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 12/2/20

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Corey May, CBCI promoted to Senior Director, Security
Intelligence for Nike

Corey has been with Nike for more than 11 years, starting with the company in 2009 as a Retail Manager. Before his promotion to Senior Director, Security Intelligence, he served as the company's Director, Global Readiness & Business Continuity. Prior to that, he spent more than two years as Director, World Headquarters Business Continuity and over a year as Senior Manager, Global LP Operations. Earlier in his Nike career, he served as North America, LP Operations Manager (1+ year), District LP Manager (2+ years), and LP Business Analyst (nearly 2 years). Congratulations, Corey!



 


Jeff Yeats promoted to Senior Director of Loss Prevention for Shoppers Drug Mart

Jeff has been with Shoppers Drug Mart for nearly 13 years, starting with the company in 2008 as a Loss Prevention Coordinator. Before his promotion to Senior Director of Loss Prevention, he served as Director of Loss Prevention for three years. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly five years as the company's Senior Manager of Loss Prevention - Western Canada. He also spent four years as a District Loss Prevention Manager for Best Buy Canada. Congratulations, Jeff!
 



Cheryl Blake Promoted to VP, Global Client Success for Appriss Retail

Appriss Retail, the industry leader in retail performance improvement solutions, today announced that Cheryl Blake has been promoted to vice president, global client success for Appriss Retail from her role as the company's vice president of case and audit systems and traditional EBR. This new role unifies the multiple client services teams that span Appriss Retail's acquisitions of The Retail Equation, Sysrepublic, LP Software, and Verisk Retail. In fact, Cheryl joined Appriss Retail when the company acquired Verisk Retail in 2019.

Holding a degree in criminal justice, Cheryl started her career as a store detective in Detroit, Michigan. She progressed through increasingly responsible positions at multiple retailers including Lord & Taylor, Toys R Us/Kids R Us, Caldor, Funcoland, and GameStop. Later, she used that experience to enhance solution development, implementation, and support at Aspect Loss Prevention, an exception-based reporting solution later acquired by Verisk Retail.

Cheryl will be based in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA office and will oversee client services worldwide. Read more here


See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here   |   Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position
 
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The D&D Daily's Exclusive Year-To-Date
& Q3 2020 Robbery Report

Year-to-Date Robberies Stable - Q3 Lowest on Record
Texas Overtakes California as Top State - Chicago Top City


 

Year-to-Date Robbery Comparison - 2016-2020
Remarkably Stable Over Last 5 Years

Q3 Robbery Comparison - 2016-2020
Down 13% Since '19 - Lowest Q3 On Record

Click here to see the full report


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In Case You Missed It:
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Holiday Shoppers Take Advantage of Early, Thanksgiving Weekend Deals

An estimated 186.4 million consumers took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and shopped in-store and online this year, according to the annual survey released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

"As expected, consumers have embraced an earlier start to the holiday shopping season, but many were also prepared to embrace a long-standing tradition of turning out online and in stores over Thanksgiving weekend to make gift purchases for family and friends," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. "Retailers have been planning for the season by ensuring that their stores are safe, their associates are trained, the inventory is stocked and the online experience is seamless. Many things have changed since the onset of the pandemic, but the commitment by retailers to meet the consumer where, when and how they shop at the prices they want to pay never changes."

While the overall number of shoppers from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday dropped slightly from 189.6 million in an unusually robust 2019, this figure is still significantly higher than the 165.8 million shoppers in 2018. Listen to NRF's holiday shopping media call here.

Black Friday and Saturday saw tremendous growth in online activity. For the first time, the number of online Black Friday shoppers passed the 100 million mark, up 8 percent over last year. The number of online Saturday shoppers grew even more, up 17 percent compared with last year. Online-only shoppers increased by 44 percent for the entire weekend, for a total of 95.7 million.

With retailers enticing consumers with generous deals as early as October, more than half (52 percent) of holiday shoppers said they took advantage of early holiday sales and promotions this year.

As expected, in-store shopping was down given both the state of the pandemic as well as the number of retailers who opted to close on Thanksgiving Day. With consumer traffic moving to online channels, the number of in-store shoppers on Thanksgiving Day dropped by 55 percent from last year and those on Black Friday dropped by 37 percent. An earlier NRF survey found that a large majority (70 percent) of holiday shoppers say they feel safe shopping in stores this holiday season given the precautions retailers have taken for COVID-19.

Over the five-day period, shoppers spent an average of $311.75 on holiday-related purchases such as gifts or decorations, down from last year's total of $361.90 but comparable to 2018's $313.29. Of that amount, nearly three-quarters ($224.48) was spent directly on gifts.

Shopping destinations included department stores (visited by 40 percent of those surveyed), grocery stores (39 percent), clothing stores (33 percent) and electronics stores (31 percent).

NRF defines the holiday season as November 1 through December 31 and has forecast that sales will increase between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent over 2019 to a total between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion. nrf.com

NRF chief economist says pandemic made this year's holiday forecast
the most challenging ever

With the coronavirus pandemic presenting unique circumstances for the nation's economy, forecasting retail holiday sales this year was more challenging than ever before, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today: "There is no doubt this is the most unusual economic environment in our lifetimes. I cannot think of a period with so many simultaneous factors hitting the economy at once when formulating this forecast." nrf.com

Sensormatic Solutions Releases Its Full 2020 Black Friday Weekend
Shopper Traffic Recap

Shopper traffic data indicates that visits to physical stores during the 2020 Black Friday weekend decreased by 49% compared to 2019

Shopper traffic on Cyber Monday flattened to regular fall 2020 numbers


Johnson Controls, a global leader for smart and sustainable buildings, and the architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, today announced that Sensormatic Solutions, its leading global retail solutions portfolio, released a comprehensive recap of U.S. shopper traffic during the extended 2020 Black Friday weekend, the period spanning Thanksgiving Day, November 26 through Sunday, November 29, 2020.

