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12/10/18 d-ddaily.net







Moving Up
Sponsored by Agilence
 
Lisa LaBruno Promoted to EVP of Retail Operations for RILA
RILA Elevates Three as Retailers Prepare for Busy 2019

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) today announced the promotion of three staff members in a move designed to prepare the Association for a rapidly changing industry and an ambitious public policy agenda in the new year. Brian Dodge, formerly senior executive vice president of public affairs will now serve as RILA's chief operating officer; Lisa LaBruno, formerly senior vice president of retail operations will now serve as executive vice president of retail operations; and Austen Jensen, formerly vice president of government affairs will now be RILA's senior vice president of government affairs.

In his role as COO, Dodge will oversee RILA's public affairs, legal and compliance, human resources and administration, membership, and financial operations. As EVP of retail operations, LaBruno will lead the Association's asset protection, supply chain, and innovation communities; and as SVP of government affairs, Jensen will take a larger role in RILA's public policy practice with an expanded portfolio of issues. The announcements reflect RILA's commitment to leading the industry with a focus on innovation, advocacy, and education.

"RILA is ready to build upon our tremendous record of success advocating and working on behalf of the nation's leading retailers. Elevating Brian, Lisa, and Austen's roles within our team recognizes the ambitious goals we've set for the organization, and we are confident that they will elevate our entire team as we tackle the industry's priorities together," said RILA President Sandy Kennedy.

Read the full press release here

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions
or New Position
 


Group LP Selfies
See all the selfies here
 

Domino’s - Your LP Pizza Partner

2019 'GLPS' Pizza Parties to Be Provided by Domino's


We're pleased to announce that Domino's will be sponsoring the D&D Daily's 'Group LP Selfie' pizza parties in 2019, providing $200 gift cards to six lucky LP/AP teams, drawn LIVE at our LPNN events at the NRF Big Show in January and NRF Protect in June.

We'd like to thank Van Carney, Director, Loss Prevention, Safety & Security at Domino's, for supporting this fun LP industry effort and for Domino's continuing to serve the industry - this time literally - with pizza!

Submit your 'Group LP Selfie' today, and you could win at our drawing next month! We'll also send you a free GLPS team plaque for your office wall. Show your team pride and let's have some fun!


 



Domino's Safety & LP Team Has Been "Getting LP Social" for Years Now


Here are some of their GLPS pictures submitted by Van Carney to the Daily:

2015


2016


2017


2018


Top Industry News
 

DTT, LP Innovations, and 360iQ are Rebranding to DTiQ
with Industry Leading Unified Solution Set

DTT today announced its new name, DTiQ, reflecting the company's evolution into an all-encompassing performance improvement provider for the retail, restaurant and convenience store industries. Included in the rebranding are LP Innovations and 360iQ, companies acquired earlier in 2018. With over 20 years of heritage, DTiQ helps retailers and restauranteurs improve over 8 million consumer experiences daily.

The new name - DTiQ - emphasizes the commitment to intelligent video-based solutions, combined with advanced analytics, and enhanced by DTiQ's unique managed services offering. In 2018, DTiQ opened a new corporate headquarters in Boston, completed two acquisitions, appointed a new management team and added over 5,000 new customer locations. prnewswire.com
 


France Riots - The Retail Impact

The Retail Impact of France's Yellow Vests
Protests to Cost $11.4B in Lost Sales For Retailers
France, Protests' "Catastrophe For Business"

The so-called "yellow vests" who are protesting over taxes have been taking an economic bite - enough so that expectations for economic growth are being downgraded.

Today France's central bank cut its economic growth projections for the current (fourth) quarter expectations have now been cut in half, to 20 basis points.

The protests will cost SMEs as much as $11.4 billion USD and that lost sales for retailers to date have totaled more than $1.1 billion.

Said Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, the losses translate into a "catastrophe for business" as companies boarded up their brick-and-mortar locations over the weekend in key shopping districts, such as the Opera district and the streets lining the Champs-Élysées. The impact has been felt not just in urban areas, but suburban locations as well, as the protests have blocked entrances to shopping complexes, which in turn has led to temporary closings of "big box" locations for companies such as Carrefour and Fnac Darty.

Bloomberg reported that tourist reservations in Paris have been cut by as much as 50 percent year on year. pymnts.com

'Everything's closed': Violent protests are an 'economic catastrophe' for France'
Shops shuttered in the run-up to Christmas, chaos on the roads: France's "yellow vest" protests are dealing a blow to the economy which the finance minister says is no less than a "catastrophe".

