March - April 2021

Asset Protection | Profit Enhancement | Retail Performance

Start with Safety From Selling Fish to Total Loss with Meredith Plaxco at PetSmart

Insights The “Real” Problem Knockoffs Are Cheap but Exact a Heavy Price

The Unexpected Spy One Woman’s Journey Fighting Terrorism

Robotics The Use of Autonomous Mobile Robots in Retail March–April 2021 | V20.2 | losspreventionmedia.com

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Contents Start with Safety From Selling Fish to Total Loss with Meredith Plaxco at PetSmart

By Jim Lee, LPC, and Jack Trlica EDITOR’S NOTE: Meredith Plaxco, LPC, is vice president of loss prevention and safety at PetSmart. She has spent more than twenty years with the company in multiple departments from store operations to corporate communications to loss prevention and safety. She is an active member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Asset Protection Leaders Council.

JIM: Meredith, thank you so much for joining us on this interview.

We’re very pleased to have you.

I personally have heard from several different people how impressed they have been with you and have urged Jack and me to get you on the docket. We finally have done so, and we’re looking forward to our chat today.

MEREDITH: Thank you for the compliment, Jim. If there’s one positive from the pandemic, it has brought the loss prevention, asset protection, and safety community together to solve problems. I think we’ve had a lot of opportunity to get to

know each other and serve in new ways, and I appreciate the incredible support from my LP and safety peers.

JIM: Let’s start by your telling us how you first came to PetSmart and how your career has progressed?

MEREDITH: My career and experience story is a bit of a boomerang and latticework. I began my career at PetSmart in the stores in the late ’90s. It was my first “real” job. I started in the fish department when I was a teenager because of my love of pets and worked my way

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ame-changing regulation may be coming, but for now at least—with willing and naïve customers and easy access to them—it’s a real good time to be a maker of fake goods.

At the product level and from a visual perspective, counterfeiters can now make goods virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. At the society level, they’ve somehow managed to remain out of the spotlight. The problems they create are well documented, certainly, but they haven’t generated the sustained vocal outcry or legislative retribution that might be expected for a $1.8 trillion problem often described as the world’s largest criminal enterprise.

Unabated growth in the counterfeit product market persists despite leaving a long trail of victims in its wake. Brand owners suffer most, losing a sale every time a shopper buys a fake and experiencing an erosion in brand value as poor-quality imitations infect the marketplace. Consumers also get ripped off when buying badly made or poorly performing merchandise, and they can pay a more substantial human cost when a bogus laptop battery ignites, antifreeze laced perfume cause a burn, or if they discover in an emergency that their fireretardant gloves, well, aren’t.

In addition to the welldocumented direct safety risks to consumers, counterfeits cause problems downstream, explained Craig Crosby, consumer advocate and founder of The Counterfeit Report, which tracks bogus products sold online. “A fake $30 Chinese auto part can easily ruin a $2,000 car computer,” he said, noting the pain then extends beyond that one consumer’s financial harm. When that car’s brakes don’t work, many people can pay the price for that one counterfeit item. “Counterfeits are endangering consumers and destroying brands,” said Crosby.

Anna Shkolnaya / Andrey Kuzmin / Annotee / ShutterStock.com

By Garett Seivold, LPM Senior Writer

Economic damage hits wholesalers and retailers too, with legitimate sellers losing out every time a knockoff is bought instead. Illegitimate product can also get comingled with a store’s inventory, hurting a retailer’s reputation with its customers. In one purchase test, for example, Crosby found that a third of a reputable electronic store’s cell phone cases were, in fact, counterfeits.

Despite store policies designed to prevent it, he’s also returned fake-branded

US manufacturing jobs, fuels cross-border organized criminal networks, decreases innovation, slows economic growth, and hinders sustainable economic development in many countries.

“Fakes kill jobs, innovation, and people,” said Bob Barchiesi, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition president.

At lululemon, counterfeiting is a recognized risk, one that “is definitely on our radar,” according to Tristen Shields, senior director for global asset protection and corporate

From Selling Fish to Total Loss with Meredith Plaxco at PetSmart

8 Editorial Board 9 Vendor Advisory Board 10 Retail Sponsors Interviewing 22

Seven Retail Imperatives

By Jack Trlica

You Call That a Success?

Think Again

By David Thompson, CFI, and Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP

24 LPM Excellence

winter coats only to see a major apparel store put the coat back on the rack for sale. And it’s not uncommon for major retailers to be scammed by individuals who purchase, say, a ten-pack of fragrances and then take back a shrink-wrapped counterfeit version to the store for a return.

They then walk away with a refund or store credit and keep the original, authentic goods. It’s a tough problem for retailers to combat, said Crosby, because workers are obliged to satisfy customers and challenging a customer who is returning a counterfeit runs counter to that.

Then there is the enormous expense of enforcing intellectual property rights and investigating and preventing counterfeiting. By 2028, for example, the anticounterfeit packaging market is expected to exceed $420 billion.

And the problem is wider than all that, say analysts.

Counterfeiting funds terrorism, causes governments to lose tax revenues, causes investment dollars for legitimate businesses to dry up, results in a loss of

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The “Real” Problem

security, who notes that his company’s legal department directs the effort to monitor and address it. He likens counterfeiting—and the companion brand risks of bulk buying and reselling and organized retail crime sales—to “a big game of whack-a-mole.”

You can get one illicit storefront taken offline but it—and others— immediately pop up.

Currently, the company is analyzing sales data and taking other steps to understand just how extensive the problem is of other people making money off their company’s brand to inform their decisions about how aggressively they should be in countering it. It helps, said one executive, to have a process in place that ensures all reports and complaints of counterfeit product, including those made through customer service channels, are directed to a single unit for aggregation, analysis, and investigation.

Counterfeiting presents an unequal risk to retailers, something several industry executives cited as a drag on

Seize Any Opportunity to Learn Featuring Josh Crippen, LPC, Whole Foods Market and Greg Dupuy, LPQ, Meijer

By Garett Seivold

48 Technology

March–April 2021

What You Need to Know about the Cyber-Espionage Attack Linked to Russia

By Tom Meehan, CFI

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50 Ask the Expert

The Unexpected Spy

By Merek Bigelow, LPM Executive Editor

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Alliance Images / Pavel Ilyukhin / KiNGWiN / ShutterStock.com

36 Certification

Knockoffs Are Cheap but Exact a Heavy Price

One Woman’s Journey Fighting Terrorism hen you learn of Tracy Walder’s experiences in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it will leave you fascinated, intrigued, and all those other words that mean you want to learn more. It certainly did for us at LPM. Is it the likes of Homeland or other spy shows you may have binge-watched while in quarantine?

We know enough to say—most likely—not a chance.

But we also know it is worth sitting down with Walder, listening to her recount her experience and share her insights, and knowing there is also much we can learn from Walder’s experiences as a female in a well-known male-dominated world.

In Walder’s 2020 memoir titled The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists, Walder recounts many of her experiences leading up to and during her time at the CIA and FBI. Her memoir is a

One Woman’s Journey Fighting Terrorism

One Year Later Interview with Hedgie Bartol, LPQ, LPC, Axis Communications

60 Cyber Security

In Search of a Better User Experience, Retailers Create Cyber Vulnerabilities

By Garett Seivold

By Merek Bigelow LPM

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63 Solutions Showcase

March–April 2021

Robotics THE USE OF AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS IN RETAIL

ou’re visiting the grocery store when the announcement “spill in aisle four” sounds off. Since you’re on aisle three, you take a peek to see if you might help out. As you round the corner, you notice the spill actually means a customer got sick, really sick, and somebody is going to need to deal with a pretty unpleasant and potentially infectious situation. Then you notice an approaching whirring noise and witness a special test robot roll up, stop, and proceed to handle the situation.

For those of a certain age, you might hear somewhere in the back of your mind, “Danger, Will Robinson!” from the old black-and-white Lost in Space television series. Today, however, thanks to advances in technology, robotics has come of age, including applications within retail.

Robotics The Use of Autonomous Mobile Robots in Retail

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Photo courtesy of Knightscope

Remaking Retail Retail is incredibly competitive and perhaps at a fever pitch with reduced margins across brick-and-mortar, online, and omni-channel chains. Convenience and safety rule the day, meaning retailers must gin up their innovation and technology efforts to increase their customers’ in-store experience and even their company’s long-term existence.

E-commerce isn’t new, but according to digitalcommerceonline360.com, customers spent an incredible $861 billion online in 2020, an unprecedented 44 percent increase over 2019. The pandemic appears to have boosted a shift to digital shopping over physical stores at a pace that would typically take place over five years, requiring massive innovation.

Different forms of artificial intelligence (AI) including data management and computer vision are part of this

Deter Potential Theft in Store … in Style

By Checkpoint

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By Read Hayes, PhD

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LPM Magpie Award: Applauding Excellence Featuring Paul Jaeckle, LPC, Meijer Stores and Jessi Dudley, LPRC

26

Bob Barchiesi

Counterfeiting funds terrorism, causes governments to lose tax revenues, causes investment dollars for legitimate businesses to dry up, results in a loss of US manufacturing jobs, fuels cross-border organized criminal networks, decreases innovation, slows economic growth, and hinders sustainable economic development in many countries.

The Unexpected Spy

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6 Editor’s Letter

LossPreventionMedia.com

Knockoffs Are Cheap but Exact a Heavy Price

March–April 2021

12

By Jim Lee, LPC and Jack Trlica

The “Real” Problem

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Departments

Start with Safety

up through almost every role in the store.

I then left PetSmart in the early 2000s for a few years to get some experience in multilocation leadership in the veterinary field managing animal hospitals. I worked in the field and corporate office there for several years as a district manager in operational leadership, business development, and communications, which was my educational background. I was also able to get some mergers and acquisitions experience at that company before returning to PetSmart.

When I returned to PetSmart, I resumed roles in field operations before transitioning to the corporate office in project management roles supporting the store operations team. My time in store operations eventually led to an opportunity managing internal communications on the corporate communications team, which leveraged my education and passion for associate engagement. That was actually my introduction to the loss prevention and safety world.