Sensormatic Solutions found that store traffic for the 2020 Black Friday weekend resulted in a 49% decrease compared to 2019. Store traffic on Saturday, November 28, resulted in a 34% decrease and traffic on Sunday, November 29, resulted in a 26% decrease year-over-year.

"There is no denying that COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines impacted shopper traffic and the typical crowds for the Black Friday weekend. Despite the low traffic numbers, this doesn't predict the results for the rest of the holiday shopping season, and weekday traffic should be watched in the coming weeks," said Brian Field, senior director of global retail consulting, Sensormatic Solutions. "All of our data suggests that more shoppers are using their work-from-home status to visit physical stores during the week. It appears this trend will continue into the holiday season." Read More Here
 



COVID Update

US: Over 14.1M Cases - 278K Dead - 8.3M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 64.6M Cases - 1.4M Dead - 44.7M Recovered


Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 225   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 155
*Red indicates change in total deaths


Nearly the entire U.S. has become a COVID hot spot, government map shows
While top health officials continue to warn about a post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 surge in the weeks to come, the U.S. is already experiencing an unprecedented wave of the pandemic that has turned virtually the entire country into a hot spot, according to a new internal government map (shown below).

Last week, the U.S. passed a threshold once considered almost unimaginable - recording more than 200,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day. Midwestern states like Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio have been particularly hard hit in the latest surge.

Yet even with COVID-19 striking rural areas with particular force, a map included in an internal brief produced by the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services shows that almost every state in the country has multiple counties marked as "sustained hotspots." yahoo.com


U.S. Retail Is Winning Fight to Stay Open as Covid Strengthens
U.S. retailers are so far winning the battle to keep open stores that don't sell "essential goods" as a resurgent coronavirus brings new restrictions, a contrast from the early days of the pandemic that caused so much economic pain.

Staying open now is especially crucial with holiday shopping season entering its peak. Their core pitch is that their locations should stay open, regardless of what they sell, because they've spent millions on safety precautions and many are still operating at reduced capacity to ease crowds. There's also little evidence that stores have been big spreaders of the virus. However, that hasn't stopped other countries from closing nonessential retailers back down.

So far, the retail industry's campaign to keep open retailers that don't sell essential goods, like Macy's, is working, even as Covid cases keep rising.

"Governors, for the most part, have not gone backward and created an essential or nonessential designation," said Jason Brewer, executive vice president of communications and state affairs at the Retail Industry Leaders Association. States like New York, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania have increased restrictions without hitting the sector. "We think that's the right thing."

In the initial wave, states ordered businesses to close, but had an exception for companies selling essential goods or services. This created a huge divide in retail. Big-box stores, like Target Corp. and Home Depot Inc., reaped the benefits of staying open because they sold vital items, such as toilet paper, food and tools. Meanwhile, everyone else got crushed, causing thousands of job cuts. Among department stores, second-quarter revenue fell 35% at Macy's Inc. and 52% at Nordstrom Inc., and J.C. Penney Co. filed for bankruptcy.

Reduced Risk

Specific super-spreader events haven't been documented at retail stores, like they have other establishments, according to Lisa Lee, a public health expert and associate vice president for research and innovation at Virginia Tech. Bars and restaurants where people are drinking and letting their guards down are more likely spread the virus, she said.

"We no longer are living in a time where we go to a department store to browse around for a few hours," Lee said. But governments and retailers still have to "thread that needle to make it safe enough for people to go and not turn it into a situation that is as risky as a bar or a restaurant."

There is not a national order categorizing retailers into these groups. Instead, each state decides for itself. That's why there is still concern that some states might reissue orders mirroring the first wave, according to David French, senior vice president of government relations at the National Retail Federation. New Mexico is the only state that's made a delineation between essential and nonessential when ordering new restrictions, he said. bloomberg.com

AP Asks: Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic?
There are ways to reduce risk, but health experts advise avoiding it when possible.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says holiday shopping in crowded stores is a "higher risk" activity and that people should limit any in-person shopping, including at supermarkets.

Instead, the agency recommends shopping online, visiting outdoor markets or using curbside pickup, where workers bring orders to your car. If you need to enter a store, go during off hours when there will likely be fewer people. Wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet away from others.

Try to spend as little time inside the store as possible, says Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, a public health expert at Cornell University. "You just want to go in and out," he says. "Get your shopping done and move on."

Retailers have been doing all kinds of things to make shoppers feel safe, but they don't eliminate the risk. Some check shoppers' temperatures at the entrance, for example, but an infected person may not have a fever and can still spread the virus. The plastic barriers between customers and cashiers also might not block all droplets from an infected person, Weisfuse says. If the air in a store feels stuffy, he says that's a sign of poor ventilation, and you should leave. apnews.com

Moved During Covid? A Third of Bosses Say They'll Cut Your Pay
As many as a third of remote workers who move to a cheaper place to live during the pandemic could end up getting a pay cut that offsets any savings, Willis Towers Watson found in a recent survey. About a quarter of employers said they will reduce pay to reflect lower living costs for relocated workers, and another 9% said they will cut compensation for workers who aren't in critical roles, according to the survey of executives at 344 North American companies in September and October.

The executives, who employ about 5 million workers in industries ranging from manufacturing to retail, also said that they expect more than half of their employees to work from home through at least the first quarter of 2021.

