online operations, where the workers are counted as warehousing or logistics jobs rather than retail jobs, said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation.

"It's true that 2017 has been a challenging year. But things have picked up," he said. fox13now.com
stocknewstimes.com

The Great Recession of 2008 Brought About the Canadian Push
Now: 'U.S. retailers in dire need of growth look to the China market'
In 2017, a growing number of Western retailers decided to go where they can grow. Toys "R" Us, Starbucks and now Walgreens are among retailers expanding their brick-and-mortar and e-commerce presence in China's booming retail market. As Western retail markets contract due to bankruptcies, store closures and acquisitions, retailers are increasingly looking beyond their domestic markets for sustainable growth, and for many the large, lucrative China market is tantalizingly rich with possibility. retailwire.com

Could a custom 3D printed card reader thwart fraudulent credit card skimmers?
ATM operators are using 3D printed card readers to stop fraudsters fitting credit card "skimmers" to cash machines. Hackaday author Tom Nardi recently happened upon one of the 3D printed devices, initially thinking it was a skimmer. 3ders.org

Macy's to announce 11 store closings & Cost Cutting
AP Takes Cuts According to Sources
Eliminating a number of RVP's, DDAP's and APM's
Store operators are being placed in new AP/Ops positions and the current APM's can apply for remaining positions.

The retailer said it would close 11 Macy's stores as part of the August 2016 plan to shutter 100 doors. With these closures, the retailer will have closed 81 of the 100 stores. Since 2015 Macy's has eliminated 124 doors.

Macy's is also planning to cut costs through a new plan that will see staffing adjustments across the store's organization, with locations losing headcount and others gaining. The effort will also lead to a streamlining of non-store functions as well as one-time charge of about $160 million in the fourth quarter. wwd.com

Detroit, M: Detroit aims to mandate Project Green Light crime monitoring surveillance for late-night businesses
City will start with requiring camera systems for retail businesses open midnight to 4am. The city will then move to retail businesses open after 10pm. crainsdetroit.com

Costco Dec. Comp's up 11.5%

JC Penney's Nov - Dec Comp's up 3.4%

Macy's Nov.-Dec. Comp's up 1.1%

IRS sets standard mileage rates for business activities of 54.5 cents per mile

J.Crew to close dozens of stores by the end of the month

Bass Pro to eliminate jobs at Cabela's corp. office - will keep some


Quarterly Results

Rite Aid Q3 comp's down 2.5%, front-end down 0.5%, pharmacy down 3.5%, revenue down 5.6%

FaceFirst Hires VP of Product Management to Expand Face Recognition Platform for Retail Security

LOS ANGELES - FaceFirst, a recognized leader in the global face recognition market, announced the creation of the VP of Product Management role to accelerate innovation for its growing customer base of retail companies. The company's new VP of Product Management, Roger Angarita, will be responsible for product strategy and execution.

Angarita brings over a decade of product leadership experience to FaceFirst, during which he developed solutions that have been broadly adopted by tens of millions of consumers and Fortune 100 companies. Prior to joining FaceFirst's executive team, Angarita led product management for Synacor, a technology development, multiplatform services and revenue partner for video, Internet and communications providers. Previously, he served in a senior product role at Guidance Software, a forensic security and eDiscovery vendor that was acquired for $240 million.

"The expansion of our product development team reflects the massive opportunity in the use of face recognition to solve some of the world's toughest problems," said FaceFirst CEO Peter Trepp. "Roger's demonstrated success developing winning product strategies in enterprise software makes him the perfect addition to our executive team."

"FaceFirst is already the most powerful facial recognition platform," stated Roger Angarita. "I look forward to driving innovation and inspiring massive retail adoption."

Angarita holds a B.A. in Business Economics from UCLA and graduated from University of Chicago Law School.

ABOUT FACEFIRST
FaceFirst, Inc. is a recognized leader in the global facial recognition market with industry-leading technology, patented intellectual property and world-class customers. With the FaceFirst, big box, grocery, department stores other organizations can identify and prevent threats in real time, while also leveraging historical criminal intelligence to identify crime patterns and prevent violence. The FaceFirst security platform is highly accurate and scalable, offering a full range of surveillance, mobile and desktop forensic face recognition capabilities to detect and deter shoplifters, organized retail criminals, return fraud criminals and other persons of interest.