In the corp. comm. role, I supported many partners across the business on issues that often engaged the LP and safety team. Whether it was business continuity, something in the media, or something we were doing to keep associates safer, the corp. comm. team was involved. Over time I realized that it wasn’t enough for me to be thinking about those

G

March–April 2021

March-April 2021

By Read Hayes, PhD

64 Resource Guide 66 People On The Move 70 Losspreventionmedia LPM Podcasts

72 Advertisers 72 Subscription Form 74 Parting Words Groundhog Day

By Jim Lee, LPC

March–April 2021

March–April 2021

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EDITOR'S LETTER

Jack Trlica, Managing Editor

Seven Retail Imperatives M

RILA explores COVID’s long- term impact on the future of retail in the report Retail Speaks.

The full report is available on the RILA website at rila.org/retail-speaks.

uch has been written and discussed about the impact of the pandemic on retail. Given we’re only one year into the pandemic, we’ve come a very long way in reacting to and evolving retail strategies to fulfill consumer needs and changing customer behaviors. Research now is starting to surface that offers a more academic look at the evolution of retail.

One such study was just released by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) in partnership with McKinsey & Company. C-suite executives at over thirty US companies completed a benchmarking survey that covered more than 100 metrics and explored consumer outlook, digital acceleration, and future supply chain. The survey was augmented by in-depth interviews with top retail CEOs as well as proprietary McKinsey & Company customer research.

Titled Retail Speaks: Seven Imperatives for the Retail Industry, here is a summary of the report conclusions.

1. Consumers now demand a seamless omni-channel experience. Consumers will choose retailers based on ease and richness of end-to-end experience.

2. Personalized shopping experience is now table stakes. Most retailers fall short of these expectations today. While 100 percent of

March–April 2021

top-quartile retailers cited omni-channel personalization as a top five priority, only 15 percent of retailers have fully implemented personalization across all channels.

3. Turbocharge e-commerce delivery.

The vast majority of consumers—over 90 percent—see two to three days as the baseline, and 30 percent expect same‑day delivery. Retailers are setting ambitious targets for delivery times that will require significant investments to propel their supply chain fulfillment capabilities.

4. Purpose-driven approach to ESG is essential. Consumers are voting with their wallets for sustainability and broader purpose. One‑third of survey respondents reported they had stopped using a brand based on its social actions, and 71 percent indicated they would lose trust in a brand forever if it placed profits over people. At the same time, consumers are willing to pay more for products that meet their values.

5. Recalibrate talent strategies. Retailers typically need to augment their workforce and capabilities to thrive in the digital-dominated world. To close the skills gap, companies will need to reimagine their strategies for sourcing and deploying

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talent—focusing on upskilling, new recruitment models, and diverse talent pools.

6. Explore the role of partnerships and ecosystems. The development of partnerships and ecosystems, especially those convened by retailers, will accelerate.

McKinsey analysis suggests that ecosystems could collectively function as a $60 trillion economy by 2025. That makes developing an engagement strategy an imperative for survival; even if retailers aren’t positioned to establish their own ecosystem, they will have to figure out how to compete, participate, or coexist.

7. Seek transformational productivity gains. Retail as a sector has achieved outsized productivity growth over the past ten years. The next phase will involve deploying analytics and automation across P&L. Retailers will need to prioritize investments that are truly transformational.

While change is often fueled by necessity, likely nothing in recent times has provided an accelerant like the COVID-19 pandemic. It behooves retailers and all the various professionals within the retail enterprise to take this opportunity to move our industry forward to better serve customers and retail associates.

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Ray Cloud Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, Ross Stores

Scott Draher, LPC Vice President, Loss Prevention, Safety, and Operations, Lowe’s

Scott Glenn, EDJ, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, The Home Depot

Barry Grant Chief Operating Officer, Photos Unlimited

Robert Holm Director, Global Safety & Security McDonald’s

Seth Hughes Director, Asset Protection, Risk & Safety, Internal Audit REI Co-op

Frank Johns, LPC Chairman, The Loss Prevention Foundation

Mike Lamb, LPC Consultant

Michael Limauro, LPC Executive Leader, Asset Protection, Whole Foods Market

David Lund, LPC Vice President, Loss Prevention, DICK’S Sporting Goods

John Matas, CFE, CFCI Director, Global Fraud, Risk, and Compliance Operations Etsy

Randy Meadows Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, Kohl’s

Melissa Mitchell, CFI, LPC Director, Loss Prevention, MAPCO Express

Dan Moren Senior Manager, Starbucks

Richard Peck, LPC Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention The TJX Companies

Joe Schrauder Vice President, Asset Protection, Walmart Stores

Tina Sellers, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, Rite Aid

Hank Siemers, CFI Vice President, Global Retail Security, Tiffany & Co.

Mark Stinde, MBA, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, The Kroger Co.

Pamela Velose Vice President, Asset Protection, Belk

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Asset Protection Profit Enhancement Retail Performance

VENDOR ADVISORY BOARD

Rex Gillette

Vice President of Sales

2120 Crown Centre Dr. Ste 200 Charlotte, NC 28227 | 704-365-5226 office

Gene G. Cronin

Medeco XT Product Line Manager

Managing Editor Jack Trlica JackT@LPportal.com Executive Editors James Lee, LPC JimL@LPportal.com

Hedgie Bartol, LPQ, LPC Business Development Manager, Retail

Angie Druley

Vice President, Retail

Merek Bigelow MerekB@LPportal.com Editorial Director Jacque Brittain, LPC JacB@LPportal.com Retail Technology Editor Tom Meehan, CFI TomM@LPportal.com

Stephen B. Longo

Vice President, Strategic Initiatives

Tony D'Onofrio

CEO, Global Retail Business Unit

Senior Writer Garett Seivold GarettS@LPportal.com Contributing Writers Read Hayes, PhD, CPP Walter Palmer, CFI, CFE Ben Skidmore Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP David Thompson, CFI

Stuart Rosenthal

Vice President Sales

Chief Operating Officer Kevin McMenimen, LPC KevinM@LPportal.com

Jim Paul

Director Of Digital Operations John Selevitch JohnS@LPportal.com

Director of Sales

Kris Vece, LPQ

Vice President of Client Relations

Kim Melvin

Head of Global Retail Marketing

Special Projects Managers Justin Kemp, LPQ Karen Rondeau Design & Production SPARK Publications info@SPARKpublications.com

Kim Scott

Director of Marketing

Robb Northrup

Director of Marketing Communications & Support

Creative Director Larry Preslar Advertising Strategist Ben Skidmore 972-587-9064 office, 214-597-8168 mobile BenS@LPportal.com

Ken Kuehler

General Manager

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© 2021 Loss Prevention Magazine, Inc. Loss Prevention, LP Magazine, LP Magazine Europe, LPM, and LossPreventionMedia.com are service marks owned by the publishers and their use is restricted. All editorial content is copyrighted. No article may be reproduced by any means without expressed, written permission from the publisher. Reprints or PDF versions of articles are available by contacting the publisher. Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publishers. Advertising in the publication does not imply endorsement by the publishers. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any article or advertisement.

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March–April 2021

Start with Safety From Selling Fish to Total Loss with Meredith Plaxco at PetSmart

By Jim Lee, LPC, and Jack Trlica EDITOR’S NOTE: Meredith Plaxco, LPC, is vice president of loss prevention and safety at PetSmart. She has spent more than twenty years with the company in multiple departments from store operations to corporate communications to loss prevention and safety. She is an active member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) Asset Protection Leaders Council.

JIM: Meredith, thank you so much for joining us on this interview.

We’re very pleased to have you.

I personally have heard from several different people how impressed they have been with you and have urged Jack and me to get you on the docket. We finally have done so, and we’re looking forward to our chat today.

MEREDITH: Thank you for the compliment, Jim. If there’s one positive from the pandemic, it has brought the loss prevention, asset protection, and safety community together to solve problems. I think we’ve had a lot of opportunity to get to

know each other and serve in new ways, and I appreciate the incredible support from my LP and safety peers.

JIM: Let’s start by your telling us how you first came to PetSmart and how your career has progressed?

MEREDITH: My career and experience story is a bit of a boomerang and latticework. I began my career at PetSmart in the stores in the late ’90s. It was my first “real” job. I started in the fish department when I was a teenager because of my love of pets and worked my way

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up through almost every role in the store.

I then left PetSmart in the early 2000s for a few years to get some experience in multilocation leadership in the veterinary field managing animal hospitals. I worked in the field and corporate office there for several years as a district manager in operational leadership, business development, and communications, which was my educational background. I was also able to get some mergers and acquisitions experience at that company before returning to PetSmart.

When I returned to PetSmart, I resumed roles in field operations before transitioning to the corporate office in project management roles supporting the store operations team. My time in store operations eventually led to an opportunity managing internal communications on the corporate communications team, which leveraged my education and passion for associate engagement. That was actually my introduction to the loss prevention and safety world.

In the corp. comm. role, I supported many partners across the business on issues that often engaged the LP and safety team. Whether it was business continuity, something in the media, or something we were doing to keep associates safer, the corp. comm. team was involved. Over time I realized that it wasn’t enough for me to be thinking about those

LossPreventionMedia.com

FEATURE Start with Safety issues only through the lens of how we communicate for execution/action and for brand presence in the media.

More and more, my desire was to spend time shaping strategies upstream to protect people, pets, and profit, and I missed my roots in having accountability for outcomes, behaviors, and the P&L. Lastly, when I thought about the role that I was playing in corporate communications, while it did touch every aspect of the organization, I wanted to do that in a more meaningful way, that could impact lives and company success, and make associates even prouder to work for PetSmart. Impacting safety, security, and asset protection really allows you to do that.

traditional ways, but I focused on learning the majority of what our LP team does on a daily basis in variety of different leadership roles on the team before I assumed the VP role.

I first joined the pet‑safety side of what we do, working as part of a team that helps make PetSmart the safest destination for pets. That was my initial focus, and I was able to do that by applying a lot of what I had learned in operations, as well as what I had learned in leading veterinarians for several years. I was able to partner with a number of subject‑matter experts to change our procedures in a way that strengthened what was already a safe, wonderful experience for pets and

We don’t want to be the captains of “no.”

Our approach has been, “How can we help our partners walk the tight rope safely? How can we help our partners and others within our business create the most competitive landscape, not being bubble wrapped, but being prudent in our safety approach, creating both a safe experience, while securing our assets, protecting profits, and keeping the pack safe?”

While that was my career latticework in a nutshell, I only started in loss prevention about seven years ago. I didn’t start out as a lifer in the LP and safety space, but I’m definitely sold now. I joke sometimes that in LP and safety, I feel like I’ve “found my people” and truly belong.