The pandemic is reconfiguring a large swath of the U.S. workforce, with about 35% of employees working from home because of Covid-19, according to the U.S. Census data. Many white-collar workers who had returned to the office are being forced back home by a recent record-setting spike in infections. Still, a majority of U.S. workers - those in sales, services and essential jobs - are unable to work from home. bloomberg.com

How you can fix 'burnout'
Burnout, though we may not always be aware of it, is all around us, and it's gotten a hold of more of us than ever before due to the pandemic. LinkedIn's Glint Platform reveals signs of burnout are up 33% in 2020. So what are we to do? Doctors Emily and Amelia Nagoski, a sisterly duo who wrote the book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, suggest feeling all the way through emotions. This can help us be (and stay) connected, and to allow ourselves to be taken care of rather than insisting we take care of ourselves.

Jessi Hempel spoke with the Nagoski sisters for the Hello Monday podcast about how burnout affects us and what we can do to "complete" a stress cycle on an individual level. You can also check out this LinkedIn Learning video on well-being in the workplace. linkedin.com

Appliance brands roll out machines to fight COVID-19
New realities brought about by the novel coronavirus pandemic have led appliance makers to introduce machines that are billed as more hygienic than current models. LG Electronics has introduced refrigerators with sterilizing ultraviolet lights and Whirlpool has debuted washing machines with heating elements intended to kill germs and remove allergens. retailwire.com

UK becomes first country to approve Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

What does UK vaccine approval mean for US?

CDC says 14-day quarantine best way to reduce Covid risk,
but 10- and 7-day periods work in some cases


How COVID-19 could disrupt store credit cards
 



RFID Journal LIVE! 2021 Postponed to Late September
In light of continued concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including current government restrictions and limitations on large gatherings and travel restrictions, both domestically and internationally, RFID Journal has made the decision to postpone its annual RFID Journal LIVE! face-to-face event to September 2021. Originally slated to take place April 27-29, 2021, the new event dates are Sunday, September 26 to Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This date change is designed to provide participating brands and companies the time to effectively plan their participation during these challenging times. rfidjournallive.com

4 reasons why empty malls on Black Friday aren't a bad omen
for the holiday shopping season

Here are some takeaways from Black Friday 2020, and what it may tell us about holiday shoppers' habits, retailers' bottom lines, and the state of the industry:

Empty malls, busy websites
Black Friday has traditionally been associated with busy malls. Not this year. The event drove clicks to websites, rather than footsteps at shopping malls. Spending online soared nearly 22% to $9 billion, according to Adobe Analytics.
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Strong categories had pricing power
Shoppers used the day to stock up on lotions and perfumes, comfortable clothing and kitchen appliances like air fryers and coffee makers, either to gift to others or to keep to themselves. The top categories and products largely fit into stay-at-home trends that retailers have seen throughout the pandemic, as people dress in athleisure while working remotely, cook more instead of dining out, and treat themselves to indulgences from candles to home spa products.

Curbside options drove sales
Despite stores being emptier, curbside pickup paid off for some retailers, as it attracted customers and lowered shipping costs. Curbside and in-store pickup - sometimes called "buy online pickup in store" - increased 52% on Black Friday year over year, according to Adobe Analytics.

Fewer markdowns
Shoppers who hit the malls or websites found deals - but the discounts weren't as deep or as dramatic as some may have anticipated. The majority of retailers kept their promotions on par with last year rather than slashing them more to inspire purchases, according to research by Jefferies. cnbc.com

Role of Stores Changing?
Retailers are okay with quieter Black Friday

Coresight Research described Black Friday 2020 as "the quietest in 20 years," but retailers aren't complaining as the length of the Christmas selling season has expanded due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"The role of stores may be forever changed," said Hilding Anderson, head of retail strategy, North America at Publicis Sapient. "They are becoming increasingly relied on as fulfillment centers and experiential places for entertainment instead of for traditional shopping." retailwire.com

Washington D.C. Council votes to outlaw cashless stores
Cashless restaurants and retailers would no longer be able to operate in the nation's capital under legislation approved Tuesday by the D.C. Council. The legislation on cashless businesses, first proposed in 2018, is part of a growing resistance against a movement that critics say shuts out people without bank accounts as well as undocumented immigrants.

San Francisco, New York City and Philadelphia have recently started requiring retailers to take cash payments, as do the states of New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Some businesses say they prefer to avoid cash because of the risk of robbery and to reduce time spent managing hard currency. Sweetgreen, a salad chain founded in D.C., reversed its cashless policy after criticism that it was discriminatory.

If it becomes law, the prohibition would take effect after the public health emergency has been lifted. The novel coronavirus has fueled concerns about exchanging currency hand to hand. washingtonpost.com

Supply Chain Labor Abuse
Big Chocolate's Supreme Court case could have big implications for corporations

After years facing accusations over child labor, Big Chocolate took its case on Tuesday to the U.S. Supreme Court, with two companies - Nestlé USA and Cargill - arguing that they are not liable for human rights abuses committed on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast, the country that supplies much of the raw ingredient for their chocolates.

At issue is a legalistic question of whether the 18th-century Alien Tort Claims Act, or Alien Tort Statute (ATS), can be used by foreigners to sue U.S. corporations for gross violations abroad, including ones that violate international law like child slavery. That debate seems abstract on the surface, but it could have major implications for American businesses, whose labyrinthine global supply chains may reach into poor countries with patchy labor conditions far away from corporate headquarters. fortune.com

There Are More Female CEOs Than Ever, and Many of Them Are in Retail
In a year especially hard on many working women, the corporate world can hail one major milestone: A record 41 female CEOs are slated to be soon running Fortune 500 companies.

The Tuesday appointment of Lauren Hobart as the new chief executive of Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. brings the number of women running the biggest U.S. corporations to a new - albeit still relatively small - high. The rising numbers partly reflect companies' efforts in recent years to more systematically build a bench of senior female talent, particularly in the retail industry, executives and recruiters say.