As riots flared in Paris on Saturday, Livio Forte, a tourist from New York, could only watch on as police trucks lined up on the Place Vendome. "Everything's closed," his wife said.

The chic square's luxury jewellery shops were boarded up, the diamonds and watches gone from their windows to protect them from looters.

The Eiffel Tower, museums, department stores -- all closed on what would normally be a bustling Saturday in the run-up to Christmas.

The US embassy had issued a warning to Americans to "avoid crowds" in Paris, while Belgium, Portugal and the Czech Republic advised citizens to postpone trips altogether.

Retail and hotels hit

For a third weekend running, shops were looted in the French capital, their windows smashed, cars torched and barricades burned in the streets. Riots also shook other French cities popular with tourists, including Bordeaux and Toulouse.

"It's a period when commerce is usually brisk, just before Christmas -- but this, this is a catastrophe," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said as he visited Parisian shopkeepers. thelocal.fr

France's Retailers Face Fourth Weekend of Yellow-Vests Protests
2,000 Arrested - Malls & Shops Closed & Some Destroyed

With the smell of tear gas and smoke still lingering in Paris and other cities after a fourth weekend of protests, France's president planned a nationwide address on Monday to respond to the anger among many middle-class and working-poor citizens frustrated over their declining economic means.

Macron must project strong resolve against the destruction of private property to preserve the allegiance of the small-business owners who have seen their shops vandalized or who have been forced to close on successive Saturdays. Mr. Macron must also stand with the many French who have been outraged by the desecration of national monuments, or who have seen their cars burned or other property destroyed.

With fires lit by protesters still smoldering in some of France's largest cities on Sunday, local officials and small businesses voiced their dismay over the vandalism and lost business during the usually busy Christmas season.

If the Yellow Vests movement's ability to bring business to a halt appears unchanged, so does its standing with the public nationwide. Although relatively small numbers of people go into the streets - France has a population of 67 million and the most that have turned out to protest is less than 300,000 - support for their grievances remains at about 70 percent, despite the violence and destruction of property, according to several different polls.

Shuttered shops, burning cars and tear gas. We were on the ground in Paris with the "Yellow Vests" protesters as they took to the streets for the fourth week in a row. nytimes.com

Thousands of stores and museums stayed shut over the weekend
Turning the French capital into a ghost town 2 weeks before Christmas

Retailers across France were left assessing the cost of another weekend of protests throughout the country, which in Paris resulted in more damage than the prior week, according to officials.

Entire sections of central Paris, usually bustling with Christmas shoppers at this time of year, were deserted on Saturday as police faced off against demonstrators across town in the fourth weekend of violent antigovernment protests. Thousands of stores erected wooden barricades and remained shut, as did major tourist attractions and museums, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, the Centre Pompidou, the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Paris Opera, effectively turning Paris into a ghost town - except for the 10,000 protesters in yellow safety vests who descended on the French capital. wwd.com

Revolt of the "yellow vests" causes 1 billion euro retail loss in France
The "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) are taking a heavy toll on French retail. Retailers have lost approximately 1 billion euros (1.13 billion US dollars) since the protests began around a month ago, according to a statement by the French Retail Federation.

Paris was practically a ghost town last Saturday, as numerous stores, including Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Citadium, decided to close their doors from Friday evening, with some even erecting wooden barricades to prevent protesters from vandalizing their windows. The yellow vests deliberately target high-end shops. fashionunited.uk

Some brands see retail sales plummet as much as 40%
 


 

Bordeaux, France: Apple store robbed and vandalized in French riots
Apple Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux, France was robbed and looted Saturday night by French "yellow vest" protestors. The vandals smashed the store's windows before flooding through the building and ripping MacBooks, iPhones, iPads and more from product tables.
9to5mac.com

 


Retail Sales Under Snow in Southeast
Heavy Early Snow Smacks the Southeast, Knocking Out Power and Snarling Travel

Judging by the empty streets and light traffic, people seemed to be heeding Gov. Cooper's suggestions. Some Raleigh stores shut their doors for the day, even though it was a crucial pre-Christmas shopping weekend.

The dangerous conditions led local governments, including in Wake County, which includes Raleigh, to cancel public school classes on Monday. Duke University also called off classes for the day. Some portions of the county got as much as 14 inches of snow over the weekend, though Raleigh got much less.

