"Operation Spring Cleaning" - Aggressive retail crack down in Long Beach on ORC by 100 Retail LP Exec's  Police joined forces with 100 loss prevention experts from 43 area businesses to conduct a three-day operation which led to the arrest of 71 suspects. Officers and detectives from the East, West and North Patrol Divisions, joined forces with CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Smart & Final, Stater Bros., Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and Vons' security officials to target organized retail crime, which includes shoplifters, commercial burglars and organized gangs in Long Beach. The three-day operation, from March 14-16, was an effort to combat retail crime. The operation led to 24 felony charges being filed, 42 misdemeanor filings, six juvenile petitions and 71 civil demand notices issued by businesses. Police reported the most commonly stolen items included: toiletries, cosmetics, groceries, alcohol and clothing. (Source gazettes.com)

Harvard Study - Higher retail salaries boost bottom line 
A Harvard case study finds retailers QuikTrip, Trader Joe's and Costco, which pay their workers well, have better bottom lines. Under-investment in workers can result in operational problems in stores, which decrease sales and low sales often lead companies to slash labor costs even further. "Many employers have turned full-time jobs into part-time positions with no benefits and unpredictable schedules." Training and paying employees to help customers effectively is more profitable than under valuing staff. (Source upi.com)

From Private to Public: What Retailers Should Expect From an IPO 
"With rumors swirling that crafts retailer Michael Stores Inc. might be getting ready to file for an IPO, this seems like an opportune moment to talk about what’s involved in going from a privately held chain to a publicly-traded company." (Source nreionline.com)

U.S. Senate endorses sales taxes for online purchases 
The Senate chose sides in a battle that pits big online-only sellers against bricks-and-mortar retailers and state revenue departments. Congress’ upper chamber decided on a 75-24 vote to add the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act as an amendment to the federal budget bill that reflects a “sense of the Senate.” Big victory for retailers here. (Source startribune.com)

Dell in three-way buyout battle. 
Dell is in a tug-of-war over acquisition, receiving two competing offers following a $US24.4 billion agreement last month to be taken private by its founder and private equity firm Silver Lake. Financial services company Blackstone submitted an indicative and preliminary offer ahead of the expiration of a "go-shop" period on Saturday that allowed Dell to explore other options. The buyout firm has not yet arranged bank financing, though it has put potential lenders on stand-by. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who has built up a minority stake in Dell and opposes the offer by founder Michael Dell and Silver Lake, also made an offer, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Source cnbc.com)

Gordon Brothers Europe purchases Blockbuster UK. 
Blockbuster’s chain of film and computer game rental shops in Britain has been sold to an investment firm, two months after the struggling retailer went into a form of bankruptcy protection, administrators said yesterday. Deloitte, which took control of Blockbuster’s British operations after it entered administration on January 16, said the company had been sold to Gordon Brothers Europe for an undisclosed sum. Under the terms of the deal, the global restructuring specialist will keep 264 of Blockbuster’s 528 stores, safeguarding the jobs of nearly half its 4,190 staff. (Source rn-t.com)

J.Crew opening 46 stores in 2013; making European debut in London. 
J.Crew Group Inc. expects to open 46 stores in 2013, company officials said during its quarterly conference call. The specialty retailer will open 17 Madewell stores, 13 factory outlet units and 16 namesake locations, including its first-ever store in Europe, in London. For the fourth quarter, J.Crew’s earnings were up 18% to $70.4 million. Same-store sales rose 11%. (Source nymag.com)

Uncertain future for Tesco and Fresh & Easy stores. 
In another sign that British retail giant Tesco is reconsidering its U.S. Fresh & Easy division, the company sent an email sent to shoppers in which it acknowledged that the grocer doesn't know "if Tesco will continue to own the company," the Los Angeles Times reported. Fresh & Easy spokesman Brendan Wonnacott said that Tesco is still reviewing its American chain, and will make an update in April as part of the company's full-year results. (Source latimes.com)

Nasty Gal, e-retailer sells vintage clothing; selling nearly $100 million last year.  The CEO is a twenty something who once lived in her step aunt’s cottage and worked for just over minimum wage, until she got an idea. Sophia Amoruso stated her dream with an $8 Chanel jacket she found at a Salvation Army store, posted it on eBay and it sold for $1000. Nasty Gal outgrew doing business on eBay, now its site is generating 550,000 visits per day. Bigger competitors are taking notes. Urban Outfitters recently contacted Ms. Amoruso about a potential acquisition, according to people briefed on the discussions. Asked about that, Ms. Amoruso said only, “We’re talking.” (Source nytimes.com)