JIM: You have a very robust, extensive background in non‑LP. How did the move into LP happen, and did you move directly into the VP role?

MEREDITH: I know others have earned stripes in more

March–April 2021

launched a powerful culture by focusing on engagement, mutual accountability, education, and leading indicators or behaviors to help prevent trends.

Then my career turned to do something similar on the people‑safety side, as we call it. The team’s approach was creating a culture of commitment versus compliance—eliminating certain phrases from your mind, such as “safe environment” (aka compliance table stakes) or “safety is a priority” (aka something that can be deprioritized)

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in order to evolve to those being minimum expectations, in exchange for creating a sustainable, safe experience built on a culture of mutual accountability for safety, then quality, then quantity, and only ever in that order. We call our cultural mission “Keeping the Pack Safe.”

Those experiences, which touched both pet safety and people safety, added to that what we refer to today as Total Retail Loss, made way for leadership opportunities and my first director role where we took value of the LP and safety team and actually made it broader, incorporating other aspects of our business and having a cross‑functional approach to not just preventing injuries and loss, but also improving margin. Our goal was shifting the mindset of LP and safety from being a cost center, or solely cost avoidance, to really helping PetSmart be more profitable.

And we call that cultural mission “Protecting Profit.”

JIM: That’s a very forward‑looking business approach.

MEREDITH: We don’t want to be the captains of “no.” Our approach has been, “How can we help our partners walk the tight rope safely? How can we help our partners and others within our business create the most competitive landscape, not being bubble wrapped, but being prudent in our safety approach, creating both a safe experience, while securing our assets, protecting profits, and keeping the pack safe?”

After working in this space for quite a while, we transitioned to building the team out as we added analysts, project managers, program managers, all to stand up what started as just a simple framework of not just reacting and inspecting, but also inspiring and preventing trends. We thought, let’s

actually maximize what we can do within the business.

That began a role of director of LP and safety, operations, and strategy. That was my first director position. That role allowed me to build out more of the functionality within the team that could truly demonstrate that when we shift from being a reactive organization and get into some of those great discussions where we’re helping to educate partners, and helping them achieve mutual goals, that’s where we can add the most value. So we added an enterprise‑solutions arm that was holistically focused on standing up cross‑functional steering committees and solutioning for our key performance indicators (KPIs) that we own with our cross‑functional partners to actually prevent trends.

JIM: What do you mean by “preventing trends?”

MEREDITH: When we are looking at leading indicators, as opposed to only looking at lagging indicators, can those indicators tell us when loss is going to happen? What are the indicators that tell you injuries are going to happen? What is that algorithm, and how can we leverage data to help us understand that? That’s where we had some more significant unlocks.

Now for the last several years, in terms of the way we look at our resources, we actually are resourcing that way as well. We are focused on putting enough resources in the space of preventing trends and getting ahead of things versus reacting to them. What’s allowed us to do that, to scale that way, is both utilizing technology, including artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and cameras, but also reviewing our operations through that lens of, “Are we going to continue to add

resources to something that’s reactive? Or are we truly going to understand the problem and help our business partners meet their goals and prevent the problem from happening in the first place?”

By doing that and earning some good wins for the team and for the organization, I was given a few other opportunities where my role was expanded to not only the home office strategy and operations team supporting the enterprise, but then to lead the field loss prevention and safety team.

Over a period of time, we identified some ways we could do some things more efficiently and actually were able to repurpose some resources and created meaningful career paths for our team members.

In doing so, we were able to build on our success and create sustainable results. As we continued on that path, I was able to raise my hand for some things that we hadn’t taken on in the past and create new aspects of functionality within the team.

JIM: What were those new functions you assumed?

MEREDITH: One was standing up a true crisis management and threats intelligence virtual global security operations center. We hadn’t formalized that in the past, in terms of our role in crisis management and business continuity. So without adding resources, we instituted that functionality using incident management software, role clarity, and standardized communication and crisis response team activation frameworks—a throwback to my old role in communications.

By doing that, we were able to create a systematic way for us to quickly identify incidents, no matter the scale, and make sure they got the right leadership around them and were able to be resolved

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quickly to avoid business disruption, which creates value for your partners.

JIM: Can you talk a little more about those aspects of your operations and communications experience that have transferred over to LP to make you a more effective LP leader?

MEREDITH: I think there are a few things that possibly give me some different perspective.

One of them is the willingness to ask questions when you don’t know all the answers because you don’t yet have all the competencies that might come from a long‑term LP career.

In my corporate communications career, part of my role was executive speech writing, which requires you to ask a lot of questions.

You have to have strong judgment and the ability to quickly be able to distill something you don’t know anything about into something meaningful, that can inspire what you want a group to do, know, or feel. If you’re trying to have a successful prevention strategy, and your approach to prevention can’t be easily communicated, able to draw inspiration from, or be easily executed, you’re dead in the water.

So I think being willing to be comfortable being uncomfortable, so to speak, is an asset. And being cognizant that you have to share and effectively communicate what you produce is a positive aspect I brought from the communications world that definitely is helpful.

Then from the operations space, anyone who has worked in ops has got to have that grit to keep going when it’s hard. You have to be able to demonstrate that you’ll roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes. Operations also certainly gives you a better

March–April 2021

I think there are a few things that possibly give me some different perspective. One of them is the willingness to ask questions when you don’t know all the answers because you don’t yet have all the competencies that might come from a long-term LP career.

FEATURE Start with Safety lens for how what you do affects associates. Whatever you’re rolling out, what does it mean to the cashier? Or what does it mean to the distribution center associate who’s working in the pick mod? If you don’t intimately understand those aspects of things, and you’re not willing to show up for your partners and do the hard, nonglamorous stuff, you may not be as successful in your relationships or your strategies as you could be.

JIM: With your experience in mind, Meredith, have you turned to operations or non‑LP disciplines within PetSmart to fill some of your LP positions?

MEREDITH: Absolutely. And furthermore, they’ve often made the strongest team members. If I think about our strategy operations and compliance team, and the field and distribution center LP and safety team, more and more team members are from operations rather than from traditional LP and safety careers.

JIM: Talk about the structure of your organization—how many direct reports you have, what functions you are responsible for within the organization.

We set an expectation of “Start with Safety” for all associates in all we do from grooming a dog to determining strategies for how our stores and DCs operate.

MEREDITH: Our pillars of responsibility are around safety, which includes people safety and pet safety, in terms of injury prevention. Asset protection encompasses total loss, threat intelligence, enterprise physical security, crisis operations, emergency management, and regulatory safety compliance. And then investigations incorporates safety incidents, elevated threats, acts of violence, and theft and fraud, both in the bricks‑and‑mortar and e‑commerce spaces.

In terms of our functionality and how it’s broken up, I have a team of about forty with

March–April 2021

four functions with direct reports that oversee those functions. We have a director over investigations and physical security, a director over distribution center LP and safety, a director over field LP and safety, and a director over our strategy, operations, and compliance team. Those directors are leaders of leaders—either they have senior business partners or leaders of people laddering up to them in each of those disciplines.

they’re doing and coming together as a group—certainly not during COVID‑19. So a lot of those conversations are quick, one‑minute, touch bases throughout the shift.

It gives leaders the ability to engage with associates and truly validate understanding.

When we look at our monthly awareness program through the lens of continuous improvement, we’ve actually been able to identify, with statistical significance, that the program has had a great impact on trend favorability JIM: Are there any specific in our results. The fact programs that have been that the program centers put in place since you’ve around commitment versus been in this role that you are compliance, around those particularly proud of? “aha” moments, has been a huge success for us.

Another program we’re MEREDITH: The first program really proud of is what we that comes to mind is our LP call our safety observation and safety awareness program in our stores and our distribution program. This is a walk that leaders do within our centers (DCs). It is a monthly program that incorporates a very facilities that encompasses different questions asked at short video that impacts either different times of the day. from an emotional perspective With these questions and or from a “what if you don’t the behaviors that leaders do it,” pragmatic standpoint, are observing, it is intended whether the topic is injury to recognize associates who prevention or aspects of total are doing things well to help loss, accuracy, or emergency prevent injury to one another. preparedness—things like We call that aspect of our that. We select the topics and culture for safety “keeping highlight those in stores and the pack safe.” Everyone is DCs using monthly posters accountable to each other. based on highest frequency or highest severity of different loss But in those safety‑related observation conversations, types so that we can continue driving improvement in the KPIs. they are recognizing as well as coaching in the moment Another exciting piece of to prevent a potential injury the monthly LP and safety from occurring. awareness program are When you think about the monthly LP and safety continuous improvement, it scenarios. These moments has everything to do with the are where the really good behavior every single time stuff happens. This is for our and the “why” behind it. That’s leaders who are talking with why the moments that the associates in our stores and leaders are actually observing in our distribution centers associates do what they’re about potential incidents and doing and helping them what they would do, and it get better each time are so gets brought to life in a great natural, conversational format. powerful. The leaders do these different walks three times Just like most retailers, we a day, again, with different don’t always have the luxury questions based on what’s of everybody stopping what

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We are focused on putting enough resources in the space of preventing trends and getting ahead of things versus reacting to them.

JIM: Is there anything else that comes to mind?

What’s allowed us to do that, to scale that way, is both utilizing technology, including artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and cameras, but also reviewing our operations through that lens of, “Are we going to continue to add resources to something that’s reactive?

Or are we truly going to understand the problem and help our business partners meet their goals and prevent the problem from happening in the first place?”

MEREDITH: I would have to say our culture. We set an expectation of “Start with Safety” for all associates in all we do from grooming a dog to determining strategies for how our stores and DCs operate. We use the phrase “Start with Safety“ and intentionally don’t say, “Safety is a priority.” Because as soon as you say, “Safety is a priority,” it implies that safety is something that can be deprioritized. “Start with Safety” means there is no task that is so important that you can’t take the time to complete it safely. Our approach to any task is safety, then quality, then quantity in that order. Safety is part of “the how” to our success.

If you are a field leader, you start visits with safety. If you’re an executive having a meeting, you address safety. Belonging is core to who we are at PetSmart and consistent with ensuring all perspectives are represented to ensure an initiative’s success. LP and safety support strategy and initiative planning so that we can help that initiative win for both safety and protecting profit.

JIM: How have you measured the impact on what you have done with safety?