The National Weather Service said some additional snowfall in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic was likely through Sunday night as part of a "high-impact winter storm" stretching from northeastern Georgia to central Virginia.

The governor of Virginia, Ralph S. Northam, also declared a state of emergency on Saturday. nytimes.com

Allegations Target Executives' Inappropriate Behavior at Luxury U.K. Retailer Ted Baker
Ted Baker Staff Demand End to 'Forced Hugging' at Work

Women are coming forward with allegations of unprofessional behavior at U.K. luxury fashion retailer Ted Baker, decrying the practice of "unwelcome hugging." An independent investigation is being conducted into harassment complaints against founder and CEO Ray Kelvin and another senior executive.

Thousands of people signed a petition demanding an end to forced hugging and asking the company to set up an independent, external mechanism to report harassment, claiming "HR has done nothing with the reports of harassment to date."

The company's stock fell 13 percent when news of the allegations first broke in early December. It has said it is taking the allegations "very seriously," wants employees to feel valued and respected, and appointed a law firm to conduct an investigation.

Unwanted hugging in the workplace can constitute sexual harassment, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2017. shrm.org

Berkeley, CA: Z Gallerie Accused of Racist Hiring Practices
Four Black Women File Lawsuit Against Furniture Chain

In a lawsuit filed against luxury home furnishing chain Z Gallerie, four African-American women who were former employees at its Berkeley store all claim they experienced racial discrimination in the form of lack of promotion, disparate treatment and unlawful termination.

The lawsuit states that job opportunities at the store were not advertised to the Black plaintiffs and other people from outside the store were hired, even though the Black plaintiffs were interested in the promotions. Or the jobs from Z Gallerie were advertised, but the Black plaintiffs, with more experience on the job and in sales, weren't allowed to interview for the openings. oaklandpost.org

Fixing a toxic work culture
What makes a company culture good or bad has been the subject of much speculation and study over the decades. A report in Quartz notes how one company's attempt to overhaul a toxic culture backfired, creating more bad habits. For instance, taking ownership meant, for some employees, trying to own everything. That's why a regular culture audit may be needed to recalibrate and learn from the past. This means recognizing that a culture code put to paper can, and often does, inspire unexpected behaviors. qz.com

British Judge Dismisses Tesco's 250M pound Fraud Trial of Two Former Top Exec's
In an embarrassment for the UK's Serious Fraud Office, the judge threw out the Tesco case before it went to jurors for deliberation, deciding that in key areas “the prosecution case was so weak it should not be left for a jury’s consideration”. The SFO, he said, had failed to produce evidence that the two defendants knew of the alleged offence — of income being booked illegally, resulting in a £250m hole in the supermarket giant’s accounts in 2014. The Criminal Court of Appeal agreed and acquitted the former managers. But after such a lengthy investigation and trial process, their lives had been turned upside down. www.ft.com

NYC Mayor Indicates Support For Making Restaurants Accept Cash
The mayor today tentatively voiced support for a bill from Bronx Councilman Ritchie Torres that would undo the recent surge in cashless restaurants and businesses. A number of trendy chains, including taqueria Dos Toros and salad-maker Sweetgreen, no longer accept dollars and cents-reasoning that an all-electronic payment system increases efficiency while decreasing germ exposure and robbery.

They allege such eateries particularly discriminate against minorities, undocumented immigrants and low-income earners, who are statistically less likely to have a bank account or credit card. crainesnewyork.com

The One to Watch - MedMen - Fastest Growing Cannabis Company in North America
They're quickly building an empire of top executives and in my opinion may end up on top. Just an opinion - these are the personal thoughts of the writer and has no connection to the Daily itself. -Gus Downing

US Trustee Objects To Sears' $25M Exec Bonuses In Ch. 11
In a motion filed last month, the company asked for permission to pay 18 insider employees up to $8.5 million in performance bonuses and set up a retention payment pool of $16.9 million for more than 300 non-insider employees, saying they are being asked to put in long hours for a company whose future is uncertain. law360.com

Ron Rosenbaum, ASIS International, Talks About The Success of GSX 2018 And What's Coming Up At GSX Sept. 2019 in Chicago
After 63 years as the ASIS International Annual Seminar & Exhibits, ASIS re-branded the world's most comprehensive event for security professionals as Global Security Exchange (GSX), which featured innovative, immersive learning and a new, technology-forward exhibit floor and networking experience.