Major Threat to Cloud-Computing Systems
Researchers Discover Two Major Flaws in the World's Computers
Computer security experts have discovered two major security flaws in the microprocessors inside nearly all of the world's computers.

The two problems, called Meltdown and Spectre, could allow hackers to steal the entire memory contents of computers, including mobile devices, personal computers and servers running in so-called cloud computer networks.

There is no easy fix for Spectre, which could require redesigning the processors, according to researchers. As for Meltdown, the software patch needed to fix the issue could slow down computers by as much as 30 percent - an ugly situation for people used to fast downloads from their favorite online services.

By Wednesday evening, Google and Microsoft said they had updated their systems to deal with the flaw.

Amazon told customers of its Amazon Web Services cloud service that the vulnerability "has existed for more than 20 years in modern processor architectures." It said that it had already protected nearly all instances of A.W.S. and that customers must update their own software running atop the service as well.

To take advantage of Meltdown, hackers could rent space on a cloud service, just like any other business customer. Once they were on the service, the flaw would allow them to grab information like passwords from other customers.

That is a major threat to the way cloud-computing systems operate. Cloud services often share machines among many customers - and it is uncommon for, say, a single server to be dedicated to a single customer. Though security tools and protocols are intended to separate customers' data, the recently discovered chip flaws would allow bad actors to circumvent these protections.

Customers of Microsoft will need to install an update from the company to fix the problem. The worldwide community of coders that oversees the open-source Linux operating system, which runs about 30 percent of computer servers worldwide, has already posted a patch for that operating system. Apple had a partial fix for the problem and is expected to have an additional update.

The software patches could slow the performance of affected machines by 20 to 30 percent. This could become a significant issue for any business running websites and other software through cloud systems. nytimes.com

Retail and Europe's GDPR - 5 vital action points
Organisations are running out of time to ensure they can comply with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These demanding new rules on the use of personal data come into force this May and will apply to every organisation in the EU, as well as any entity that holds personal data on data subjects in the EU.

Preparing for GDPR will be a constant and evolving challenge over the coming months, with regulators continuing to add fine print to the rulebook. But the regulation also represents an opportunity - for retailers to establish themselves as leaders on data, and to re-evaluate the question of whether they are maximising its value. For now, we believe there are five key issues that retailers should consider addressing:

1. Allocate responsibility The most prepared retailers recognise that GDPR, rather than being a problem for any single function, is an organisation-wide issue. It's as much about behavioural change as it is about technology. It requires a senior leader to take ownership of responding to the regulation - a C-level executive who will ensure that each part of the business collaborates to develop a framework for collecting, using and managing data in accordance with GDPR

2. Secure customer consents Consent is a crucial concept in the GDPR. Retailers that want to collect and process personal data must do so in a "lawful" fashion and this may mean they have to secure opt-in permission from the customer, as well as further consents for every type of use they may have in mind for that data.

3. Update the culture Complying with the letter and the spirit of GDPR will be challenging for any retailer that fails to put openness and transparency at the heart of its data practices. The more prepared retailers are building such values into their cultures, putting data ethics at the heart of what they do.

4. Put the customer in control GDPR gives customers important new rights. As well as new rules on consent, the regulation requires organisations to provide the detail of all the data they hold on a customer if asked to do so, and to delete or transfer that information elsewhere at the customer's request.

5. Future-proof compliance As retailers' collection and use of data evolves at pace, the response to GDPR may need to include a plan for ensuring that future activities are compliant, too. Many will need processes that guarantee new initiatives do not fall foul of the regulation. essentialretail.com

Using Data to Fight Mobile Fraud in 2018
How do you protect yourself from mobile fraud? Start by taking a look at the data you may already be collecting from your users. Here are five types of mobile-specific data you can leverage to fight fraud: Number of apps on a phone - Whether the phone is jailbroken or rooted - Type of phone - App version used - User behavior and biometrics

Look at the full picture to identify mobile fraud. While these data points are all good indicators that a fraudster might be interacting with your business, they're clues - not guarantees. But how do you piece together this data to form a coherent fraud story? When it comes to building your mobile fraud-fighting strategy, make sure you're taking advantage of a technology that can look beyond individual data points to identify patterns that point to fraud. The combination of big data and technology provides the key to successful fraud prevention via the mobile channel. paymentweek.com

8 IoT security trends to look out for in 2018
Are you ready for a surge in hybridized malware? What about IoT botnets mining cryptocurrency? Those are just two of the possibilities that could be lurking on the horizon in the coming year, according to interviews with several IoT security experts. In this article, we dig into these subjects, but also consider what 2018 could have in store, given the rapid growth of related technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and security and networking automation tools.