MEREDITH: As I mentioned earlier, we talk about leading indicators. So we look at things such as training completion.

How many times is it taking associates to complete their required training for a certain task or job? We look at their

completion of the education for the monthly LP and safety awareness program. We look at some of our trends in our business in our exposure.

Exposure is defined by your typical hours worked or, in our case, pets that we take care of. Helping to understand how things are trending and making sure that we’re having the impact on the commitment side is how we look at it first and then of course through the traditional lens of workers comp claims and losses. The team has seen a significant continuously favorable trend in performance since the adoption of LP and safety awareness programs.

Similarly, on the total loss side of things with shrink, we look at trends for how different write‑off codes are being utilized to see where loss is coming from. That’s a bit of a lagging indicator. But on the idea of perpetual inventory accuracy, what can we do to impact product, whether it’s product that’s been lost or what we’re seeing in real‑time in terms of the digital and other types of theft and fraud, by getting to the root causes before they become a trend?

What are we seeing as far as product movement, things

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that aren’t initially showing up as theft? Are they really theft based on how we can look at our data? Those are some of the things. I gave you both safety and loss. But the way we think about leading indicators to prevent trends (aka predictive analytics) has become really key to our success.

Relevant to your question, I mentioned to you before that our team has stood up steering committees.

We have a People Safety Steering Committee that meets quarterly, a Pet Safety Steering Committee that meets quarterly, and a Total Loss Steering Committee meeting that is held quarterly. In each of those, we have members of our senior leadership team, our C‑suite, leaders across finance, store operations, merchandising, supply chain, LP and safety, HR, and legal, you name it, that all have stakes in the game.

As we review those leading indicators, we can have forward‑looking conversations as opposed to just celebrating how great we are. Let’s talk about the forward‑looking trends, and are we great at preventing those trends?

Those have been very productive conversations.

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Joni Hanebutt/Shutterstock.com

happening at that point in our business day. And there have been some great learnings that have come out of it.

Those two programs have likely had the biggest impact in a number of ways.

FEATURE

snoymonkey/Shutterstock.com

Start with Safety JIM: Of those cross‑functional initiatives that are in place now, are they in place because your past experience made it easier to see what that was necessary to do in the organization?

in the game with partners who will now be advocates for improving results in your space because they see how it impacts the business first hand.

MEREDITH: When I joined the team in 2014, part of what made it so appealing was I saw areas where I could add value in the team’s approach to obtaining results, starting with how we looked at our approach for strategy planning, prevention programs, and relationships and influencing.

Frankly, things were somewhat siloed. That change has been exciting, to actually have stakeholders participate in everything up to and including when we formulate the concepts for our prevention videos. We have a partner from every area of the business that participates in that to make sure that (a) our brand is represented well but also and most importantly (b) that it’s something that associates will care about. “Why do they care?” is the question that we always ask.

When we think about making things relevant and using relationships as a way to do that, there’s certainly a business case for it. Because with diversity of thought, you get a much better answer.

But in addition to that, you actually have the opportunity to establish some mutual goals and create some skin

JACK: You’ve mentioned total loss multiple times. Total Retail Loss is a relatively new concept in our industry. I’m curious where you are in the process of implementing that, and what challenges are you experiencing communicating the concept to your peers in the organization?

MEREDITH: We have been on the journey since before I joined the team, but since framing it up as a business case for sustainable loss controls and inventory accuracy, it has been a no‑brainer. Part of the reason is if you are looking only at shrink, really what you’re doing is just squeezing the balloon. This is how we explain it to partners. Let’s say we focus only on shrink, and we measure stores and distribution centers to that.

That will just squeeze the balloon potentially, and you’ll see loss in another area that you’re not paying attention to.

But if you broaden it to take a total loss approach, to include things like your damages, item removals, day‑to‑day inventory adjustments, theft, and e‑commerce fraud, for example, you get a true

Let’s say we focus only on shrink, and we measure stores and distribution centers to that.

That will just squeeze the balloon potentially, and you’ll see loss in another area that you’re not paying attention to. But if you broaden it to take a total loss approach, to include things like your damages, item removals, day-to-day inventory adjustments, theft, and e-commerce fraud, for example, you get a true picture of net loss.

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picture of net loss. You get a true picture of your loss, but also you get a true picture of accuracy, and that impacts the customer.

Total loss is about making things better for the customer as much, obviously, as it’s about protecting profits and so on. I think taking that total loss approach to get a really clear picture of total loss has been a really inclusive way to enlist the support and advocacy of your partners, improving their results as well.

JIM: Let me shift gears a bit away from your job to things you do within the industry.

You are on the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s (RILA’s) Asset Protection Leaders Council (APLC), which has been very active throughout the pandemic with weekly calls. Talk about the importance of those calls, and has it made a difference for you in understanding others’ challenges and maybe how it translates to your business?

MEREDITH: Yes, absolutely they have been valuable. There are two sides of the coin in my mind. On one hand, you are attending because you want your own questions answered.

You are dealing with, potentially, a common issue that is new to you. Certainly in a pandemic environment—I’m sure to some degree—we all had some version of a crisis plan, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted what we’ve all experienced.

On the other side of it, you may not always know what questions you should be asking. So you’re really grateful that your peers are also being willing to be vulnerable and say, “I’m experiencing this.”

Just hearing someone say that has allowed us to ask better questions. Having that great support from RILA has really helped us make sure that we’re making the best

decisions at the right times.

The relationships within that group have created a very safe space to allow us to be vulnerable and productive.

Lisa LaBruno has done a phenomenal job facilitating the APLC meetings.

JIM: Let’s turn to the Loss Prevention Foundation. I know you have your LPC certification.

What caused you to seek your LPC, and what values have you drawn from it?

MEREDITH: When I think about the time that I was determining whether I wanted to pursue the LPC, I was looking for some fresh perspective that would help me ask better questions across relevant LP and safety disciplines, including, of course, asset protection, total loss, safety, business continuity, both on the bricks‑and‑mortar side and digitally, to help in developing the team. I think

the fresh perspective helped to reframe the way that we were looking at some things. To get a more standard perspective as opposed to perhaps an opinion or amalgamation of various perspectives from the team.

I wanted to add something new and industry‑tested in order to shape our long‑term strategy. And loss prevention certification really helped to do that.

JIM: Are there some individuals in the industry who, when they speak, you pay more attention to than others, some you’ve come to admire?

MEREDITH: There are some really great leaders on the APLC calls. As I just mentioned, Lisa LaBruno, EVP for RILA, has been a force of nature in our industry. In terms of my peers, there’s a few that stand out. Julie Giblin at Ulta Beauty and David Lund at DICK’S

Sporting Goods routinely rise to the occasion offering great insights. Seth Hughes at REI is a fantastic leader who offers some great, innovative thought as well. Rob LaCommare at Big Lots has also been able to provide quite a bit of wisdom and great insights for the team.

JIM: Have there been some personal mentors in your life who have helped you move along in your career?

MEREDITH: There have been a few. One that is still in the LP and safety space is Jason Coren at Amazon who leads their workplace health and safety division. Jason used to be the VP of LP and safety at PetSmart some years ago. He was the one who originally helped connect the dots for me to want to learn more about LP and safety when I was working on the corp. comms. team.

When we were collaborating on

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March–April 2021

3/5/21 8:55 AM

FEATURE Start with Safety issues, he would ask me, “Don’t you think you could do more?

Don’t you want to help prevent some of this stuff? Isn’t there something more you’d like to do?

And maybe that something else is on the safety team.” He helped me think about my career and ask, “Why not?” and “When am I at my best, and how could that benefit PetSmart?” and I really appreciated that.

There was another leader in the mergers and acquisition space in the veterinary world who was a leader of the company I was working for. He was willing to invest in me as a district manager. I knew nothing about mergers and acquisitions, but I was confident in leadership,

a value‑added partner. Ask yourself how you’re helping your partners and peers win and be successful. Why that’s important is by demonstrating that you’re there to really understand your partners’ and the team’s challenges and be advocates in their spaces—that will help you build relationships and influence in an organic way. At its simplest, it comes down to three simple things anyone can do: know the future (benchmark and know your industry), drive value not costs (think in terms of ROI, do more with less), and keep it simple (refine and make things easy for others to execute and advocate for).

My challenge to leaders in LP and safety is this: amplify diverse voices and perspectives. For example, in meetings, if someone isn’t speaking up directly, ask them what their reaction to the topic is. operations, and things like that.

He was willing to spend time with me and essentially give me a mergers and acquisitions 101 education. I will always be grateful for that experience.

Those are invaluable lessons to anyone, and I’m grateful that I got the chance to be exposed to two people who are really great at it.

JIM: Every year we make improvements in the diversity of leadership in asset protection and loss prevention. Going back twenty or thirty years ago, it was very exclusively a white boys club. Today, more and more women are rising to leadership roles. Is there something important for women to understand in terms of helping them strive to reach those positions?

MEREDITH: Honestly, I think it’s advice for anyone, not just women. First of all, be March–April 2021

Anybody can be a leader, whether you have direct reports or not. If you focus on these things and do them consistently, you will amass the credibility to build mutually beneficial goals, and those partners become advocates.

Lastly, a simple phonetic acronym as a leader for how I spend my time that’s served me well is PEBLS. P is for “people” because people always come first in every decision. E is for “ethics” because your integrity is your currency, and LP and safety hold the highest bar next to legal and HR. B is for “budget” because your job is to have plans to deliver to plan again and again. L is for “long‑range planning” because investments, whether budgetary or how you leverage resources, should be intentional dominoes that set you up for sustainable results long term. And finally, S is for “strategy execution.” Put simply,

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have a plan for doing what you said you would.

When I’m asked what women leaders need to know to be successful, I get a little bit frustrated with that question if I’m being honest. Because nobody says, “Hey, what’s it take to be a great male leader?” It doesn’t help the gender bias that’s out there, is my point. But to your point, even going back less than ten years, frankly, when I joined the department, I was one of just three women, so there’s clearly work to do in diversity and inclusion and just basic representation. My challenge to leaders in LP and safety is this: amplify diverse voices and perspectives. For example, in meetings, if someone isn’t speaking up directly, ask them what their reaction to the topic is. Also when hiring, intentionally interview diverse candidates, and when two are close in credentials, pick the diverse candidate. More diverse perspectives coupled with inclusivity are always better for the organization.