In this Q&A, Ron Rosenbaum, Chief Global Marketing & Business Development Officer at ASIS International, talks about the newly branded show and what to expect in 2019. securitysolutonswatch.com

Key-Control Lessons I Learned From Becoming A Covert Camera Theft Video Depository - By Mark Manney, Loss Prevention Results Inc.

From 2005 to 2015, I was in well over 70 vending operations in 27 states fighting vending crime with great success. I do not know of anyone else in the country who came into possession of so many covert camera theft videos from so many vending companies in such a short time. This gave me unique insight and knowledge that I used throughout my client base and in loss prevention seminars I gave in more than 25 vending conventions, including one in Mexico.

Here is what I learned in vending companies from installing VendingCam in a large national company, a large national franchise group, multiple large regionals, dozens of midsize operations and many smaller family operations in 27 states -- companies in urban, suburban and rural locations.

Most of the thieves were former or present employees who had keys no one in the company knew they had. In some cases, these were stolen; the employee took them along when he or she left the company. Or the keys were given to the dishonest employee and were not tracked or recorded, and no one remembered that they had them. Many were master keys. Sometimes there were entire rings of keys missing, and no one in management realized it.

In some cases, the former employee knew the route well and simply continued to skim cash long after leaving the company, but the smart ones did not clean out the machines or changers. Like smart parasites, they didn't want to kill their hosts... just bleed them like hidden leeches. vendingtimes.com

Dollar General to open 975 stores in 2019 & remodel 1,000

Retailers Embrace Payment Apps to Sidestep $90 Billion in Swipe Fees


Last week's #1 article --

America's #2 Retailer - Kroger's Asset Protection Efforts
Continue to Impact Shrink 5th Quarter in a row

With nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states under two dozen banners & annual sales of more than $115.3 billion,
Kroger today ranks as one of the world's largest retailers

Kroger's New Investment On 1st VP of AP Role in April 2017
Paying Off - Here's the Proof
Kroger CFO, Mike Schlotman, Calls Out & Recognizes Continuous Shrink Improvement In 5 Consecutive Quarterly Results Calls

Quarterly & Full Year Results Conference Call Transcripts With Shareholders & Media

Dec. 6th Press Release: Gross margin was 21.6% of sales for the third quarter. Excluding fuel and the LIFO charge, gross margin decreased 91 basis points from the same period last year but was higher than the 2018 second quarter. Kroger's shrink rate continued to improve during the third quarter. The gross margin rate reflects the timing and size of price investments compared to a year ago, rising transportation costs, and the growth of the specialty pharmacy business.

Shrink improvement and waste has been a major focus at Kroger. Which is why they staffed a Vice President level position, Mike Lamb in April 2017. Their first ever VP level AP executive in their long history.

With undergoing a massive effort to standardize the AP effort in over twenty banners the organization is reaping the rewards of improved performance. The whole story of which is being published on the Daily shortly.

For more on the quarterly results history see the Daily's article - Kroger's AP Efforts Paying Off posted 9/24/18. kroger.com


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and doesn't filter retail's reality
  








Spotlight on FFR, a Siffron Company
 

P.O.P. Security Invisi-Shield® System

Are you looking for a simple yet effective solution to secure products and reduce shrink? The innovative and easy-to-use P.O.P. Security Invisi-Shield® System from FFR Merchandising, a siffron company, can help you do just that. This open (not under lock and key) loss prevention system secures high-value, high-theft product while allowing customer access to the product for purchase.

The P.O.P. Security Invisi-Shield System features clear “invisible” panels that control inventory while providing an unobstructed view of consumer product. Panels slide along a rail to allow single product access for legitimate customers while preventing “shelf sweeping” theft. As customer slides panel to access product, a manual clicking sound alerts store personnel to activity. Available for narrow, wide, or tall products, the panels feature contoured edges that are intuitive and comfortable for shopping.

The plastic panels are nearly unbreakable, even in high-traffic environments, and have been designed to install easily on perforated gondola shelves with minimal to no impact on existing planogram. Optional accessories, such as locking panel, end panels, and security bar cover, provide additional security by further limiting access to the product.

To provide greater protection from shelf sweeping, reduced labor and improved organization, use with any of our Power Zone® Self-facing Systems.

To see how it works, check out the video here.

For more information on the P.O.P. Security Invisi-Shield System and how it works, contact FFR Merchandising at 800.422.2547 or visit www.ffr.com.