More than in most sectors, women have made big strides in the senior ranks of retailers, getting promoted and recruited into roles that put them on the leadership track. At least 10 of the 41 female CEOs will be running retail chains, including Kohl's Corp.'s Michelle Gass, Rite Aid Corp.'s Heyward Donigan and CVS Health Corp.'s Karen Lynch, whose CEO appointment was also announced this month. Outside the Fortune 500, J.Crew Group said Tuesday it was replacing Jan Singer, who became its CEO in February, with another woman, longtime J.Crew executive Libby Wadle. wsj.com

Diversify, Disclose or Delist
Nasdaq pushes diversity requirements for company boards

Nasdaq has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to approve new listing rules that would compel the companies on its stock exchange to regularly report on the diversity of their boards and require that they have at least one female director and a member of an underrepresented minority. Companies that don't meet the criteria would have to explain why, according to the plan, or face possible delisting. washingtonpost.com

Retail Cornerstones Fall in Britain, Pushed by Fast Fashion and Pandemic
Debenhams and Arcadia Group, the owner of Topshop, collapsed despite extensive government programs meant to shore up British businesses.

Pandemic Cuts Foot Traffic in New York's Top Business Districts
Once-thriving Flatiron, Union Square neighborhoods see storefront vacancies surge from 9% to 36%

Men's Wearhouse owner exits bankruptcy

Walgreens pushing ahead with MD-staffed in-store clinics

Walmart names former Walgreens exec to lead health & wellness division

NFL Stars to Help Lowe's Deliver $1M Worth of Christmas Trees



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FBI warns of email forwarding rules being abused in recent hacks
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation says that cyber-criminals are increasingly relying on email forwarding rules in order to disguise their presence inside hacked email accounts.

In a PIN (Private Industry Notification) alert sent last week and made public today, the FBI says the technique has been seen and abused in recent BEC (Business Email Compromise) attacks reported over the summer.

The hackers' technique relies on a feature found in some email services called "auto-forwarding email rules." As its name implies, the feature allows the owner of an email address to set up "rules" that forward (redirect) an incoming email to another address if a certain criteria is met.

Threat actors absolutely love email auto-forwarding rules as they allow them to receive copies of all incoming emails without having to log into an account each day -- and be at risk of triggering a security warning for a suspicious login. zdnet.com

Flaw allowed iPhone hacking remotely through wi-fi

Researchers have revealed a flaw that allowed Apple iPhones to be hacked from afar without the owner doing anything.

Usually, smartphone hacks rely on user error - by clicking on a suspicious link, opening a message or downloading a malicious app - to gain control. But Google Project Zero researcher Ian Beer has revealed how attackers could steal emails, photos, messages - and even access the camera and microphone.

Apple fixed the issue in May. And all up-to-date devices are secure.

The hack was possible because Apple's devices use a technology called Apple Wireless Direct Link. This uses wi-fi to allow users to send files and photos over Apple's AirDrop technology and easily share screens with other iOS devices. Mr. Beer exploited this network to show how hackers could gain access to a device from a distance. In a blog post, he explained how he was able to complete the hack, which he spent six months investigating.

He found no evidence the vulnerability had been "exploited in the wild", although said some people tweeted when the bug was fixed in May. bbc.com

Failing Toward Zero: Why Your Security Needs to Fail to Get Better

Each security incident should lead to a successive reduction in future incidences of the same type. Organizations that fail toward zero embrace failure and learn from their mistakes.

This is the predicament faced by organizations every day when it comes to cybersecurity. At best, failure means an embarrassing and inconvenient organizational disruption. At worst, it means a catastrophic loss of records and loss of business.

Failure, it would seem, is not an option when it comes to cybersecurity. Or is it?

AdvertisementFailing toward zero is a state in which each security incident leads to a successive reduction in future incidences of the same type. Organizations that fail toward zero embrace failure and learn from their mistakes. Our data suggests that smart companies are already starting to do this.

The mechanics of failing toward zero vary. Thanks to machine learning, your endpoint protection should be able to "learn" a strain of malware and automatically block threats that behave similarly. There's an equally critical human element as well. You should have an incident response team and put your team and procedures to the test in the following ways:

Deliberately introduce stress into the system and see how your team responds in the face of failure.
Figure out how you will maintain business continuity during and after an attack.
Make sure employees receive adequate training.
Ensure institutional knowledge is properly documented for new team members.

Look at your own data. Are you part of the group that's failing toward zero or are you part of the group that's failing toward infinity? darkreading.com


Account Hijacking Site OGUsers Hacked, Again
For at least the third time in its existence, OGUsers - a
forum overrun with people looking to buy, sell and trade access to compromised social media accounts - has been hacked.

What is cyber insurance?
Everything you need to know about what it covers and how it works


Salesforce acquires Slack for $27.7 billion enterprise value,
marking cloud software vendor's largest deal ever


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COVID Update


COVID Fueling Credit Card Fraud in Canada?
Niagara police warn of COVID-era credit card scam that hurts
customers & businesses
Police in Niagara region are warning about increasingly common credit card scams reported during the pandemic. Niagara Regional Police Service says there has been an increase in fraudulent credit card transactions as more businesses do sales by phone during COVID-19. The service says the fraud involves using illegally obtained cards to order merchandise without the cardholders' knowledge.

"Given the concerns with COVID-19, many business transactions are being conducted by telephone or email preventing businesses from knowing their customers," the service says. "Fraudsters are taking advantage of the situation and making purchases by credit card, without being physically present at a store. This is referred to as a 'card not present transaction'."