1. IoT ransomware and "synthetic malware" grows more common - next year, hackers will likely begin launching a wider variety of ransomware attacks. "IoT-based ransomware attacks could focus on stealing data or disabling the functionality of a target device."

In the coming year, we could see a continued hybridization of malware strains, where DDoS, ransomware and other attack types merge. "This gives rise to what I am going to call 'synthetic malware.'"

2. IoT botnets take aim at cryptocurrency It's only natural hackers will work to cash in from the boom. "Many believe the blockchain is unhackable, but we already see an increase in the attacks against blockchain-based applications," "Social engineering will be used more often to extract passwords and private keys to hack these applications."

There has already been a spike in IoT-botnet based mining in the case of the open-source cryptocurrency Monero, said Ankit Anubhav, principal security researcher at NewSky Security Inc. And hackers have repurposed video cameras for Bitcoin mining.

3. Vendors will investigate security for the quantum computing era

4. Many IoT attacks will fly under the radar

5. Automation will take center stage

6. Hackers will target a greater variety of connected devices 

7. Sensor attacks will become ubiquitous

8. Privacy will become a vital part of the IoT conversation  ioti.com

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Take a Tour of the Red-Hot Center of Chinese Counterfeiting
Excerpt from Blood Profits: How American Consumers Unwittingly Fund Terrorists
Beijing's Silk Road market peddles much more than Louis Vuitton knock-offs, and it's only the retail arm of China's vast, billion-dollar counterfeiting empire.

While the tourists wonder at Chinese history-from the boisterous to the cleansed, from the imperial to the Communist-they also consume another Chinese claim to fame: counterfeiting of Western products. China's consumption of Western intellectual property has been ravenous, as any manufacturer (not just of luxury goods) can tell you. From Louis Vuitton handbags to Apple chargers to Viagra, it is all counterfeited in China. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (and anyone else who hasn't been living under a rock), China is the number one source of counterfeited goods.

Behemoth Chinese online retailer Alibaba may have undertaken measures to clean up its act since it floated its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, but in Beijing there remains the Silk Road market: a whole shopping mall full of counterfeits, from the luxurious to the mundane.

The Silk Road market is a five-story, all-counterfeit shopping center featured in "Best of Beijing" lists on websites, including TripAdvisor. It has learned some things the hard way, though: you can tell which companies are the most aggressive in pursuing copyright infringement, because those are the products for which you have to ask. I walked through every floor. Tory Burch and Chanel shoes were mixed in with frankly fake Rolexes. But I felt like I hadn't hit pay dirt yet, like I was missing something. I went in search of expensive luggage and handbags. Louis Vuitton and Hermes were the real prizes.

Read full excerpt here thedailybeast.com

Amazon grabs 44% of U.S. e-commerce sales in 2017
The online giant claimed an estimated 44% of all U.S. e-commerce sales in 2017, according to a study from One Click Retail. Amazon also accounted for 4% of the country's total retail sales for the year - approximately $200 billion, revealed the study, "Amazon Year in Review: The 5 Biggest Trends of 2017.

When it comes to Amazon's fastest going product categories, luxury beauty lead the charge with a 47% year-over-year growth ($400 million in sales). The pantry category had 38% growth with $500 million in sales. Amazon's grocery and furniture categories each posted 33% year-over-year growth, and $1.5 billion in sales, respectively. chainstoreage.com

Update: Miami, FL: Charged in a heist of 23,000 iPhones,
a Miami Uber driver walks free
In the aftermath of their arrests, seven Miami-Dade men pleaded guilty to carrying out a bold cargo-truck heist of 23,000 Apple iPhones worth nearly $7 million that were shipped from China to Miami International Airport. But an eighth suspect, an Uber driver named Eloy Garcia who had arrived from Cuba in recent years, refused to get in line with the other co-defendants cutting plea deals. Garcia, 43, opted for trial. And he was acquitted in Miami federal court of conspiring with others to fence the stolen mobile phones. miamiherald.com