A Plan to Turn New York City Into a Capital of Cybersecurity
A new partnership among two prominent Israeli venture capital funds, a handful of major private-sector companies and the city’s economic growth development enterprise is hoping to turn New York City into the nation’s leading center for yet one more major industry: cybersecurity.

Cyber NYC, as the project is called, is among the nation’s most ambitious cybersecurity initiatives, which over the next decade could transform New York City into a global leader of cybersecurity innovation and job creation.

The multiyear project would simultaneously create a Global Cyber Center in Chelsea, a cybersecurity innovation hub in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan and an academic cybepartnership with area colleges, such as Columbia University, New York University and City University of New York. At the same time, major corporations such as Goldman Sachs, Mastercard and PricewaterhouseCoopers also are participating in advisory roles or to assist with the project’s training and hiring.

Its goal: to create 10,000 local cybersecurity jobs over the next decade as part of Mayor de Blasio’s New York Works Plan.

Two new cybersecurity centers in separate locations will work in tandem to anchor this project. In SoHo, a 50,000-square-foot cybersecurity investment hub will support cybersecurity start-ups in New York City. In Chelsea, the 15,000-square-foot Global Cyber Center will bring together investors, corporations and start-ups and serve as a virtual testing ground to run simulations. Both are expected to be completed before the end of 2019. nytimes.com

Hackers Target 35,000 CFOs for Phishing Scam
Bank's LP Team Scammed for $20,000

A Nigerian gang's "business email compromise" scam aimed at finance execs shows how cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated.

A group of Nigerian hackers included 35,000 CFOs in their list of targets for bogus requests for email compromise scams.

Cyber threat detection firm Agari reported the group known as “London Blue” chose their targets from lists acquired from commercial data brokers, whose clients are usually marketers and sales teams.

The London Blue list included a total of more than 50,000 finance executives, of whom 71% were chief financial officers. More than half of the executives were in the United States. Agari estimated in its report that the scam has already caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

“The pure scale of the group’s target repository is evidence that BEC attacks are a threat to all businesses, regardless of size or location,” it added.

According to Hassold, the hackers have been successful in some cases, even convincing a bank’s loss prevention unit a transaction for more than $20,000 was valid.

“It is pure social engineering,” Crane Hassold, senior director of threat research at Agari, told The Financial Times. cfo.com

Retailers Aren't Trusted
SAS Survey: 67% of US consumers
Government Should Do More to Protect Data Privacy

US consumers appear ready for regulation. Sixty-seven percent of survey participants think the US government should do more to protect data privacy. And the new Congress seems poised to explore federal regulation. "US, organizations that treat their customers' data with care will be rewarded, and those that don't risk the loss of reputation and customers."

Social media was the least trusted, with only 14 percent expressing the same confidence. Travel companies (16 percent), retail (18 percent), internet/cable providers (20 percent), energy companies (21 percent), and government agencies (29 percent) were also rated low. prnewswire.com

The EWF Announces the 2018 Women of Influence Award Recipients and Corporate Award
Executive Women’s Forum on Information Security, Risk Management, and Privacy (EWF) announced the 2018 Women of Influence Award Recipients and EWF Corporate Award.

Presented by Alta Associates, the annual Women of Influence Awards recognize four women for their accomplishments and leadership roles in the fields of Information Security, Risk Management, and Privacy. The EWF also recognizes one corporation for their efforts in advancing and promoting women in their organization. The EWF honored this year’s recipients at an awards ceremony held during the 2018 EWF National Conference. securitymagazine.com

Insider Threats & Insider Objections
The 'tyranny of the urgent' and three other reasons why it's hard for CISOs to establish a robust insider threat prevention program.

There are several factors that blunt attempts at establishing a robust insider threat program, among them: long “to do” lists, optics, privacy, mindshare and culture.

The never-ending "to do" list. If it’s not multifactor authentication (MFA), it’s endpoint detection and response (EDR). If it’s not EDR, it’s identity and access management (IAM). If it’s not IAM, it’s BYOD. You get the idea.

The problem of optics. Maybe you’ve taken a long look at your business and decided that the lack of an insider threat program is significant enough that you should address it. Good for you. Now you’ve got to get past the set of objections I file under the broad heading of "optics."

It’s made worse by cultural issues. While I wish it were otherwise, it’s also best to admit that there are a lot of different relationships and dynamics that exist between employee and employer. Trust can be an issue, and in many companies, there exists a distinct sense of "them" and "us" that separates executive management from the workforce.

The employee privacy issues. Users have legitimate concerns about how much they reveal of themselves to their employers.