Demands in Asia boost Tiffany’s profits over estimates. 
Tiffany said sales in the company’s Asia-Pacific region advanced 13 percent to $254 million in the quarter. The region’s sales were helped by store openings in Singapore, China and Australia last year. Sales at the Manhattan flagship and at U.S. branches open at least a year declined 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively, after a disappointing holiday season. (Source forbes.com)
 

LPRC Welcomes Newest Board of Advisor Members Sears Holdings VP AP Bill Titus, Chair of the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) Board of Advisors (BOA), announces the addition of highly motivated new BOA members Chris Gillen of Toys R Us, Charles Delgado of BJs Wholesale, Jeff Martin of Kroger Company, Steve Scott of Tractor Supply Company, Lance Williams of Big Lots, Robert Bull of Cam Connections, and Jeff Kellogg of MeadWestvaco. These professionals join Steve Longo of CapIndex, John Voytilla of OfficeMax, Danny Sorrells of Walmart, Chad McIntosh of Bloomingdales, Dennis Wamsley of Publix Super Markets, Brian Bazer of Dress Barn, Tim Fisher of Best Buy, Kevin Valentine of Sterling Jewelers, and Carol Martinson of SuperValu on the LPRC BOA as they work to help shape LP/AP success.

Killing hackers is justified in cyber warfare, says NATO-commissioned report 
A landmark document created at the request of NATO has proposed a set of rules for how international cyberwarfare should be conducted. Written by 20 experts in conjunction with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the US Cyber Command, the Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare analyzes the rules of conventional war and applies them to state-sponsored cyberattacks. According to the manual's authors, it's acceptable to retaliate against cyberattacks with traditional weapons when a state can prove the attack lead to death or severe property damage. It also says that hackers who perpetrate attacks are legitimate targets for a counterstrike. (Source theverge.com)

Apple Buys Indoor Location-Services Startup WiFiSLAM 
Apple bought startup WiFiSLAM to add location-identifying technology for when a user is inside a building. WiFiSLAM, based in Palo Alto, California, is part of a group of companies helping users find a location when they are inside a building like a grocery store or shopping mall. (Source bloomberg.com)

Los Angeles, Beverly Center mall evacuated after shopper finds suspicious package in car.  The Beverly Center mall was evacuated for more than one hour yesterday when a suspicious package was spotted in the back seat of a car. A motorist told police that someone had placed a suspicious package in the back seat of his vehicle, which was not there when he first parked. The LAPD bomb squad detonated the package after the Los Angeles Fire Department doused it. (Source latimes.com)

Police reopen section of Dadeland Mall in Kendall, FL after discovery of a suspicious package.  A section of Dadeland Mall evacuated Sunday morning after the discovery of a “suspicious item” has been reopened following an examination by the Miami-Dade police’s Bomb Squad, according to a police spokesman. Miami-Dade Police said they were called to the Kendall mall before 10 a.m. after someone discovered the item near a parking area of the mall. Police evacuated the immediate area to allow the Bomb Squad to examine the item, which they did not describe. A department spokesman announced at about 10:45 a.m. that “the item has been deemed safe and the area has been re-opened to the public.” (Source nbcmiami.com)

Stone Road Mall evacuated Saturday after chemical leak discovered. 
Stone Road Mall was evacuated for a few hours late Saturday afternoon after coolant escaped from the mall’s heating and cooling system in the Toys ’R Us Express store in the mall’s lower level. Units from the Guelph Fire department and the hazmat team arrived at the scene after receiving calls about a chemical odor in the mall. They found a pipe in the ceiling of the Toys ’R Us store had been leaking Ethylene Glycol. The city, the Ministry of the Environment and the Guelph Fire Department closed the mall while the leak was investigated. More than 700 litres of chemical had leaked into the lower level of the mall. Fortunately, the chemical spill was isolated and contained in this area. (Source ctvnews.ca)