Let me add this: if you’re the only woman in a meeting with all males, and you think you’re being excluded, first be willing to ask yourself if you are choosing not to be vulnerable. If you’re choosing not to add something or ask questions, that sometimes can be self‑inflicted exclusion.

Don’t give anyone the power of excluding you. It starts with being true to yourself first and doing the hard work of being vulnerable to ask questions, consistently delivering and building relationships so that you have sponsors. But if you feel you truly are being intentionally left out, speak up. You owe it to yourself and to the organization to help make sure every voice is included.

JIM: Thank you, Meredith. This has been a very enjoyable and enlightening conversation.

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INTERVIEWING

Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP

Yulia Glam / iQoncept / Shutterstock.com

David Thompson, CFI

Thompson is the president and partner of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, providing investigative interview and interrogation training to a global audience. He has served as a subject-matter expert in developing curriculum and providing consultation to investigators, attorneys, and the academic community. He can be reached at dthompson@w-z.com.

Sturman is the CEO and senior partner of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates and has led this international training organization for over a decade. Sturman has provided training for WZ for a variety of clients over the last twenty years. He is also a member of ASIS International’s Retail Loss Prevention Council. He can be reached at 800-222-7789 or at ssturman@w-z.com. © 2021 Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc.

You Call That a Success?

Think Again A

Not to take away from the importance of an interview resulting in a substantiated admission, but there is more than one way to measure success.

fter collecting the statement, closing the case file, and thanking the employee for their time, you eagerly call the boss to report your recent success.

“Hey boss, I got the admission!”

Boss: “Great, how much?”

“Well, I knew it was about $100, and she ended up telling me she took $5,000!”

Boss: “Well done, write it up!”

A successful interview, right? Maybe.

We remember those calls, both making them as excited interviewers and receiving them as proud supervisors.

Throughout most interviewers’ careers, we become conditioned to recognizing a successful interview as one that resulted in an admission. This same theme is built through the congratulatory phone calls with supervisors, the metrics of admission dollars, and the braggadocious stories shared across the industry. Not to take away from the importance of an interview resulting in a substantiated admission, but there is more than one way to measure success.

Entering the interview with the goal of an admission will create confirmation bias from the perspective of the interviewer and may also create tunnel vision, disallowing a good investigator to look for alternative strategies.

Every interviewer should be March–April 2021

aware of the other potential avenues the conversation and evidence may lead. A successful interview should be measured against this flexibility.

If the admission isn’t the singular metric of success, then what constitutes a successful interview? Countless conversations that we have had led to denials, explanations, fabrications, and even exoneration. The ability to stay focused on the goal of obtaining reliable information and adapting to the available evidence while mitigating risk is of utmost importance and a valuable skillset. A successful interview may go in countless directions, but let’s explore a few that should be defined as “successful.”

Factual Inconsistencies This is a common contingency plan when it seems the admission may not be a viable option. When the subject refuses to cooperate or insists on an alternative story, the interviewer’s job is not to alter the subject’s story but rather to get as much reliable information as possible. Often, the ability to disprove a statement made by the subject could be used in the same fashion as a confession.

A case we had was initiated with an internal suspicion at an organization that the manager of purchasing had

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been receiving kickbacks from vendors. Forensic audits, asset searches, background checks, and open-source analyses were all conducted to retrieve as much information as possible.

There was also evidence of multiple trips with specific vendors that did not seem to have a justified business need, suggesting the existence of personal relationships.

With only circumstantial evidence, it would have been a mistake to enter with a guilt‑presumptive approach.

Using admission as the measurement of success could have multiple negative results, such as increased liability, impact on morale, and potential wrongful termination.

Instead, the interviewer strategized a conversation using the participatory method to allow the subject to provide their version of events, whether they were truthful or not. The goal in this case was to obtain as much information as possible that could either explain away the evidence, contradict the evidence, or lock them into their own statement.

Ultimately, the subject told a detailed story, as was the goal of the interviewer. The method in which bids were selected, the policy around accepting gifts, the limitations of these relationships, and

most importantly, the ability to afford the current lifestyle were all discussed.

A follow-up investigation was conducted that weighed the subject’s own statements against available evidence, now with more specific targets known. The investigation resulted in clear contradictions in how relationships were formulated, methods of payment, and the source of the fraudulent transactions. The admission did not come from the interview, but the success of this investigation was only possible through identifying factual inconsistencies obtained in the conversation.

From deposit theft cases to time fraud, allowing a subject to tell their story, even if untrue, creates the need for fabrication.

Each fabricated statement results in additional testable evidence and provides the investigator with tools to resolve the case—a success.

Innocence Sometimes the evidence is misleading or just plain wrong.

For example, a homicide investigation led to a primary suspect, a known drug dealer who had connections to the victim. The connections were circumstantial but also provided a significant financial motive. The suspect’s alibi was inconsistent, and he failed a polygraph test, specifically around his stated location at the time of the crime.

This case is a recipe for confirmation bias as we have a suspect with an extensive criminal history, indicators of deception in their alibi story, and a motive to commit the crime.

The interviewer recognized that the number of verifiable details surrounding the time of the crime were minimal, and conflicting information was being provided during the conversation.

Of course, a confession to a homicide would appear as a successful resolution to the interview, but success has other

ways of being quantified, and the truth is a reliable metric.

The interviewer adapted during the conversation and focused more on the suspect’s statements about his alibi and whereabouts at the time of the crime. Through this fact‑gathering approach, the subject provided details that eliminated him as a possible suspect. He went on to explain a drug deal he was involved in at the same time of the homicide, with verifiable evidence and corroborating witnesses. This explained the polygraph results, the faulty original alibi, and his overall demeanor during the conversation. Taking this adaptive approach not only eliminated the possibility of a false confession but also allowed investigators to refocus their case on the actual guilty subject.

Admission Of course, a confession from the guilty subject is often one of the most heavily weighted pieces of evidence when determining the appropriate disposition for the case. Admissions are often a result of successful interviews, but it’s worth a deeper dive than receiving the standard “I did it.”

Let's take a standard cash theft case that most LP professionals have investigated. A cashier is seen on video taking money out of the register and pocketing the cash. The drawer is audited at the end of their shift and is short $100. The interview results in an expanded admission resulting in the phone call to the boss mentioned earlier: “Well, I knew it was about $100, and she ended up telling me she took $5,000!”

When measuring the success of an interview, we should not focus on the amount of the admission but rather the method in which we retrieved it and the reliability of the information.

We should determine what the interviewer did that gave the subject the opportunity to admit to this previously unknown amount. If threats or promises were used, then even a true

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confession may be unreliable and a clearly unsuccessful conversation. To be a substantiated confession, it must include details that can then be corroborated. Determining how they opened the register, how much money they took each time, what the money was used for, and where it is now are just a few of the questions that need to be answered. Confessions may be vital in some cases but are only considered a success when obtained voluntarily and subsequently substantiated.

Next Steps Sometimes it just doesn’t work, a suspect doesn’t confess, and the interviewer isn’t able to gain any additional information.

When this happens in your case or to your team, revisit the conversation and explore the root cause of the issue. Appreciate the fact that you did not take any drastic measures that could have increased liability for the organization and be prideful of your ability to professionally close out of the conversation.

Put your investigative cap back on and be more prepared for the next conversation. Learning from our mistakes is a crucial element in creating success.

Whether you are the interviewer or the supervisor, take actionable steps to rebrand how you identify success in interviews. Stop asking, “How much of an admission did you get?” and start asking, “How did you get there?” Applaud the interviewers who are able to obtain reliable information, even if it isn’t the confession.

Appreciate the investigators who were able to lock a subject into a story that can be disproved or corroborated. Respect the interviewer who acknowledges when their evidence was wrong and then understand the success that can come from reflecting on an unproductive interview.

That next time you pick up the phone after an interview, set a new standard and redefine what it means to be “successful.”

March–April 2021

When measuring the success of a good interview, we should not be focused on the amount of the admission but rather the method in which we retrieved it and the reliability of the information.

LPM EXCELLENCE

LPM Magpie Awards

Applauding Excellence Excellence in Leadership

Paul Jaeckle, LPC Vice President of Asset Protection, Meijer Stores

Excellence in Operations

Jessi Dudley Senior Operations Manager, Loss Prevention Research Council

The LPM “Magpie” Awards offer a means to celebrate industry accomplishments recognizing the loss prevention professionals, teams, solution providers, and law enforcement partners that demonstrate a stellar contribution to the profession. Please join LPM in celebrating the accomplishments of our latest honorees.

“To be an effective leader you must be credible, authentic, and committed to the mission. Otherwise, your efforts amount to a lot of activity and not much productivity,” said Jaeckle.

“The key is to be inquisitive, invest in people, drive results, and above all else, continue to learn and grow.”

He continued, “Early in my career, I learned to never turn down an opportunity to lead.

I wanted to take on roles with greater responsibility where I could continue to grow but also contribute back to the company.”

Jaeckle started his career with Walmart, catching shoplifters while attending college. As his career

developed, he continued to take on additional responsibilities in both asset protection and store operations, eventually being promoted to senior director of asset protection strategy and operations. In 2017, he was named vice president of asset protection and safety at Meijer. True to his vision of continuing education, he holds a master’s degree and has also earned his LPC certification. He is currently chair of the Loss Prevention Research Council, on the board of directors for the Loss Prevention Foundation, board member of Grand Rapids Silent Observer, and serves as chair of the Retail Industry Leaders

“To me, being a leader is all about attitude and respect,” said Dudley. “While strong interpersonal skills and effective communications are key to driving results, self-awareness, staying humble, and listening to others must always be a critical part of developing true relationships with our team and our partners.”

Having worked as an administrative and operations professional for more than twenty years, Dudley started as a part-time administrator while in high school and continued through college where she found her niche helping small businesses organize and streamline operations. She

joined the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) in 2014 where she has grown to become an integral part of the LPRC leadership.

“LPRC was the opportunity for me to develop leadership skills and run operations,” she said. ”While moving into a leadership role was more of a gradual thing, over time I just became the hub of LPRC. I came to know all the different initiatives, all the players, and how and when to get our projects completed.”

While Dudley feels the ability to see the big picture and multitask are critically important when managing the many consequential projects she’s involved with as part of

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Association’s Asset Protection Leaders Council.