The card is later found to be fraudulent or stolen, the service says, but usually after someone has already picked up the order. Business owners are urged to collect as much customer information as possible and question orders that are to be shipped outside the region. cbc.ca

  Pandemic has increased risk to Canadians of identity theft and financial fraud


Malls Thinking Outside the Box During 2nd COVID Surge
Canadian Mall Landlords Innovate Amid Second Wave Lockdowns
The current lockdown in the Toronto region has forced shopping centres to adapt and find new ways to accommodate customers' holiday shopping needs by offering e-commerce or phone order fulfillment while in-store retail shopping is restricted.

For example, Oxford Properties' Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Square One, and Scarborough Town Centre malls in the GTA, received a surge of customer inquiries just before the new COVID-19 containment measures came into effect as everyone tries to figure out the most effective ways to continue operating during these challenging times.

William Correia, Director at and Scarborough, said during the first lockdown earlier this year curbside pick-up was available and the option for the shopper. Yorkdale, Square One, and Scarborough Town Centre are supporting retailers by creating designated curbside and store front pickup locations for stores adapting quickly during this retail period by offering e-commerce or phone order fulfillment. retail-insider.com

Sobeys brings back hero pay for Manitoba, Toronto, Peel workers
as COVID cases rise
Sobeys says it is bringing back pay premiums for staff in locations where COVID-19 lockdowns are in effect. Parent company Empire Company Limited says it has reinstated so-called hero pay in Manitoba, Toronto and Peel Region in Ontario as rising cases of the virus in those areas have prompted the shutdown of non-essential businesses.

Each week, eligible employees will receive between $10 and $100 extra, depending on how many hours they work and how long the government lockdowns last. Empire says it currently expects to spend $5 million per quarter on the program, but that could change if further lockdowns are introduced.

The company offered extra money to workers early in the pandemic, but when COVID-19 cases began to decrease and lockdowns were lifted, it was stopped. bnnbloomberg.ca

Canada among first countries set to receive COVID-19 vaccine shipments
Canada will be among the first countries to receive vaccine shipments from Moderna, the biotechnology company's chief medical officer said Monday, amid questions about how quickly the country will be able to administer COVID-19 vaccines to Canadians.

Tal Zaks, Moderna's chief medical officer, told The Globe and Mail that Canada would receive doses from the company's first batches of vaccines, and he anticipated the country would receive larger shipments by the early part of 2021. theglobeandmail.com

'Shop Early, Shop Safe.'
Retail Council of Canada's Tips to Navigate Pandemic Holiday Season
Although the holidays may look different this year, a little planning will help ensure you and your family have everything you need to celebrate the holiday season. Check out all the resources

New Toronto COVID-19 restrictions threaten to push retailers over the edge

Manitoba tightens COVID-19 restrictions as Ontario hints at 'tough' measures ahead

Retail Council of Canada joins push for mandatory masks in B.C.

Canada announces billions more in stimulus as COVID surges

Canada not ready to lift border restrictions with US as COVID-19 spikes

 



Up to $25M in Fines for Businesses Who Misuse Consumer Data
Canada's Privacy Overhaul Takes Cue From Europe
Canada's proposed privacy overhaul leans toward European-style rules. Companies that misuse Canadians' personal data could face fines reaching tens of millions of dollars under an overhaul of the nation's privacy law proposed last week. But privacy experts and industry groups say the blueprint could also come with a silver lining for international businesses.

Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry Navdeep Bains's proposal would generally require companies to obtain consent to collect user data and allow consumers to request their information be corrected, disposed of or transferred to a different firm.

Fines for violations, such as collecting or disclosing data for inappropriate purposes, could in some instances reach 25 million Canadian dollars ($19 million), or 5% of global revenues, whichever is higher. EU penalties, by comparison, similarly can reach the higher of two sums: $24 million or 4% of a company's international revenue. wsj.com

Automated Camera Solution
Walmart Canada ensures product availability with shelf cameras
The Canadian subsidiary of discount giant Walmart is expanding a partnership with retail automation technology provider Focal Systems Inc. to deploy shelf cameras throughout stores to provide automated detection of out-of-stocks, low inventory, and planogram compliance. The retailer seeks to drive higher on-shelf availability and operational efficiency.

Upon continued key performance indicator (KPI) success with the implementation, Walmart Canada will continue deploying Focal shelf camera technology expanded to additional stores nationally in 2021. Expanding its use of shelf cameras is part of Walmart Canada's recent $3.5 billion investment in technology for store transformation. chainstoreage.com

Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales surge during COVID-19 pandemic,
Canada-based Shopify stats show
Businesses selling through the Shopify platform set a collective sales record over the 2020 Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend, illustrating what the Ottawa-based tech company's executives have dubbed a shift in retail's "centre of gravity" amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Shopify's merchants collectively made $5.1 billion in sales from Nov. 27 to Nov. 30, up 76 per cent from last year's totals for the Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) stretch. Shopify recorded more than $2.9 billion in total sales on its platform during the 2019 BFCM, a figure its merchants reached this year by 5 p.m. EST on Saturday. globalnews.ca

Downtown Winnipeg Hudson's Bay Store Shutters Permanently
After 94 Years in Business
Iconic Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay has announced that its Winnipeg store has been closed months before the planned exit of the massive Portage and Memorial location. The store has been shut since earlier this month along with other 'non-essential' retailers in Manitoba. Hudson's Bay says that it made the decision to shut the store early in light of the situation. retail-insider.com  ctvnews.ca

Thieves & Pandemic Pushing Businesses to the Brink
Edmonton antique stores out thousands of dollars after multiple break-ins

Curiosity Inc. & Blue Jar Antique Mall broken into multiple times over past 6 months

Break-ins and thousands of dollars in losses were a severe blow for two Edmonton antique stores already struggling with a drop in business due to the pandemic. Curiosity Inc. in west Edmonton and Blue Jar Antique Mall on Stony Plain Road were both broken into over the past six months.