Mindshare – or making the boss happy. The job of the CISO is not as simple as just protecting the company; it’s about making the boss happy – and that boss is ultimately the CEO or the board of directors. If the risks posed by insiders aren’t part of his or her mindshare, insider threat programs won’t look like a good investment. You can do some work to educate, but too often we find that we are faced with people whose minds are already made up. darkreading.com


'Live in NYC' 2018 at the NRF Big Show
#5 Most Watched

Organized Retail Crime

MetrORCA Update - ORC Trends - Strategies - Innovations

Lt. Tarik Sheppard, NYPD
Jim Cosseboom
, Manager of Investigations & Corp. AP, Ahold-Delhaize
TJ Flynn
, Sr. Manager of AP Investigations, JC Penney

Hear from three key members of New York's Metro ORC Association: Lt. Tarik Sheppard, NYPD; Jim Cosseboom, Manager of Investigations & Corporate Asset Protection, Retail Business Services LLC, an Ahold-Delhaize company; and TJ Flynn, Sr. Manager of Asset Protection Investigations, JC Penney.

Learn how MetrORCA's annual conference will be different from others, what role big data will play in solving cases, and why it's important for LP teams to celebrate the small wins.

Episode Sponsored By:


Watch the full 'Live in NYC' 2018 video series here.





e-commerce
Sponsored by The Zellman Group

"Amazon, Amid Crackdown on Seller Scams, Fires Employees Over Data Leak"
Amazon's Vendor Central - Becoming Hacker Central
Sabotage - Claiming Counterfeits - Changing Rivals Listings

Amazon is fighting a barrage of seller scams on its website, including firing several employees suspected of having helped supply independent merchants with inside information, according to people familiar with the company’s effort.

Amazon was investigating suspected data leaks and bribes of its employees, The Wall Street Journal reported in September. Since then, the company has dismissed several workers in the U.S. and India for allegedly inappropriately accessing internal data that was being misused by disreputable merchants, these people said.

Amazon in recent weeks also has deleted thousands of suspect reviews, restricted sellers’ access to customer data on its website and stifled some techniques that trick the site into surfacing products higher in search results, according to the people.

The crackdown, however, hasn’t stopped some sellers from sabotaging rivals. A recent rash of merchants claim competitors are maliciously flagging products as being counterfeit or infringing trademarks, prompting Amazon to temporarily boot legitimate products from the site while it evaluates them.

Sellers buying wholesaler accounts on the black market. These accounts on Amazon's Vendor Central system designed to allow modifications to product listings are being misused to alter rivals’ product pages, such as by changing photos to unrelated items, these people said.

Some Chinese firms are selling wholesale vendor accounts for roughly $15,000, or renting them for up to $1,500 a month, the people familiar with the matter said.

The competition intensifies in the all-important holiday retail season, helping prompt Vendor Central attacks.

The Journal reported in July on a variety of ways sellers attempt to outsmart Amazon’s automated system, which ranks some half-billion products in search results. The tactics include pummeling rivals’ listings with overly positive or negative reviews, and repeatedly clicking on links to products they want boosted to trick Amazon’s algorithm into ranking them higher in search results, according to people familiar with the practices.

Some sellers engage in a practice dubbed “brushing,” in which fake accounts use real addresses to place orders so they can leave positive reviews, according to people familiar with the matter.

​Amazon is focusing part of the internal bribery investigation on India, a major alleged source of data misuse by Amazon employees. wsj.com

Holiday E-Commerce Sales Soaring 18.6% So Far
U.S. shoppers have spent $80.3 billion online from Nov. 1-Dec. 6. Smartphone sales are up nearly 55% year over year.

U.S. online shoppers spent $7.87 billion on Cyber Monday, and on Black Friday, U.S. online shoppers spent $6.22 billion, according to Adobe. Similarly, Internet Retailer estimates that Cyber Monday wins with $7.75 billion in online sales, and Black Friday $6.24 billion. And comScore also says Cyber Monday is king with $6.0 billion in online sales and Black Friday is second with $4.8 billion. digitalcommerce360.com
 

"Fraud is not a person - it is a dynamic grouping of statistics that deviate from the norm."
Stuart B. Levine, CFI, CFCI
CEO, The Zellman Group & Zelligent




