CALL FOR PROPOSALS EXTENDED
SUBMIT BY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

The RILA Asset Protection Conference is known for featuring the best educational programming in the business...and we need experts like you to share your leading practices, case studies, and innovative solutions. Submit your session ideas by Tuesday!

Speaker benefits include:
● Complimentary registration for retailers and product manufacturers selected to speak
● Opportunity to share with and learn from peers facing common challenges
● Growth of your network of industry peers working on similar issues and projects - add to your sounding board

EXTRA SPEAKER BENEFITS
This year, the Loss Prevention Foundation will provide speakers with an LPC/LPQ course scholarship for FREE-a $795 value! Already LPQ/LPC certified? The LPF will waive your recertification fee! And, if that wasn't enough-all speakers will earn 10 CEU credits in addition to what you will earn as an attendee.

Submit your proposal here

 

Gun Control Still Center Stage Nationwide News
Strong Background Checks & Red Flag Laws

Chief executives of 145 companies urge Senate to pass gun control laws
Leaders of 145 companies wrote a letter to the Senate Thursday, urging the governmental body to take action on gun safety.

The letter notes recent gun violence in Chicago, Newport News, Virginia and other places, calling it a "public health crisis." But the leaders also say that gun violence is preventable, and lawmakers can step in to prevent tragedies.

"That's why we we urge the Senate to stand with the American public and take action on gun safety by passing a bill to require background checks on all gun sales and a strong Red Flag law that would allow courts to issue life-saving extreme risk protection orders," they wrote in the letter. Red Flag laws, which are also known as Extreme Risk laws, allow family members or law enforcement to petition a court to prevent someone temporarily from obtaining firearms.

Letter signers include the CEOs of well known companies Uber, Levi Strauss, Gap, Lyft and Beyond Meat.

The letter comes as companies have been forced to reckon with the risk that mass shootings pose to their businesses.

Democrats have been pushing for universal background checks.

Earlier this year, lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed legislation that would would strengthen federal background check laws. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he wants clear support from Trump in order for the Senate to vote on the measure. cnbc.com

Publix takes big stand to address gun violence

'Publix respectfully requests that only law enforcement officials openly carry firearms in our stores.'

Florida is not an open carry state but Publix is one of the nation's largest grocery chains and its standing in solidarity with a number of other big retailers.

'Moms Demand Action' says recent polling shows a majority of Americans would support businesses that take action against gun violence.

"This is remarkable: Over the last eight days, nine major national retailers have bucked the NRA and taken action to keep their customers safe from gun violence," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. "It's high time for the Senate to take a page from these business leaders - which have their fingers on the pulse of public opinion - and pass strong background check and Red Flag laws." wfla.com
 

Walmart Staffs New SVP Chief Counsel of 'Digital Citizen Role'
"This Digital Citizenship function will counsel the company on issues related to privacy, use of data and data governance, emerging technologies, cybersecurity and records management." "They will advise not only on whether we may legally use data or technology in a particular way, but also on what effect that use would have on our relationship of trust with our customers and stakeholders. Reporting directly to Rachel Brand, EVP of global governance, chief legal officer and corporate secretary. theshelbyreport.com

Employee Activism on the Rise
Workers feel empowered to protest their employers' business practices
Workers are speaking up through social and traditional media when their employers take actions they don't agree with. Across the country, employees have staged strikes and protests to oppose their employers' business practices.

The majority of U.S. employees, especially Millennials, believe they have the right to speak up about issues that impact society, according to a report from global communications and marketing firm Weber Shandwick.

Nearly 40 percent of U.S. workers said they have raised their voices to support or criticize their employers' actions regarding a controversial issue affecting society. Most hope to gain the attention of other employees (46 percent) and top leaders at their organization (43 percent)

"Your workforce is starting to care more about what you do to make the world a better place," she noted. "I also think the way work is being done and structured is allowing more of this [activism] because organization styles and structures are less hierarchical." Additionally, social media makes it easier for employees to assemble large groups on short notice and create a media buzz.

While headline-grabbing action so far has been happening at large companies, Kanouse predicts it will also bubble up in smaller organizations.

"Today, in a digital world, your worth is your people. ... You have to put more emphasis on keeping them happy and paying attention to the issues they care about." 

7 Ways Employers Can Respond to Activism

1. Embrace it as a positive force to propel your reputation and your business.
2. Be clear about your corporate purpose and culture.
3. Learn what is on employees' minds.
4. Cultivate a culture of openness and transparency.
5. Establish a response protocol.
6. Clearly communicate your company's values.
7. Make your company's values part of the solution. shrm.org

StarKist Ordered to Pay $100 Million Criminal Fine for Antitrust Violation
StarKist Co. was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $100 million, the statutory maximum, for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices for canned tuna sold in the United States. StarKist was also sentenced to a 13-month term of probation. StarKist fix the prices of canned tuna fish from as early as November 2011 through at least as late as December 2013.

"The consequences for greedy companies who cheat the marketplace and American consumers are significant and clear," said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. "The FBI, along with our law enforcement colleagues, will continue to pursue those who conspire to fix prices and bring them to justice." justice.com

How Cashier-less Sites Will Impact the C-Store Industry
At the National Advisory Group (NAG) conference, Sept. 8-11 in Minneapolis, panelists discussed how cashier-less sites will impact the c-store industry.

Amazon Go and other cashier-less concepts are no longer a novelty; they're becoming destinations in cities like San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago, and they are challenging conventional convenience stores in the race for time-pressed customers. Beyond retail competition, the concept is also changing consumer behavior to expect a frictionless experience. cstoredecisions.com

Retail Bankruptcies Rise, Store Closures Skyrocket in First Half of 2019
The pace of retail bankruptcies and store closures in the U.S. has accelerated so far this year compared with 2018. More retail bankruptcy filings are expected in the second half of the year, and bricks-and-mortar stores will continue to close at a higher rate, according to a report released Wednesday by professional services firm BDO USA LLP.