Curiosity's owner Alexander Archbold said his store was broken into three times and about $30,000 worth of items were stolen, including a couple of Gibson guitars, pocket watches and rare Roman coins and bills.

After the break-ins, both stores fortified their buildings by putting bars on windows. However, Archbold said the bars did little good as the second time the thieves broke the glass on the main door and the third time, smashed the entire door jamb itself.

Bauer said because both Curiosity and Blue Jar had similar items stolen, she believes there might be a pattern. "It makes me wonder if it wasn't a little more organized than it appeared," she said. cbc.ca

Surrey, BC: Victim identified in fatal shooting outside Evergreen Mall
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has identified the victim in a fatal shooting outside a Surrey mall on Sunday night. IHIT says 29-year-old Riyad Rasheed was shot and killed outside the Evergreen Mall at 152 St. and Fraser Hwy. Investigators say he is known to police and they believe the shooting is linked to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict. Surrey RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Elenore Sturko called the shooting deeply disturbing. globalnews.ca

Grocery Stores & Retail Shops Targeted

Edmonton, AB: Police arrest woman in relation to over a dozen purse thefts from shoppers at local retailers
Edmonton police said Monday they have arrested a 48-year-old woman in relation to over a dozen thefts of handbags while people were shopping in local stores. In a news release, police said the incidents she was arrested for stem from the beginning of September. Since then, police said they have received 16 reports in a "series" of purse thefts in west Edmonton.

In the incidents, the majority of which took place at larger grocery and retail stores along Stony Plain Road between 149 Street and 185 Street, usually involved a purse being taken from a shopping cart or basket while the shopper was distracted. The victims' cards were then used at nearby stores to make fraudulent purchases. globalnews.ca

Ottawa: Police investigate possible shooting near St. Laurent mall

St. John's, NL: A robbery won't keep this restaurant owner from serving up kindness
 



Robberies & Burglaries

C-Store - Saskatoon, SK - Armed Robbery
C-Store - Newmarket, ON - Armed Robbery
C-Store - Richmond Hill, ON - Armed Robbery
Pharmacy - Calgary, AB - Armed Robbery
Restaurant - St. John's, NL - Burglary

7-Eleven - Comox Valley, BC - Armed Robbery


How are we doing? We need your input & suggestions. Send to lpnews@d-ddaily.net

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Top 10 Cities Where Porch Pirates Most Often Strike

Nearly 50% of Americans have experienced package theft in the past year,
marking a 10% increase compared to 2019, according to a recent survey.


According to statistics compiled by SafeWise, an independent review site, nearly two million packages are swiped from porches every day across the United States, and that was prior to sheltering due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Logic would have it that package theft would be rising given the vast increase in shopping online because of COVID-19. To help understand the risk, SafeWise surveyed 1,000 Americans (ages 18 and over) about their experiences with package theft, as well as specifically during the pandemic. The site also looked at the major metropolitan areas where package theft runs rampant.

Here are some of the survey findings:

● Nearly 50% of Americans have experienced package theft in the past year, marking a 10% increase compared to 2019.

● Among package thefts that occurred in the past year, over 75% happened during the pandemic.

● 67% of Americans say they shop online more since the pandemic started.

● More than 50% of Americans get packages delivered at least once a week.

● 63% of Americans say the pandemic has made them more concerned about package theft.

● 68% of package thefts occur at single-family houses.

● Less than half of those who experienced package theft took a proactive measure like using a package locker or installing home security to prevent it from happening again.  securitysales.com

Amazon Employees Nearly Double Since 2019
Hiring spree adds 1,400 workers per day

- No other U.S. company has created more jobs in the past decade
- Fastest workforce expansion in the history of Corporate America


Amazon has
hired more than 400,000 people globally since January, amounting to more than 1,000 new hires per day, the company confirmed to FOX Business. The 400,000 hires do not include an additional 100,000 seasonal workers the company added before the start of the holidays, which would boost the average to 1,400 new Amazon hires per day.

In the third quarter of 2020, Amazon had
1.25 million global employees -- not including the additional 100,000 seasonal hires -- compared with the company's 647,000 global employees in the fourth quarter of 2019, meaning the company has nearly doubled since last year. foxbusiness.com

Black Friday cross-border e-commerce sales up 15%
International online Black Friday same-store sales rose 15% compared to 2019, according to data from cross-border e-commerce provider eShopWorld. In addition,
total e-commerce sales growth in the week ending on Black Friday increased 29% year-over-year as the pandemic continues to impact physical shopping, with in-store drastically reduced globally.

The new data follows early figures showing
international online same-store sales increased by 88% over the first two weeks of November. chainstoreage.com

Salesforce Data Reveals All-Time High $60 Billion in U.S. Cyber Week Digital Sales


Walmart+ drops free shipping minimum

Stein Mart IP bought for $6M, to relaunch online in 2021


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Newark, DE: Hardware Store Robbery suspects arrested trying to sell stolen property to undercover cops
Two people accused of robbing a Newark hardware store were arrested Monday after police discovered they were trying to sell stolen merchandise online and set up a sting to catch them, authorities said. Nathan Harrington, 25, of Middletown, and Brittany Martin, 26, of Taneytown, Md., were charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony and second-degree conspiracy. Harrington is accused of trying to walk out of the Home Depot in Suburban Plaza with stolen merchandise on May 15 and again on Nov. 10, according to Lt. Andrew Rubin, a spokesman for the Newark Police Department. On both occasions, he pulled out a knife when confronted by an employee, Rubin said. No one was injured in either robbery.

