Why Inventories Are a Threat to Retail Stocks. While tariffs are making headlines and stressing out markets, the real villain for retailers might be their overflowing inventories. After the pandemic-induced shortages, retailers went on a shopping spree, but now they’re stuck with too much stuff as inflation cools consumer spending. This inventory glut is squeezing margins and could lead to another rough year for retailers, especially if consumer spending doesn’t stay strong. So, while tariffs are a headache, it’s the stockrooms that might give retailers the biggest migraine. [Barron’s]
US retailers respond to tariff delay for Canada and Mexico — The U.S. has hit the snooze button on planned tariffs for imports from Canada and Mexico, giving everyone a month to chat about illegal fentanyl trafficking and border security. Retail bigwig David French is all smiles, calling it a chance for diplomacy over trade wars. The proposed tariffs, which could hike new car prices by $2,700, have Canada and Mexico ready to retaliate, claiming the move breaches the USMCA trade pact. Everyone’s now on the edge of their seats, hoping for a peaceful resolution. [Retail Insight Network]
Independent Boards: The Secret to Fewer Workplace Injuries? -- Researchers found that having independent directors on a corporation's board significantly improves workplace safety. By comparing data from 1996-2008, they discovered that firms forced to adopt independent boards saw a 9-10% drop in work-related injuries and illnesses. This improvement is linked to increased safety investments and incorporating safety benchmarks into CEO compensation. So, it turns out, keeping the boardroom independent might just keep the workplace safer! [Safety+Health]
New York Moves to Soften Retail Job Violence, Panic Button Law
New York will ease its upcoming requirements for retailers to protect employees from workplace violence, including softening the mandate to provide panic buttons, under legislation heading to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for her signature. The legislation (S740 / A1678) is a revision to the retail workplace violence law that New York enacted in 2024. Hochul signed last year’s bill after negotiating with bill sponsors to return in the 2025 session with revisions to satisfy concerns from the industry about difficulties complying with the broad mandates.
The 2025 measure, which the Assembly passed Tuesday after it won approval Monday.
It pays to know how your cybersecurity stacks up — In today’s cost-cutting corporate world, CISOs need to show their cybersecurity programs are worth the investment. Performance benchmarking is becoming essential, pushing CISOs to step out of their tech bubble and focus on business outcomes. Using frameworks like NIST and ISO can help, but it’s crucial to pick the right one and keep data fresh. Remember, it’s not about being perfect—just good enough to keep the board happy and the hackers at bay. [CSO]
LP Executives Weigh-In on
Gatekeeper/FaceFirst Merger
The industry is quickly buzzing about the announcement of Gatekeeper Systems and FaceFirst merging yesterday.
“Merging these two technologies offers significant synergies and makes perfect sense. When integrated properly, we can expect greater utilization of both platforms, enhancing the return and the end-user experience for our teams.”
– Will England, Vice President, Asset Protection, Risk Management, and Compliance
“Consolidation in the security vendor/service provider space can be viewed in both a positive and negative light. Over the years we’ve seen these types of transactions result in innovation and progress with great customer impact. Unfortunately, at times we’ve seen similar mergers fail to deliver as well. What excites me about this particular announcement is the merger of two companies offering somewhat unique and unquestionably effective offerings addressing Retail Safety and Asset Protection. As a customer of both organizations I can attest to their leadership’s customer focus and commitment to the success of their clientele. If they continue this momentum and focus, while being mindful of potential pitfalls, I have no doubt they will become stronger as a combined solution provider.” — Grocery Industry Executive
“While there is no silver bullet solution to solving retail crime, I’m excited about the merger of Gatekeeper and FaceFirst. These types of integrations are the key to arming both retailers and law enforcement with what they need to make a difference.”
– Ben Dugan, President, Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR)
“It’s always exciting to see two mission-driven companies join forces to reduce loss and create safer stores, accelerating their shared impact.”
– Bobby Haskins, Senior Vice President, Customer- North America, Auror
“An intriguing mash-up of a proven hardware solution and a cutting-edge software tool. The potential for efficiency, synergy, and usability are really exciting.”
– Clint Hedgpeth, Sr. Director of Loss Prevention Operations, H-E-B
“I believe this merger is a strong strategic fit, as both companies prioritize the front-end experience. I see clear synergies that will enhance their combined value.”