ORC News
Sponsored by Auror
 

Lexington, KY: "Operation Fa La La Larceny", More than 50 charged in Lexington shoplifting investigations
Police have arrested dozens of people after a shoplifting investigation. "Operation Fa La La Larceny" was a joint effort between police in Lexington and the Kentucky Organized Retail Crime Association. From December 3 through December 6, officers worked with loss prevention personnel at stores along the Nicholaville Road corridor, focusing on catching alleged shoplifters. Officers criminally charged 53 people, arrested 47 people, issued 10 criminal citations and served 7 arrest warrants. In all, $8,267 in stolen property was recovered. The recovered merchandise included jewelry, fragrances, cosmetics, clothing, handbags, batteries, and alcohol. wkyt.com

Kansas City, MO: Teen charged in $10,000 cell phone robbery scheme
D’Angelo Fisher, 19, is charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. On December 3, officers arrived at the At&T store on a reported armed robbery. Workers at the store said they had been robbed at gunpoint when a teenager entered the store and faked interest in a buying a cell phone. Store employees then took the suspect to the back of the store where he was able to fill a backpack with Apple iPhone Xs and Xs Max’s. The reported total value of the stolen cell phones was over $10,000. The next day, another At&T store was robbed in Raytown. Police conducted a car stop in Kansas City and found a teen they believed matched the description of the robbery suspect. fox4kc.com

Linden, NJ: Woman Charged with $5,100 Theft from Home Depot
Polly Linton of Linden has been charged with recruiting the assistance of an employee from a local Home Depot to help him steal more than $5,000 in home remodeling merchandise earlier this year. Officer Jose Beltran, 30, of Elizabeth is charged with third-degree theft and third-degree conspiracy to commit theft. According to authorities, an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Professional Standards Unit, revealed that on at least three occasions from late August into late September 2018, Beltran traveled to the Home Depot on U.S. Routes 1 and 9 in Linden while off duty and brought a combined total of approximately $5,156 in flooring materials, tools, and other merchandise to a specific store cashier, Polly Linton of Linden.  tapinto.net

Monroe, LA: MPD arrest homeless man for Organized Retail theft
Monroe police arrested a homeless man on suspicion of organized retail theft on Sunday after authorities received a tip of stolen goods at Super One Foods in Monroe. The suspect was identified as Darrell D. Watts, 37, of Monroe, entered the store around 9 p.m. and concealed six Tide Pod capsules. Watts claimed he stole the items because he was homeless and did not have any money and planned to sell each item for $5. He has been arrested on similar charges on three other occasions this year, according to the Dec. 2 arrest report.  hannapub.com

Dearborn Heights, MI: Homed Depot Employee arrested for embezzling over $800; passing merchandise to friend

Hooksett, NH: Women steals $5,000 of liquor from State Store; multiple thefts

Cedar Rapids, IA: Police seeking 4 suspects in Burlington thefts


Retail Crime News
Sponsored by Security Resources
 

Shootings & Deaths

Torrance, CA: Officer-Involved Shooting outside of Ralph’s armed suspect killed
An armed man in a suspected stolen vehicle found in Torrance died in an officer-involved shooting on the night of Sunday, Dec. 9, police said. No officers were injured during the incident. A person contacted patrol officers at about 8 p.m. and told them a vehicle that was stolen from him two days prior had just been spotted. Police found the vehicle in the parking lot of the Ralphs grocery store. It said officers approached the vehicle and were met by a man with a rifle who was later shot. Police removed him from the vehicle and attempted to treat his injuries, but he died. dailybreeze.com

Jackson, MS: Man shoots, kills his mother in grocery store parking lot
Jackson Police have arrested a man accused of shooting and killing his mother in a grocery store parking lot Saturday. Terry Huchen, 33, has been charged with murder in the shooting death of 51-year-old Ronia Rodgers, JPD Sgt. Rodrick Holmes said in a news release. The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Food Depot onTerry Road just before 2:30 p.m. This is the 80th homicide of the year in Jackson.  clarionledger.com

Germantown, TN: Police Officer fires weapon after shoplifting incident at Old Navy
The Germantown officer has been released from the hospital. No arrests have been made at this time. This is still an ongoing investigation. A Germantown officer is recovering after he was drug by a car following a shoplifting incident. According to Germantown Police, at approximately 3:56 p.m., officers responded to Old Navy regarding a shoplifting in progress. Responding officers encountered the suspects as they entered a silver four door sedan. As the officers attempted to detain the suspects, one officer became entangled in the door and was carried by the vehicle at a high rate of speed from the scene. The officer discharged his duty weapon and subsequently fell from the vehicle.  fox13memphis.com