Austin, TX: Suspects In Statewide ATM Theft Ring Caught In Austin;
suspects tied to a string of ATM heists centered in Houston area
Austin police and Williamson County sheriff's deputies on Wednesday arrested suspects linked to multiple theft of automated teller machines throughout the state. Austin Police said they arrested one of the suspects during a traffic stop. All now face felony charges. patch.com


Miami, FL: Electronics Store Burglar flees with $60,000 in merchandise; Apple product, Go-Pros and Smart Watches
A brazen thief with expensive taste escaped with $60,000 worth of merchandise from a Bayside electronics shop. "An unknown male was seen on surveillance video footage shattering the store's front glass, said Officer Chris Bess. "Once inside of the store, the offender targeted a variety of pricey electronics including Apple products, Go-Pro cameras, smart watches, and a host of other items." patch.com

Fairfield, CT: Two arrested in $1,800 Jewelry theft form Kohl's
Two Bridgeport residents were arrested Tuesday after they tried to steal more than $1,800 worth of jewelry from Kohl's in Tunxis Hill. Loss prevention officers at Kohl's noticed Hannah Brouard, concealing various items in the women's jewelry area and passing some to David Rodrigues around 1:30 p.m. They were each charged with fifth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit fifth-degree larceny. dailyvoice.com

Great Falls, MT: Walmart employee issues herself fake refund of $1,578
An employee at the store on 10th Avenue, Matthew Pellitteri, said that a fellow employee, Stephanie Summers, purchased items back in November 2017. Summers later brought a receipt from the transactions to the store on two different occasions and executed a return of the items. Summers, however, didn't actually return the items. Instead she took a total of $1,578.64 in cash for the false returns. kfbb.com

Natick, MA: Neiman Marcus apprehends a woman for $1,150 wool wrap, turns out she has 4 outstanding theft warrants

Santa Clarita, CA: 4 women arrested following theft of 10 pairs of Ugg boots, valued at nearly $2,000

Shelly Pike promoted to Loss Prevention & Safety Manager - San Francisco Office for Charlotte Russe

Michael Peixoto named Loss Prevention Manager/ORC Captain - Dedham, MA for Lowe's

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Want to Be a Better Leader in 2018? These Tips can Help!
 

4 Simple Tips to Make You a Better Leader Right Now
One of the biggest myths about leadership is that it's difficult. It can be easy, and here are four secrets that you can do now to make you a better leader, improve your influence and results. Put on a smile

Practicing This 1 Simple Thing Will Make You a Better Leader in 2018
What was former President Bill Clinton's inspiration to extraordinary leadership? When asked this question, he replied that he learned to listen to other people's stories and to tell great stories himself. Here's how storytelling can turn you into a better leader this year! Teach you what matters

5 Daily Habits That Will Boost Your Leadership in 2018
Being a better leader doesn't have to be hard. The more you lead, the less you have to manage, which can drive better results and lessen stress! Here are habits to adopt to be a better leader! Take an interest

8 Ways Improvisation Can Make You a Better Leader
Improvisation is all the rage, but it's not just for comedians or those who want to perform stand-up. Improvisation has a lot to each everyone, even those in leadership position. Here's the eight ways in which improvisation can help you fulfill your goal of becoming a better leader. Own your power

Submit Your Group LP Selfie Today!

Four simple steps for requesting references from former employers: 1) Get references before you need them. Managers make job changes too and time can erase the memory of even the most outstanding employee. 2) Offer to write the reference letter for your former employer to review and sign. This saves them valuable time and it allows you to highlight the accomplishments you consider most valuable to future employers. 3) Contact former employers and other references before offering their names to potential employers. Beyond simple courtesy, this gives you the chance to supply them with important information such as who might be calling, the type of job you're applying for and which of your skills/accomplishments you would like your reference to emphasize. 4) Acknowledge a reference with a thank you note, even if you didn't get the job. If you did, offer a celebratory lunch or at least give them a call and thank them.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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