“I enjoy the value of being able to contribute to the changing trends and advancement of the industry working with my peers,” he said. “This continues to inspire and challenge me. But being able to see my team grow in their roles and advance their careers has been the most fulfilling.

“You have to look at your career like a puzzle. Everything you do, every challenge you take on is an opportunity to learn. Some lessons are some good and some bad, but they all prepare you for the next step. Ultimately, you leave your legacy as you go, not when you finish.”

the LPRC, she also feels that it takes a strong team to keep things organized and running smoothly. “I’ve had some amazing support along the way. I’ve learned and grown so much thanks to the LPRC team, the board of advisors, and our members for their assistance, cooperation, encouragement, and support.”

For young leaders searching for success, Dudley has a simple but valuable message: “As you’re looking to build your career, it’s important to take care of business, but it’s just as important to try to be relatable and likeable. Work hard and get the job done, but enjoy what you do and try to have fun!”

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“ ” The Real

Problem Knockoffs Are Cheap but Exact a Heavy Price

Anna Shkolnaya / Andrey Kuzmin / Annotee / ShutterStock.com

By Garett Seivold, LPM Senior Writer

March–April 2021

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G

ame-changing regulation may be coming, but for now at least—with willing and naïve customers and easy access to them—it’s a real good time to be a maker of fake goods.

At the product level and from a visual perspective, counterfeiters can now make goods virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. At the society level, they’ve somehow managed to remain out of the spotlight. The problems they create are well documented, certainly, but they haven’t generated the sustained vocal outcry or legislative retribution that might be expected for a $1.8 trillion problem often described as the world’s largest criminal enterprise.

Unabated growth in the counterfeit product market persists despite leaving a long trail of victims in its wake. Brand owners suffer most, losing a sale every time a shopper buys a fake and experiencing an erosion in brand value as poor-quality imitations infect the marketplace. Consumers also get ripped off when buying badly made or poorly performing merchandise, and they can pay a more substantial human cost when a bogus laptop battery ignites, anti‑freeze-laced perfume causes a burn, or if they discover in an emergency that their fire‑retardant gloves, well, aren’t.

In addition to the well‑documented direct safety risks to consumers, counterfeits cause problems downstream, explained Craig Crosby, consumer advocate and founder of The Counterfeit Report, which tracks bogus products sold online. “A fake $30 Chinese auto part can easily ruin a $2,000 car computer,” he said, noting the pain then extends beyond that one consumer’s financial harm. When that car’s brakes don’t work, many people can pay the price for that one counterfeit item. “Counterfeits are endangering consumers and destroying brands,” said Crosby.

Economic damage hits wholesalers and retailers too, with legitimate sellers losing out every time a knockoff is bought instead. Illegitimate product can also get comingled with a store’s inventory, hurting a retailer’s reputation with its customers. In one purchase test, for example, Crosby found that a third of a reputable electronic store’s cell phone cases were, in fact, counterfeits.

Despite store policies designed to prevent it, he’s also returned fake-branded

US manufacturing jobs, fuels cross-border organized criminal networks, decreases innovation, slows economic growth, and hinders sustainable economic development in many countries.

“Fakes kill jobs, innovation, and people,” said Bob Barchiesi, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition president.

At lululemon, counterfeiting is a recognized risk, one that “is definitely on our radar,” according to Tristen Shields, senior director for global asset protection and corporate

Bob Barchiesi

Counterfeiting funds terrorism, causes governments to lose tax revenues, causes investment dollars for legitimate businesses to dry up, results in a loss of US manufacturing jobs, fuels cross-border organized criminal networks, decreases innovation, slows economic growth, and hinders sustainable economic development in many countries. winter coats only to see a major apparel store put the coat back on the rack for sale. And it’s not uncommon for major retailers to be scammed by individuals who purchase, say, a ten-pack of fragrances and then take back a shrink-wrapped counterfeit version to the store for a return.

They then walk away with a refund or store credit and keep the original, authentic goods. It’s a tough problem for retailers to combat, said Crosby, because workers are obliged to satisfy customers, and challenging a customer who is returning a counterfeit runs counter to that.

Then there is the enormous expense of enforcing intellectual property rights and investigating and preventing counterfeiting.

By 2028, for example, the anticounterfeit packaging market is expected to exceed $420 billion.

And the problem is wider than all that, say analysts.

Counterfeiting funds terrorism, causes governments to lose tax revenues, causes investment dollars for legitimate businesses to dry up, results in a loss of

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security, who notes that his company’s legal department directs the effort to monitor and address it. He likens counterfeiting—and the companion brand risks of bulk buying and reselling and organized retail crime sales—to “a big game of whack-a-mole.”

You can get one illicit storefront taken offline but it—and others—immediately pop up.

Currently, the company is analyzing sales data and taking other steps to understand just how extensive the problem is of other people making money off their company’s brand to inform their decisions about how aggressively they should be in countering it. It helps, said one executive, to have a process in place that ensures all reports and complaints of counterfeit product, including those made through customer service channels, are directed to a single unit for aggregation, analysis, and investigation.

Counterfeiting presents an unequal risk to retailers, something several industry

March–April 2021

FEATURE The “Real” Problem executives cited as a drag on collective efforts to combat it.

Overall, though, there is plenty of pain to go around: ● The share of trade in counterfeit and pirated goods in global trade has grown significantly since 2013 to reach 3.3 percent of world trade, according to a study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. ● More than one in four US consumers said they accidentally purchased at least one counterfeit product in the past year, according to a report by Sapio Research for software firm Incopro, Is Fake the New Real? Living in a Fake Society. ● US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made more than 27,000 seizures of counterfeit goods in fiscal year 2019, which would have been sold for $1.5 billion had the goods been authentic. ● In an analysis of reviews on Amazon, ReviewMeta found that use of the descriptors “fake” or “counterfeit” in product reviews increased from 1.7 percent in 2015 to 4.3 percent in October 2019.

A primary reason why it is so hard to put a dent in the supply of counterfeit products is that demand has never wavered.

These are just a sampling of data points reflecting a massive problem. Troubling counterfeit statistics can be found in analysis of fakes by various vertical markets, the government’s annual intellectual property report, the US Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets List and its Special 301 Report to Congress on the state intellectual property protection by US trading partners, and others. The scale is also reflected in the sheer regularity of CBP press releases, for example, announcing the seizure of counterfeit Cartier jewelry worth $8 million one week and 170 counterfeit designer handbags worth $400,000 the next. Moreover, reports generally acknowledge that the percentage of counterfeit goods that evade detection is likely increasing and that enforcement authorities face difficulties in responding to the trend of increasing online sales of counterfeit goods because counterfeiters increasingly use legitimate express mail, international courier, and postal services to ship counterfeit goods in small consignments

IPR Seizure Totals by Fiscal Year ■ ORC Definition ■ ORC Subtypes

40,000

Billions

$1.8 $1.7

35,000

$1.6 30,000

$1.5 $1.4

25,000

$1.3 20,000 10,000

$1.2 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

$1.1

Source: US Customs abd Border Protection, Sept. 1, 2020

March–April 2021

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LossPreventionMedia.com

rather than ocean-going cargo to evade interdiction efforts.

These research studies and government reports often run hundreds of pages, publish year after year, and often boil down to this conclusion from the 2020 US Chamber International IP Index: “Overall, the mechanisms in place are outweighed by the sheer quantity of counterfeit goods available online.” For an unsolved and worsening problem, it is very well catalogued.

Fighting Back A primary reason why it is so hard to put a dent in the supply of counterfeit products is that demand has never wavered.

While many consumers don’t know when they’re purchasing counterfeits—“There is no way for a consumer to tell the difference between a real and counterfeit Duracell battery,” said Crosby—others don’t care.

There have been efforts to educate consumers about the negative impacts of counterfeits, but public attitudes haven’t really changed, according to Tiffany & Co.’s Charles Olschanski, senior director of global brand protection and investigative services. “Consumers are always going to do it if available,” he said. “There is no law to punish the consumer and no risk in purchasing it, and unless that were to change, you’re never going to see it.”

In a study on the perception of perceived consumer transgressions, published in the Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, nearly 40 percent of American consumers said they think it’s acceptable to knowingly purchase a counterfeit product, about the same percentage that said it’s okay to purchase a store item you know is mispriced too low.

It’s actually worse to borrow a friend’s membership card to get into a museum without paying, people think, and three times worse to lie about your age to get a senior citizen

discount at the movies. The Saphio Research study found similar results, with one‑third of consumers okay with purchasing counterfeit clothing, jewelry, and leather goods.

Bill Taylor, chief marketing officer for OpSec Security, a provider of anticounterfeiting solutions, acknowledges that some consumers don’t care about a product’s authenticity and knowingly welcome a chance to wear or show off a high-status product. But many more consumers aren’t shopping with the idea that they could be looking at a counterfeit and not a crazy-good deal.

When safety is potentially at stake, Taylor noted, “it’s incumbent on the brand and solutions to teach the customer that those products pose a risk and what they should be looking for to know a product is authentic.”

For brands, he said anticounterfeit measures can bolster customer engagement and loyalty efforts, such as when consumers register their authentic product with the company. Consumer concern over brand impacts on the environment and a desire for circular-economy products also present brands with an opportunity to promote to consumers the importance of product authenticity, he suggested.

Like Shields, Olschanski likens the fight against counterfeiters to the game of whack-a‑mole.

He says the “risk is ever present,” and that risks never really go away when a raid occurs or illegal activity on a particular online marketplace is disrupted. “The more you work on enforcement on one platform, they go to another,” he said. However, the arcade game comparison doesn’t fit in an important way, in that the term is often used to denote futility, whereas Olschanski thinks it is vitally important to stay in the game and, importantly, to keep score.

“We look at our data in real time in case management systems to know what the patterns are,” he said, and analyze every quarter to see if a shift in resources is warranted. Criminals tend to use the path of least resistance, he noted, so good results are possible by being aggressive and targeting what data shows is trending. “If we see a shift in how goods are being sold, we need to shift right then, not at the end of the year.”

Annually, companies can do a more thorough review to see if they may need to recalibrate their overall anticounterfeit strategies, but retailers need to examine more frequently to align interventions with the threat, he said.

For a company that relies on a reputation for quality to the extent that Tiffany & Co. does, it’s natural that the company makes anticounterfeiting a priority. Each poorly fabricated, phony product chips away at the retailer’s revenue and its reputation.