After releasing surveillance photos and asking for assistance locating them, police received tips from the public that Martin was listing stolen property for sale on social media, Rubin said. Undercover detectives contacted her and arranged a meeting to buy an item in the parking lot of a shopping center. When Harrington and Martin arrived, police arrested them. newarkpostonline.com

New Canaan, CT: Search For Suspects in $7,000 thefts at Ralph Lauren Store
New Canaan police are asking for the public's help in identifying suspects from two separate shoplifting incidents in November at the New Canaan Ralph Lauren store on Elm Street. The first theft occurred on Nov. 5, and the second one occurred on Nov. 24. Combined, the thieves made off with $7,110 worth of shirts, police said. Surveillance photos of the suspects were released by police Tuesday. The November thefts were not the first time the store has been hit by shoplifters. Last year, members of what police called an organized theft ring stole merchandise from the store in separate incidents; one suspect was arrested in connection with those thefts. patch.com

El Centro, CA: Power Tools Thieves arrested after stealing $1,000 of merchandise at gun point
On Saturday, at approximately 6:55 PM, El Centro Police Officers responded to an emergency call at The Home Depot, regarding the brandishing of a weapon. When the officers arrived, they determined a robbery had occurred. A Home Depot employee observed Hector Gonzalez Jr. and Dominique Korina Camarena walk into the store and began selecting various power tools before exiting the store without paying for the merchandise. Officers identified both suspects using Home Depot's surveillance video. Home Depot security approached Camarena, who was walking out of the store with some of the unpaid merchandise. Gonzalez Jr. saw this and walked toward store security and other Home Depot employees, drew a handgun from his person, and pointed it at the store employees. Upon seeing the gun displayed and pointed at them, the Home Depot employees turned and ran off. At the same time, Gonzalez Jr. and Camarena both fled with approximately $1,000.00 worth of store merchandise, including power tools. imperialvalleynews.com

Highland Park, IL: Ulta Beauty reports theft of $5,700
Three unidentified women fled together in a white Infiniti after stealing about $5,700 worth of perfume from the Ulta Beauty at 135 Skokie Valley Road prior to 1 p.m. on Nov. 11. patch.com

Shreveport, LA: SPD seeks identities of three theft suspects seen on video at Burlington Coat Factory

Portland, OR: Burglar arrested with $1,400 of cigarettes & Slim Jim's from C-Store


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Shootings & Deaths

Tampa, FL: State Attorney: No charges for Officers who shot, killed man following Dollar General robbery
Dominique Mulkey was holding a gun and turned his body toward the officers. The State Attorney's office said there is "no legal basis" to file charges against two Tampa Police Department officers in the shooting death of a 26-year-old man in October. The morning of Oct. 20, investigators said surveillance video showed employees of a Dollar General on N. 50th Street trying to take back stolen merchandise from a man. That man was later identified as Dominique Mulkey.

Authorities said the employees let him walk out with the items after Mulkey showed a gun. At one point, someone at the store called 911 while the staff huddled into a back office. When officers arrived, they said they spotted Mulkey about five blocks north of the store and drew their weapons on him. Body camera video showed police ordering him to get on the ground. "Tampa Police -- get on the ground!" was heard on the footage. The State Attorney's office said officers shouted for about 11 seconds. But Mulkey didn't, Police Chief Brian Dugan said at the time. Investigators said Mulkey was holding a gun in his hand and that he turned his body toward the officers, who fired their guns at him. Emergency crews attempted life-saving measures and transported Mulkey to the hospital, where he died. wtsp.com

Fresno, CA: Armed robbery suspects arrested after firing on clerks as part of gang initiation
Month-long investigation leads to arrest of 6 suspects involved in armed robberies in Fresno, Tulare County. Surveillance video shows a crew of brazen criminals who allegedly opened fire on three different store employees during a string of at least six armed robberies. "It was almost like every other day they were going out, and through statements gathered we were told that whenever they needed money they used an armed robbery like an ATM," Kingsburg Police Detective Lee Forlines said Tuesday. The six suspects are all juveniles except 18-year-old Fernando Hernandez. "These robberies were found to be linked to gang initiations. The suspects, they had to actually fire the guns in the commission of these armed robberies," he said. yourcentralvalley.com

 



Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

East Garden City, NY: Police Search For Man Who Stole Bottles Of Perfume, Threatened Clerk With Knife
The incident took place around 5:38 p.m., Monday, Nov. 30, at the Nordstrom Rack in East Garden City, Nassau County Police said. According to detectives, the man entered the store and walked to the fragrance counter where he began to load assorted perfumes into his personal bag. Store security approached the man to discuss the theft and the man displayed a knife, police said. The man fled the store westbound toward East Gate Boulevard with the merchandise. No injuries were reported. dailyvoice.com

Hillard, OH: 9 arrested for drugs, guns, ID theft, more after 10-month investigation by Hilliard Police
The Hilliard Police Department said nine people have been charged following a 10-month investigation into racketeering and drug. A Franklin County Grand Jury returned a 51 count indictment ranging from engaging in corrupt activity (racketeering), to forgery, identity theft, and drug charges, according to a press release. Police say their investigation began in February after they received a tip regarding suspicious activity at a home in Hilliard. Authorities say seven search warrants were conducted throughout Central Ohio as part of the investigation, which estimates more than $500,000 was stolen from the 3,000 victims, largely through mail theft, and renting properties with stolen or fraudulent identities. myfox28columbus.com