Two Fairview, NJ men charged in Gap cargo thefts.  Fairview Police arrested two men Thursday and charged them with the theft of cargo that was supposed to have been delivered to Gap stores in the area. Police said Gap loss prevention officers had suspected Jorge Jimenez, 53, of Guttenberg, of skimming Gap clothing from cargo that he delivered, and they were following him Thursday as he drove his box truck into the parking lot of a business to meet with Roberto Marquez, 45, of Ridgefield. The officers watched as Jimenez and Marquez opened the Gap boxes and transferred some of the clothing in them into their own boxes and then resealed the Gap boxes for delivery. The men were charged with cargo theft and released on $25,000 bail each. They were scheduled to appear in Fairview Municipal Court on March 27. (Source cliffviewpilot.com)

Chicopee, MA man to plead guilty to selling counterfeit sporting apparel; $230K in fines and restitution.  A Chicopee man in his 50s will plead guilty in federal court in Springfield to charges he sold counterfeit sports jerseys at his stores in Central and Western Massachusetts, records show. James M. Dent sold thousands of jerseys, including those of the major Boston sports franchises, that were not properly licensed and that he purchased from Chinese companies, according to court filings. He has agreed to plead guilty in May and faces up to 10 years in prison on each of the five charges. Though prosecutors have agreed to recommend minimal time behind bars, along with fines and restitution, it totals more than $250,000. (Source masslive.com)

Dallas policy change leads to 75% decline in reported petty shoplifting cases  
A police policy that made it harder for store owners to report small-time shoplifting cases brought down petty shoplifting reports by a whopping 75 percent in Dallas last year. The shoplifting continues, but much of it is no longer reported or counted as a crime. According to an analysis by The Dallas Morning News, the net effect is that about a third of Dallas’ highly touted 11 percent drop in crime last year came about because police no longer respond to the shoplifting calls and retailers are reluctant to hassle with reporting the petty thefts. The News analysis found that petty shoplifting offenses plummeted on the day the policy went into effect, on Jan. 5, 2012, and stayed at that reduced level the rest of the year. Police Chief David Brown has repeatedly disputed those findings. He attributes the dramatic drop in petty shoplifting reports largely to good police work. (Source dallasnews.com)

Man steals $1,000 worth of ammo from Cabela's in Pennsylvania.  A Bucks County man stole more than $1,000 worth of gun ammunition and other equipment from Cabela's in Berks County Saturday. Craig Holtzman, 41, of Warminster was taken into custody shortly after the theft, which happened at about 1:15 p.m. Investigators say Holtzman took $1,048 worth of ammunition and scope adjustment rings and was confronted by a store security guard. Holtzman managed to leave the store, located in Tilden Township, get into a vehicle, and drive toward Interstate 78. An officer that pulled Holtzman over at an exit ramp saw the stolen items in the car. Holtzman was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property. (Source wfmz.com)


Two suspects in Fresno, California mall shooting arrested in Humboldt County.  Two suspects in a Manchester Center shooting last week that wounded a woman were arrested Friday in Eureka One suspect faces a charge of conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon, both are gang members. On March 13, the men went to the Manchester Center barbershop about 7:30 p.m. when a fight broke out. A female bystander in the mall was shot in the back. (Source ksee24.com)


Castle Rock, Colorado Sprint store smash and grab burglary video released, may be connected to other burglaries in the area.  Three suspects smash through the door of a Sprint store; police believe they may be connected to similar burglary in Parker, Colorado. (Source 9news.com)





Last week's most popular article --

100 Best Retailers to Work For in 2012 
The Retail Life is proud to announce its first annual release of The 2012 100 Best Retailers To Work For! Rankings are based on member input and include work-related elements such as competitive salaries, employee reviews, company pride, organizational values and culture, socialization opportunities, and career advancement opportunities. Both large and specialty retailers made the list. Thanks to our members! Did your make the grade? Find out here - theretaillife.com

2012 Thought Challenge Awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place to be announced next Monday.  This year there were 48 entries, representing a 140% increase over last year, it's first year when we had 20 entries. The significant increase in submissions certainly shows that the LP industry is engaged in thought and wants to make a difference one executive at a time. It is our honor to publish these submissions, as everyone who submitted one took the time out of their busy schedules to communicate with their fellow LP colleagues and spur thought. This type of action, this type of investment, is what it takes to be a community and to make it strong and unified. On behalf of our small team at the Daily, we would like to thank each one of you who wrote one and we'd like to thank all of you who took the time to read them. Next week we'll be posting the top three. We look forward to 2013 and for those of you who haven't written one - think about it and take the time. You never know what thought, what article, may help the industry grow. Thanks from all of us.