So it embarked on mission: contribute to advancement of the brand, sales, and profitability by controlling the visibility and availability of counterfeit products.

Tiffany & Co. team members have kept counterfeiters on their back feet and protected the company’s value with their dedication to tracking the problem, auditing, and remaining nimble in its response. They’ve followed the sale of counterfeits from fake Tiffany domains, to Amazon and other marketplaces, to social media, which has recently become a dominant driver in the sale of counterfeit merchandise. A sophisticated seller of counterfeit merchandise today uses algorithms to target potential customers in the same way legitimate sellers do, explained Olschanski. “If I’m searching, the ads will come after me, just like from a real business.”

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Both Crosby and Olschanski noted the importance of staying current with the sources of the threat, which are persistent but fluid. The largest buyer of counterfeit products is the US consumer, according to Olschanski.

China has been—and still is—the largest origin economy producer, accounting for 47 percent of world exports, although with labor costs creeping up there, he says he’s keeping his eye on smaller countries in Asia and India.

A lot comes out via transit hubs, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Turkey, and Eastern Europe, and while some fake goods leave through the back door of legitimate manufacturers, more are produced in converted apartment buildings that bely the sophistication of fakes they produce. The big change has been the move to online sales, specifically on platforms that allow third-party sellers.

“Alibaba is the king of counterfeit,” said Crosby.

Keeping Score Keeping score, through an extensive use of metrics, has been a driving force in Tiffany & Co.’s anticounterfeiting strategy and key to its brand protection success.

It’s been even more critical as the amount of company resources to go after counterfeiters has tightened because of the economic upheaval created by the pandemic. For the last six to eight months, the brand protection unit has been focused on product seizures and asset recovery, with an eye toward being able to apply the money they’ve saved right back into the department’s anticounterfeiting effort.

He said other data points, such as the number of fake domains discovered or fake product takedowns, are also vital to track and suggested

March–April 2021

Charles Olschanski

Bill Taylor

FEATURE The “Real” Problem

Michael Hanson

The rapid proliferation of selling platforms allows counterfeiters to hop from one profile to the next even if the original site is taken down or blocked.

questions for investigators and brands to ask: ● Do I track metrics that tell me the accurate extent of my problem? ● Am I using metrics to help shape my strategy? ● Am I tracking the metrics that my executive team is looking for?

Metrics enable a nimble response, which is more necessary now than years ago when Olschanski would go to flea markets with an eye out for fake Louis Vuitton handbags for a clue to where fake Tiffany & Co. jewelry might be changing hands. Technology has changed the way businesses operate, and that includes counterfeit ones, he said. “Technology has allowed them to be more nimble, more transactional, and more targeted in the way to do things,” he said.

“Technology allows them to be more productive and enjoy the other advantages, except that they get to do it all without the restriction of doing things within the law.”

He said retail needs to think of counterfeiting operations as businesses—albeit illegitimate ones—that run professionally like any other but with less organization around leadership.

Like all retailers, sellers of counterfeit goods take advantage of the latest systems to measure customers’ current appetites, retool production lines, and get their goods to market quickly. “The pandemic is an example,” said Olschanski.

“Counterfeit personal protective equipment exploded last spring as people were looking to buy it anywhere they could find it,” noting that fake bike parts also became problematic as gyms closed and people began exercising more at home.

The problem was highlighted in the US Annual Intellectual Property Report, released in January by Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Vishal Amin. The report, subsequently removed during the transition to the Biden administration, cited a

March–April 2021

troubling trend in “opportunistic criminals taking advantage of the coronavirus health crisis, which led to an influx of counterfeit personal protection equipment and medicines, as well as the proliferation of online scams.”

One major victim of counterfeit masks, 3M company, filed and settled a lawsuit against a third‑party merchant on Amazon’s platform it said was selling defective, damaged, and fake “3M N95 masks” for as much as $23.21 apiece, compared to $1.27 that authentic 3M masks were selling for.

The market focus of today’s counterfeiters is further evidenced by how they’ve since fine-tuned their bogus personal protection equipment (PPE) product lines, moving from a focus on N95 masks to masks that pretend to come from fashion houses. In January, for example, CBP stopped shipments of several fake designer face masks, including a shipment from Vietnam that contained more than 5,700 designer masks made to appear to be from Coach, Tory Burke, Chanel, and others.

Increasingly Sophisticated Scams Counterfeiters are increasingly producing a wider variety of goods and hitting earlier in the product cycle, according to a 2020 study by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods. “If a new product is a success, counterfeiters will attempt, often immediately, to outcompete the original seller with lower‑cost counterfeit and pirated versions while avoiding the initial investment into research and design.”

And with third‑party online marketplaces, counterfeiters have fast and easy access to consumers to capitalize.

The study points the finger directly at third-party online marketplaces for intensifying the problem to “staggering levels.”

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Historically, counterfeits were distributed through swap meets and individual sellers located on street corners. Today, they’re largely trafficked through vast e-commerce supply chains in concert with marketing, sales, and distribution networks, and “the scale of the problem will only increase, especially under a business-as-usual scenario,” the report concludes.

“While we still have the issue of pawn shops and flea markets, there is no type of regulatory body that protects consumers from stolen and counterfeit goods on online marketplaces, and that’s where we see the trend going,” said Michael Hanson, senior vice president for public affairs at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). “The sale of illicit goods is only going to increase, and we don’t see the trend of buying online changing.”

A counterfeiter seeking to distribute fake products will typically set up one or more accounts at online third‑party marketplaces to quickly establish attractive “store fronts” to compete with legitimate businesses. On these sites, online counterfeiters can misrepresent products by posting pictures of authentic goods while simultaneously selling and shipping counterfeit versions.

“Counterfeiters have taken full advantage of the aura of authenticity and trust that online platforms provide,” notes the DHS report.

The rapid proliferation of selling platforms allows counterfeiters to hop from one profile to the next even if the original site is taken down or blocked. Some platforms scrutinize sellers, but on others, little identifying information is necessary to begin selling.

Anyone can start selling a product if they provide basic information about themselves, such as credit card and tax identity. The reason for the lack of scrutiny is financial. A platform that permits more “frictionless entry” and reduces costs for

A Different Kind of Counterfeit The picture in the social media post was of a beaming man in a crisp blue dress shirt holding out an “M&S” paper bag. “Hello, everyone, my name is Steve Rowe, and I am the CEO of Marks and Spencer!” it reads. “I’ve an announcement to make – To celebrate our 135th Anniversary, We are giving EVERYONE who shares & then comments by 11:59pm tonight one of these mystery bags containing a £35 M&S voucher plus goodies!” It then gave the web address for where folks could claim their goodies.

But the picture was not of M&S CEO Steve Rowe, nor was the “Marks and Spencer Store” Facebook page where it originated the retailer’s real account page.

The URL linked customers to a bogus M&S branded portal that asked visitors for their names, addresses, mobile phone numbers, and bank details to “enter” the prize draw.

The impersonation by cyber criminals was an effort by fraudsters to scam valuable personal information and credit card details. On Twitter, @bouffant1 asked Marks & Spencer, “Is this real or a scam?” to which the company replied that it had been made aware of the advertisements, that it wasn’t genuine, and “our colleagues are investigating further.”

The fake advertisements were spotted by the cyber research team at Parliament Street, and cyber-security experts warn that online impersonation scams are likely to increase to take advantage of more and novice online shoppers. They say to expect growing numbers of “exclusive” or “one-time only” deals advertised on social media or in emails or text messages. Most will be legitimate, but many will not, putting personal data and log-in credentials of shoppers at risk.

Marks & Spencer or another retailer wouldn’t suffer a direct financial hit from such a scam, but retailers do experience harm.

Maintaining a positive brand image is quite likely the most

sellers and buyers to join increases its likelihood to scale and succeed.

Social media is now a major player in the counterfeit game. In a 2019 study, nearly 20 percent of Instagram posts about fashion products featured counterfeit or illicit product, and more than 50,000 Instagram accounts were identified as promoting and selling counterfeits, a 171 percent increase from a prior 2016 analysis. Instagram’s Story feature, where content disappears, is proving particularly effective for counterfeit sellers.

“Instagram users, for example, can take advantage

important element for a retailer’s future success, and a customer tricked by an impersonation scam is unlikely to shop at that retailer anytime soon.

In 2020, for a feature in LPM, several LP pros said they’ve increased their efforts to identify and address fraud that wasn’t causing losses in stores but was adversely impacting customers. Many noted that their organized retail crime units were increasingly providing victim-assisted fraud services, such as an employee being defrauded or a customer or guest falling victim to impersonation scams, like IRS scams where elderly shoppers will come into the store thinking they have to pay the IRS in the form of a gift card.

Joe Darnell, manager of asset protection services at Retail Business Services, explained how, in 2019, many elderly customers were falling victim to a gift card scam in which they were being enticed to purchase gift cards, would later share the gift card information over the phone, and then see the value of the gift cards erased. Its ORC investigators regularly undergo training to understand such schemes and to be able to help local authorities. In doing so, they eliminated a substantial amount of consumer fraud and customer losses.

Retailers need to extend that attitude to online victims as well, suggest analysts from CyberInt in the company’s Annual Threat Landscape Report for 2020. They insist that retailers’ concern with security should progress beyond their own infrastructures and employees to include protection of company brands and customers. Specifically, the report advises retailers to guard against allowing their customers to be targeted in phishing campaigns that misappropriate brands to lure victims into surrendering personal and financial data. Again, while retailers may not suffer direct losses from such schemes, they do pay substantially in the long run.

of connectivity algorithms by using the names of luxury brands in hashtags. Followers can search by hashtag and unwittingly find counterfeit products, which are comingled and difficult to differentiate from legitimate products and sellers,” explains the DHS study, which also notes the proliferation of “hidden listings” for the sale of counterfeits. “Social media is used to provide direct hyperlinks in private groups or chats to listings for counterfeit goods that purport to be selling unrelated legitimate items. By accessing the link, buyers are brought to an e-commerce platform that advertises an unrelated

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legitimate item for the same price as the counterfeit item identified in the private group or chat. The buyer is directed to purchase the unrelated item in the listing but will receive the sought-after counterfeit item instead.”

Some online marketplaces have taken actions to make it harder for counterfeiters, but those industry efforts are insufficient. “Private stakeholders have fallen far short of adequately addressing the substantial challenges that must be surmounted if the trafficking of counterfeit and pirated goods is to be deterred,” the DHS study concluded.