St. George, UT: Woman says she was hiding Christmas gifts in purse
when caught shoplifting
A St. George woman was arrested for allegedly stealing a number of items from a grocery store in St. George, telling officers she was hiding the items in her purse not to steal them, but to keep the purchase a secret from her friend until Christmas. stgeorgeutah.com

Mobile, AL: Teen hiding candy in his pants during theft attempts to shoot his way out of glass door

Walnut Creek, CA: UPDATE: Nine Charged In Downtown Walnut Creek Looting As Police Seek More Suspects

Joplin, MO: Four suspects arrested following alleged armed robbery in Northpark Mall parking lot

Cedar Rapids, IA: 2-week armed robbery spree in Cedar Rapids targeted restaurants, grocery stores

Macon, GA: Two men charged in Zaxby's armed robbery

Toledo, OH: Police seek tips in string of aggravated robberies in South Toledo

York County, PA: Verizon store employee helped men in $27,000 store robbery

 



International Busts

Washington, DC: Owner and Operator of India-Based Call Centers Sentenced To Prison for Scamming U.S. Victims Out Of Millions of Dollars
An Indian national was sentenced on November 30, 2020 to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release in the Southern District of Texas for his role in operating and funding India-based call centers that defrauded U.S. victims out of millions of dollars between 2013 and 2016. "The defendant defrauded vulnerable U.S. victims out of tens of millions of dollars by spearheading a conspiracy whose members boldly impersonated federal government officials and preyed on victims' fears of adverse government action," said Acting Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Today's sentence demonstrates the department's commitment to prosecuting high-level perpetrators of such nefarious schemes. Even fraudsters operating scams from beyond our borders are not beyond the reach of the U.S. judicial system." justice.gov

Europe: Brussels: 422 arrested and 4031 Money Mules identified in global crackdown on money laundering
Today, law enforcement authorities from 26 countries and Europol announce the results of the European Money Mule Action 'EMMA 6', a worldwide operation against money mule schemes. Between September and November 2020, EMMA 6 was carried out for the sixth consecutive year with the support of the European Banking Federation (EBF), FinTech FinCrime Exchange, INTERPOL and Western Union. As a result, 4 031 money mules were identified alongside 227 money mule recruiters, and 422 individuals were arrested worldwide. During the span of the operation, 1 529 criminal investigations were initiated. With the support of the private sector including more than 500 banks and financial institutions, 4 942 fraudulent money mule transactions were identified, preventing a total loss estimated at 33.5 million Euros. ebf.eu


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C-Store - King George County, VA - Burglary
C-Store - Portland, OR - Burglary
C-Store - Mobile, AL - Armed Robbery
Cellphone - Arabi, LA - Armed Robbery
Guns - Silver Springs, MD - Burglary
Home Depot - El Centro, CA - Armed Robbery
Jewelry - Opelika, AL - Robbery
Jewelry - Syracuse, NY - Armed Robbery
Jewelry - Birch Run, MI - Robbery
Jewelry - Jacksonville, FL - Robbery
Jewelry - Dallas, TX - Robbery
Jewelry - Yuba City, CA - Robbery
Jewelry - Columbus, OH - Robbery
Jewelry - Sandusky, OH - Robbery
Liquor - Sarcoxie, MO - Burglary
Restaurant - Hammond, IN - Burglary
T-Mobile - Silver Springs, MD - Armed Robbery

 

Daily Totals:
• 12 robberies
• 5 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed



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Dmitri Luppov promoted to District Asset Protection Manager
for JCPenney



Steven Rodi promoted to District Loss Prevention Manager for Kohl's


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Featured Job Spotlights

 

Corporate Manager, Asset Protection
Glendale, CA - posted November
5
The Corporate Manager, Asset Protection is responsible for the development of Asset Protection Guidelines & Procedures and Training & Awareness Programs for the Disney Store North America Division. This critical position works with cross functional Operational, Human Resource and Field Leadership partners...




Field Loss Prevention Manager
Framingham, MA - posted November 5
Staples is focused on our customer and our community. As a Field Loss Prevention Manager for Staples, you will manage and coordinate Loss Prevention and Safety Programs intended to protect Staples assets and ensure a safe work environment within Staples Retail locations...



Asset & Profit Protection Investigations Analyst
San Francisco, CA - posted September 24
You should have strong analytical skills, be a quick learner, and drive to innovate with both technology and processes. They will be personable, open to learning, collaborating with others, and apt to saying "yes" or "I'll find a way", rather than "no" or "that's impossible"...



Area Loss Prevention Manager
Pittsburgh, PA - posted September 10
Our Area Loss Prevention Managers ensure safe and secure stores through the objective identification of loss and risk opportunities. Our Area Loss Prevention Managers plan and prioritize to provide an optimal customer experience to their portfolio of stores. They thrive on supporting and building high performance teams that execute with excellence...



Customer Success Specialists
Multiple Locations - posted October 9
The role of the Customer Success Specialist is to engage, empower, and excite our community. As a Customer Success Specialist, your primary responsibility is to ensure both retailers and law enforcement, who make up our community, have great experiences and achieve real crime reduction outcomes from using our platform.
Apply Here




Sales Representatives
NuTech National - posted October 13
NuTech National, an established and rapidly growing 40+ year electronic security company is expanding our National Sales Team. Seeking motivated, driven and successful sales reps to expand our national retail and governmental vertical markets. Top pay, benefits and signing bonus available. Please apply to melissa@nutechnational.com


Featured Jobs


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Managing your career upwards sometimes has to do with the exposure you get to new executives and new responsibilities. The easiest way to get that exposure is to volunteer for projects, assignments, or new rollouts. Going above and beyond your current job description is always a way to gain respect and be noticed. The only issue there is that you've got to perform at a high level and deliver results because the worst thing one can do is volunteer and not pull it off.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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