Talk of a retail apocalypse has echoed throughout the industry for years as shoppers abandon the nation's malls and flock to online sellers. But the expected increase in bankruptcies and closures means the industry's recent pain shows little sign of easing.

Retailers continue to grapple with excessive debt, over expansion, private equity-ownership pressures and changing consumer behavior. On top of that, retailers were hurt by the 2018 holiday season, which failed to meet expectations, resulting in the weakest retail sales performance since December 2009, BDO found.

For the full year, Coresight Research predicts more than 12,000 stores will close, compared with a total of under 6,000 in 2018. Behind the closures are some retailers going out of business, while others are just reducing their physical footprint.

But it isn't all bad news. Despite the large number of bankruptcy filings and store closures, overall retail sales in the first six months of the year remained solid because of a strong economy, low unemployment and rising wages, BDO said. wsj.com

EEOC Reduces Employee Pay Data Requirements
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that it will not collect EEO-1 Component 2 data-pay information broken down by job category, race, sex and ethnicity-in the future. The agency concluded that the burden imposed on employers to gather the data outweighs the usefulness of the data for the agency. However, Component 2 data for 2017 and 2018 still must be submitted by Sept. 30 this year and courts might intervene to compel the EEOC to gather the data in future years despite this announcement. The EEO-1 Component 2 online filing system is now available on the EEOC's website.  shrm.org

Does the FCRA Apply to Background Checks for Independent Contractors?
Does the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) apply to the employment background checks of independent contractors? It depends on whom you ask. Recent court decisions have held that it does not, but the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has not budged on its stance that employees and nontraditional workers alike are protected under the FCRA. Because there's no clear answer, experts recommend a hybrid compliance model to avoid misclassification liability. shrm.org

Balancing 'safe' and 'welcoming' in the era of mass shootings

Paper Receipts Association Applauds Defeat of Proposed California Ban

Forever 21 Says Not Filing Bankruptcy

Growing board focus on cyber risk challenges current thinking


Quarterly Results

RH - Restoration Hardware Q2 sales up 9.9%

Kroger Q2 comp's up 2.2% (excluding fuel), digital sales up 31%, sales up 2.5%

Hudson Bay Corp. Q2 sales down 0.2%
   Hudson's Bay sales down 3.4%
   Saks Fifth Ave comp's up 0.6%
   Saks OFF 5th comp's up 3.4%

Canada's Roots Q2 comp's down 2.9%, sales up 2.5%

Tailored Brands Q2 comp's down 3.6%, net sales down 4.1%
   Men's Warehouse comp's down 4.3%
   Jos. A. Bank comp's down 3.3%
   K&G & Moores comp's down 1.3%
 

Exton, PA: Serial Burglars carrying pink scooters ransack Target, Verizon stores up East Coast
Police in four states are searching for masked burglars who have hit nine Target and Verizon Wireless stores, getting away with thousands of dollars in Apple products. Many of the burglaries, from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, have been caught on camera and show the suspects breaking through the front door of each store. The suspects can be seen running to the electronics section and immediately ripping Apple devices from displays and locked glass cases. The burglaries started in July, but the most recent one happened Monday at about 2:30 a.m., at the Target located at 201 Sunrise Blvd., in Exton, according to detective Scott Pezick.

The six locations affected in the area include:

- Exton, PA - Target
- Morrisville, PA - Target
- Langhorne, PA - Target
- Marlton, NJ - Target
- Mt. Laurel, NJ - Verizon Wireless
- Cinnaminson, NJ - Verizon Wireless 6abc.com

Twiggs County, GA: Traffic stop turns up bags of stolen underwear
A traffic stop in Twiggs County turned up bags of stolen Victoria's Secret underwear and merchandise from Bath and Body Works. Major William Stokes says a deputy pulled the vehicle over on Monday for speeding. Deputies identified the vehicle's two female occupants and found them to be in possession of numerous bags of stolen underwear and other items. Both women also had other people's driver's licenses in their purses, Stokes says. They also both had at least $1,500 in stolen merchandise. Stokes says both women could face additional charges. He adds that investigators know some of the stolen merchandise came from a Bath and Body Works at the Dublin Mall but are working on determining where the rest of the items came from.  wgxa.tv

Fresno, CA: Brazen burglar hits Fresno electronics store in just 3 minutes A local electronics store in northeast Fresno was burglarized in just three minutes on Monday. The owner was shocked to see the guy look at the camera and keep on stealing. "He had the wire cutters in his hand. And he just cut them all off every quickly." In just three minutes exactly, a guy shattered the glass door of EZ Screen in northeast Fresno and wiped out an entire display case full of phones and tablets. kmph.com

SAVE THE DATE:
Cincinnati Chapter OROCC Meeting Set for Sept. 20
The meeting will be held on Friday, September 20 at 09:30 a.m. at the West Chester Police Department (9577 Beckett Rd, West Chester OH). As always, our goal is to get at least one representative from each law enforcement agency and major retail establishment to these meetings to share Intel, network, and help each other with our investigations. The meeting is extended to cover the southwestern territory of Ohio. .

Please try to bring your recent apprehensions and open cases (w/photos) for group discussion on a thumb drive. If you are not able to share that is fine, we ask that you follow your company/agencies guidelines, but are still more than welcome to attend. We have a laptop connected to the projector to present your investigations. As always, coffee will be provided.

SAVE THE DATE: LP Organization Of the Caribbean Holding Meeting on Sept. 27 (9:00 a.m.) at the Sears/Kmart Montehiedra Office