– Tom Meehan, CEO at CONTROLTEK
“Definitely a good thing for the retail industry. Anything we can get that will combat crime in a major way is a WIN for the industry!”
– Grocery Asset Protection Executive
“It’s a surprising one because both companies are established companies with a niche product. That said, building an ecosystem between their core products makes a ton of sense. I think FaceFirst will inject some excitement into Gatekeeper as well as help them diversify their solutions.”
– Retail Asset Protection Executive
“Exciting merger between FaceFirst and Gatekeeper. Two highly innovative companies that combined can provide retailers with layered protection at their entrances.”
– Joe Coll, Vice President Asset Protection Operations & Strategy at Macy’s
“When solution providers realize they can combine their products or services with another, it strengthens their value proposition to retailers. A merger like this is a no brainer and will surely set them apart in the industry.”
– Jim Palmer, Chief Resilience Officer, USCG Community Services Command
“Gatekeeper and FaceFirst are a perfect example artificial intelligence synergizes to strengthen AP/loss prevention solutions. Their reach goes beyond retail and extends to hospitals, casinos, and distribution centers. There are some risks and challenges to this merger as well including the privacy and legal matters that facial recognition often encounters — is that now Gatekeeper’s problem? The bottom line is this is a boost to AI-driven LP solutions, but it also faces regulatory, ethical, and operational challenges. Success hinges on overcoming those known issues, achieving what the press release calls “extrinsic success factors.” In other words, if the merger is going to be good for all involved, it had better be good in the eyes of regulators and retailers had better see a return on investment.”
– Retail Asset Protection/Operations Executive
Do you have a different take?
Tell us by sending a named or anonymous note to comments@talklpnews.com. We’ll publish your comments throughout the week.
As our Director of Asset Protection, you will provide direction and oversight to the Asset Protection department and functions for 130 locations in California and Nevada, including strategic initiatives, business planning, policy development, loss prevention programs and systems, inventory shrink reduction programs, physical security systems, security personnel, executive protection and asset protection to all employees, stores and facilities. The Director of Asset Protection is accountable for improved shrink performance through the effective performance of shrink reduction and best practice programs aimed at Store Operations and Supply Chain channels. In this role, you will also provide oversight of business continuity planning and implementation.
King Soopers: ‘Holding a picket line is totally unnecessary’
As King Soopers and City Market workers in Colorado prepare to strike on Thursday, King Soopers Division President Joe Kelley sees one similarity to the 10-day strike back in 2022: It will cost the workers.
In 2022, according to Kelly, the original contract proposal from the Kroger-owned grocer was some $18 million more than what was agreed upon to get workers back on the job. At that time, the contract was labeled “historic” by the union and included a $5.99-per-hour wage increase.
But that kind of deal hasn’t manifested this time around.
This time around Kelly is calling out what he says are false claims by the union regarding staffing issues, health care, and wages.
Legislation aims to increase age verification of tobacco, hemp product retail sales
If you make a tobacco or hemp product purchase in Tennessee, you may continue to be carded even if you’re more than double the legal age to purchase, should a bill filed in the state legislature pass.
Knoxville Republican Sen. Becky Massey has filed a bill that would raise the “prospective” age limit on identification rules for tobacco or hemp product sales. Under current state law, all tobacco and hemp product purchases require you to be at least 21 years old. Establishments that sell these products are required to ask you for identification to prove you are at least 21 unless “an ordinary person would conclude” you to be at least 30 years old.
Amazon dominates online retail, but it still can’t seem to figure out brick-and-mortar stores. The e-commerce giant has shrunk its Amazon Go convenience store headcount by about half since 2023, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, struggling to attract customers to stores they can pay electronically without interfacing with staff.
“I don’t think they really understand retail,” Nick Egelanian, president of retail-advisory firm SiteWorks Retail, told The Journal. “Running warehouses and shipping stuff efficiently is not the same as greeting a customer and saying, ‘May I help you?’” Jeff Edison, chief executive of Phillips Edison & Co.,which owns grocery-store-anchored shopping centers, agreed.
CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force achieves record-breaking success in 2024
After a record-setting 2023 combatting organized retail crime, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) continues to aggressively disrupt and dismantle illegal operations throughout California.
Thanks to the state’s continued investment in combating organized retail crime, the CHP is proud to announce its most successful year yet for the Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF). In 2024, the task force set new records for investigations, arrests, and recovered stolen goods since its launch in 2019—surpassing all expectations and demonstrating its unparalleled effectiveness.
In the 12 months of 2024, ORCTF efforts have resulted in:
✔ 879 investigations ✔ 1,707 arrests ✔ 676,227 stolen goods recovered ✔ $13.5 million in recovered goods value
With increased funding since 2022, CHP has expanded its efforts statewide, adding more investigators and enhancing proactive crime prevention strategies.
MPD warns retail workers to prioritize safety over merchandise
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A store robbery almost turned deadly when a suspect pulled a gun on an employee who attempted to stop the theft.
Now Memphis Police (MPD) are urging business owners and workers to prioritize safety over merchandise.
“Merchandise can be replaced. Your life can’t,” said Sgt. Andre Jones of MPD.
“It is very scary when you are coming to work, trying to do your best for your family, and you have to worry about somebody gonna come in and rob you or pull a gun on you,” said Rita Ricks, a Dollar General employee.
New cyber threat: digital skimming targets online retailers
A new form of cybercrime is targeting online shoppers, with criminals using digital skimming techniques to steal personal and financial data. This modern variant of card skimming, also known as e-skimming or web skimming, is evolving rapidly, and it’s proving difficult to detect.
What is digital skimming?
Digital skimming involves hackers infiltrating online stores with malicious code designed to capture consumers’ payment details. Unlike traditional card skimming, which relies on physical devices attached to point-of-sale machines, digital skimming is carried out over the internet.
Unattended Payment Growth Spurs Debate on Balancing Convenience, Security
Consumer preferences favor convenient, autonomous transactions, sparking the growth of self-service solutions across various industries. Unattended payments are driving this trend, providing customers with efficient, independent ways to complete purchases.
Unattended payments, which allow customers to complete transactions independently through self-service machines or kiosks, are expected to reach $129 billion globally by 2030. This market is expanding beyond retail, with sectors like hospitality, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment adopting these systems for greater convenience.
Man charged after allegedly kidnapping security guard, threatening him with shard of glass
A man has been charged after he allegedly held a Salt Lake security guard against his will for several hours in January. Joshua Emmett Barnes, 37, was charged on Tuesday, Feb. 4, according to court documents. He is facing one count of aggravated kidnapping, and he was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on Jan. 25 for unrelated charges.
According to SLCPD, Barnes reportedly demanded a ride from a private security guard around 10 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2025. “The security guard refused, but Barnes is accused of forcing his way into the passenger seat, displaying a shard of glass and threatening the security guard,” SCLPD said in a press release.
According to court documents, Barnes reportedly held the shard of glass to the guard’s neck and demanded to be driven to a gas station. The guard said he wouldn’t drive unless Barnes put the glass down, and Barnes obliged. The guard drove to a gas station and tried to get the attention of another security guard, but the other security guard “didn’t understand what was happening,” documents said.
Holiday season cybersecurity lessons: The vulnerability of the retail workforce
The 2024 holiday season marked the most wonderful—and most risky—time of the year for retailers. U.S. consumers spent more than $41 billion online in the five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.
Knowing that holiday shopping accounts for nearly a third of retail revenue, cyber grinches were poised to exploit the shopping chaos.
The greatest vulnerability was the retail workforce: Most retailers lack sufficient internal cybersecurity staff, and seasonal employees rarely receive cyber training, making them easy targets.
These challenges, coupled with rising cyber threats, are forcing retailers to rethink their cyber workforce strategies to better protect consumers and keep stores operational during peak revenue periods.
Expand the Purchek® solution’s impact far beyond the recovery of merchandise involved in pushout theft attempts. While the Purchek® technology effectively stops theft in real-time by locking carts and triggering video events, Gatekeeper Systems’ Theft Intelligence Services take this further, turning isolated events into powerful, actionable insights that inform long-term loss prevention strategies. This evolution allows retailers to shift from reactive theft management to a proactive, data-driven approach.
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