Syracuse, NY: Store owner who shot robber also shot at other thief 6 weeks ago
A tobacco shop owner who shot and badly injured a would-be robber Friday night at his North Side store also shot at and possibly injured a would-be robber six weeks ago at the same shop at the same time of night. The owner of Alibaba Market confirmed that he'd been involved in two shootings in as many months during a brief interview at his store on Saturday afternoon. He declined Saturday to comment more about the shootings, saying he was shaken up from having nearly killed a man who brandished a gun at him in a robbery fewer than 24 hours earlier. But he did say he intends to sell his store.  syracuse.com

Victoria, MS: Man shot and killed outside Gas Station

Portland, OR: Police identify wanted man shot, injured by police at Starbucks


Robberies & Thefts

Norfolk, VA: Nine Indicted on Federal charges in grocery store robbery spree
Nine people arrested in connection to a series of violent grocery store robberies in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach have been indicted on federal charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday the suspects charged worked in at least six-member teams and conducted armed robberies at Food Lion stores on Sept. 25 in Virginia Beach, and in Chesapeake on Sept. 29. Prosecutors said the group also robbed a Harris Teeter in Virginia Beach on Oct. 3, in which the store manager was shot. The teams included lookouts inside and outside the stores, getaway drivers and two gunmen. They allegedly used police scanners to monitor law enforcement activity and communicated through earpieces.  fairfaxunderground.com

Sacramento, CA: Jewelry store owner tackles gunman; 3 robbery suspects still outstanding
One suspect was arrested in the attempted robbery at a Sacramento jewelry store, according to Sacramento Police officials. Police reported one of the four suspects was arrested. The three other suspects, who police believe to be juveniles, are still outstanding.  abc10.com

Cockatoo, Australia: Police are asking for help in tracking down the culprits who stole 880 pounds of Garlic worth $15,000

Kay Jewelers in the Towne East Mall, Wichita, KS reported a Grab & Run on 12/8, item valued at $5,599

Kay Jewelers in the West Georgia Commons Mall, LaGrange, GA reported a Distraction Theft on 12/7, item valued at $3,799

Kay Jewelers in the Northpark Mall, Davenport, IA reported a Burglary on 12/9, items valued at $30,000


Fire/Arson

Chatham, NY: Two 12 year old arrested for setting fire outside Rite Aid, charged with Arson

Chicago, IL: Man tried to blow up propane tanks at JJ Peppers C- Store


Jacksonville, FL: Warehouse fire shuts down operations for online retailer


 


Robberies and Burglaries
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AT&T – Kansas City, MO – Robbery
Baskin- Robbins – Seattle, WA – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Plain, WI – Robbery
C-Store – Springfield, MA – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Chesterfield, VA – Armed Robbery
Circle K – St Augustine, FL – Armed Robbery
Dollar General – Huntsville, AL - Robbery
Dollar General – Orange County, FL – Armed Robbery
Family Dollar – Buffalo, NY – Armed Robbery
Gas Station – Marshall, WI – Armed Robbery
Hardware – Petaluma, CA – Burglary
Jewelry – Sacramento, CA – Armed Robbery
• Jewelry – Davenport, IA – Burglary
Liquor Store – Wichita, KS – Burglary
McDonald’s – Ferndale, WA – Armed Robbery
McDonald’s - Huntsville, AL - Robbery
Party Supply – Fresno, CA – Armed Robbery
Pawn Shop – Laughlin, NV – Armed Robbery
Restaurant – Lakeport, CA – Burglary
Subway – Seattle, WA – Armed Robbery
Tattoo Shop – South Salt Lake, UT – Burglary
T-Mobile – Elmhurst, IL – Robbery
Tobacco – Houston, TX – Armed Robbery
Vape – Shawnee, KS – Burglary
7-Eleven - Downers Grove, IL – Armed Robbery

Daily Totals:
19 robberies
6 burglaries
0 shootings
0 killings




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AP Coordinator Harris Teeter Rocky Mount, NC
AP Manager, Shrink Reduction JCPenney Plano, TX
LP Supervisor Kohl's Fort Smith, NC
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Flexibility and molding to the environment you're in is the first step towards integration and inclusion. In order to be absolutely effective, an executive must first become one with their surroundings and mold to what it is as opposed to expecting them to mold to you. Seeing and hearing those subtle differences is the key and changing to it becomes the objective. Once modified, you then have the freedom to influence change and make a difference.

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