March–April 2021

FEATURE The “Real” Problem

“To me, their intellectual property enforcement is pure lip service.

When you read the complaints and responses you can see it’s the intention of the e-commerce sites to keep this money machine going.”

— Craig Crosby, The Counterfeit Report

Craig Crosby goes further, suggesting that companies making money off the selling of counterfeit goods are either incompetent or intentionally doing a bad job of removing bogus products and blocking illegitimate sellers. “It’s an ever‑evolving weekly challenge.

The same sellers come right back,” he said. In frustration, some major brands have stopped selling online except through direct channels.

Crosby’s passion ignited a decade ago after receiving packages of counterfeit Duracell batteries, and he has since become a vocal anticounterfeiting crusader, helping consumers recognize the difference between legitimate and knockoff products and providing evidentiary support in claims against sellers—and having twice won court cases against eBay several years ago. He’s currently the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Amazon filed in the US District Court in the Central District of California alleging the company directly sold dozens of products containing fraudulent 18650 lithium-ion battery cells and misrepresented the products’ safety characteristics.

Crosby says the efforts to remove counterfeit products

that large online marketplaces like Amazon vigorously promote seem mostly for show. “To me, their intellectual property enforcement is pure lip service,” said Crosby. “When you read the complaints and responses you can see it’s the intention of the e-commerce sites to keep this money machine going.”

What so frustrates Crosby is his belief that online marketplaces could easily do a more effective job of policing their sites. After all, he has identified and worked to get 400 million counterfeit product from e-commerce websites removed on the behalf of brand owners.

And some product listings, he noted, announce their counterfeit status in their product title description, for example, a laptop battery with a milliamp rating that exceeds what is possible or a microSDHC memory card that lists a capacity that does not exist in the microSDHC standard.

In these and similar instances, no lab testing or other detailed investigation is required. The product is fraudulent on its face.

Yet they can be found, perhaps even with the “Amazon Choice” label attached to them. “Here is something that you can see just in a search is a counterfeit,” said Crosby. “Something that simple that they say they can’t take care of.”

Powerful technology to uncover counterfeit online listings exists, agrees OpSec Security’s Bill Taylor. The company provides a range of solutions, including supply chain tracking and product authentication, which these days might entail security thread woven into products, QR codes, fine laser etching to create 3D holography, or even product authentication markers the size of a blood cell. In its online brand protection part of the business, the company deploys an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to scour marketplaces and social media product listings to compare price points, addresses, names, and dozens of other data points to identify the original source of multiple counterfeits listings.

“In this way, we find the hubs that are the source of multiple bad actors in that game of whack‑a-mole and take out the central hub,” said Taylor, noting that on some marketplaces, the company can directly remove the fraudulent websites.

Basic protections may also need sharpening, according to the company’s research. It finds that 18 percent of consumers have unintentionally bought a fake product from a site that they believed was the brand’s Continued on page 34

Products Seized by MSRP Products

Fiscal Year 2019

Number of Seizures 27,599

Total FY 2019 MSRP $1,555,269,057

MSRP

Watches/Jewelry

$687,167,057

44%

Wearing Apparel/Accessories

$343,732,063

22%

Handbags/Wallets

$212,781,760

14%

Consumer Electronics

$105,957,198

7%

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care

$48,771,870

3%

Footwear

$37,994,046

2%

Consumer Products

$27,907,721

2%

Computers/Accessories

$13,216,628

1%

Automotive/Aerospace

$12,142,621

1%

Labels/Tags

$10,378,772

1%

All Other Commodities

$55,219,321

4%

Source: US Customs and Border Protection, Sept. 1, 2020 March–April 2021

% of Total

| 32 |

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FEATURE The “Real” Problem That prospect appeals to lululemon’s Tristen Shields, who noted that counterfeiting isn’t the only problem he sees.

“It appears to me that it is a better business model to get the product at a lower price and then resell,” he said, and that, too, can erode brand value and harm a company’s reputation, degrade customer experiences, and create competition for main line stores. “When someone buys an item from an outlet for $10 and resells it online for $29, the customer is losing out. And from a customer experience standpoint, there is no formal relationship with us,” he explained. “It’s not a good thing to have someone have a negative experience with a seller and associate it with purchasing our product.”

the issue hit a brief pause when COVID-19 hit, and businesses and legislators turned to the crisis. To genuine page. “This signals that push the issue, RILA launched some companies could still be the Buy Safe America Coalition, doing more to ensure their brand a diverse group supportive of is not being misused and their efforts at all levels of government customers are being protected,” to combat organized retail crime according to the firm.

(ORC) and protect consumers Other LP executives and communities from the sale of stressed the importance of counterfeit and stolen goods. Rite communication with and Aid, DICK’S Sporting Goods, and educating internal stakeholders, Lowe’s are all coalition members, specifically noting the value and all stakeholders in the fight of training employees to are encouraged to join. “It’s an understand the problem of issue that affects such a broad counterfeiting; simplifying spectrum of companies, and the reporting processes so that more retailers that join, the more employees can easily report the people that hear the powerful incidents of counterfeiting they stories they have to tell.” learn about; giving feedback to The major thrust currently workers when they make reports; is the Integrity, Notification, and educating law enforcement and Fairness in Online Retail on what forms fakes of their Marketplaces (INFORM) products are taking. Providing Consumers Act, which would require online The major thrust currently is the Integrity, Notification, and marketplaces to obtain and information Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) Consumers verify straightforward from third-party sellers, such Act, which would require online marketplaces to obtain as their government ID, tax ID, and verify straightforward information from third-party bank account information, and contact information, and require sellers, such as their government ID, tax ID, bank account third-party sellers to disclose information, and contact information, and require third‑party their information to consumers. provides transparency sellers to disclose their information to consumers. “It and accountability, and more information to track down Shields sees people selling and prosecute [bad actors],” officials with good cases is also said Hanson. important, Olschanski noted. “You lululemon products via online channels using pictures he can want to develop a reputation With supporters of the tell they’ve lifted straight from the legislation in ascendence in the for providing all the information company’s website. What would they’re going to need in a way Biden administration—Senate help? “The biggest thing would they can follow,” he said. bill sponsor Dick Durbin be if online retailers were more Crosby’s message for (D- IL) is now chairman of the willing to work with us on how company brand protection units powerful Senate Judiciary to control the situation. We don’t is to stay aggressive, although Committee—Hanson speaks of have the legal resources to put he’s confident that many get it. a law passing as a probability in cease-and-desist orders when rather than a possibility. “When it “Most know that just because the only result is that they change passes, and I’ll be that bold, the they send in [a request for the name of their storefront and a takedown of a counterfeit coalition will push forward the set up a new shop the next day.” product] doesn’t mean it was implementation of the law and Sen. Dick Durbin removed, or that it wasn’t just to make sure consumers know Legislative Momentum put right back up.” He thinks about it.” a bigger problem exists for Help may be on the way. RILA’s Some operators of third-party companies that can’t afford Michael Hanson said that in early marketplaces are supporting the “huge financial burden” 2020 the industry was seeing the bill, including Walmart and to wage an eternal war with some legislative momentum, with Target, but it does have forces illegitimate sellers—and that they federal lawmakers taking interest in opposition, notably Amazon. will continue to be victimized in the problem of online sales of Arguments are that it somehow until legislation is enacted to stolen and counterfeit goods via puts online sellers on unequal support them. third-party marketplaces, but that footing with physical stores, Continued from page 32

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which doesn’t resonate with Senator Durbin. “In an era where stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous goods are increasingly offered for sale online, the INFORM Consumers Act will help promote responsible marketplace behavior, deter shadowy sales practices, and protect consumers,” he said in introducing the legislation.

The breadth and depth of the coalition working to support passage of the legislation is helping drive Hanson’s high hopes. And it’s only one hopeful sign of several that victims of counterfeiting are pushing reform through enhanced coordination. In January, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) announced a formal partnership with the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) to develop joint initiatives to educate stakeholders and protect legitimate manufacturers, retailers, and consumers by preventing illegal counterfeit goods from entering the US. The INFORM Consumers Act won’t solve the problem, however. Crosby, for one, is skeptical of the good that information requirements on sellers can do because they have previously shown enormous creativity and success in getting around stricter requirements whenever they’ve been put in place, from listing their information in Chinese to gaming the address requirements. For more substantial change, he thinks Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act would need to be revised in such a way that online platforms could be held liable for products sold on their sites.

Hanson acknowledges that the INFORM Consumers Act won’t put the end to the

fight against counterfeits, calling it a “great first step” and explains that its goal is to put in a “floor” so that marketplaces have measures built into their systems, so consumers are better protected. It’s also strictly aimed at high-volume third‑party sellers, defined as those making 200 or more sales totaling at least $5,000 in one year. So companies will need to continue both their individual and collective fight against counterfeits to ensure laws that are passed are effectively implemented, to deploy monitoring software and AI solutions to detect where counterfeit versions of their products live online, to develop metrics to measure the effectiveness of their efforts, to push authentication technologies forward, to educate consumers, and to push for additional transparency.

While acknowledging that the counterfeit challenge for a luxury goods company is different than for a pharmacy worried about fake medications, Olschanski would like to see brands and retailers work more closely together when they can.

Collectively, retailers need to have a strong proactive approach to counterfeiting.

Individually, they need to collect data to understand the problems they’re facing and maintain a level of humility sufficient to drive them to discuss and share strategies.

“A company getting beat up by an onslaught of social media listings should be able to reach out, find out who is good at managing that, and be able to learn from them,” said Olschanski. “The industry does well as a whole, but I’m hoping we can continue to make strides in collaborating and having open dialogue to share practical solutions that companies are finding effective.”

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March–April 2021

CERTIFICATION

The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) is a leader in educating and certifying retail loss prevention and asset protection professionals by providing relevant, convenient, and challenging educational resources. The LPF is dedicated to elevating the industry through its accredited LPQualified and LPCertified courses. For more informations, visit losspreventionfoundation.org.

Seize Any Opportunity to Learn Two Retail Professionals Offer Their Views Josh Crippen, LPC

Senior Regional Asset Protection Manager, Whole Foods Market LPCertified in March 2020

Josh Crippen

Early in my career I witnessed leaders in the industry earn their LPC certifications, and I noticed the rewards they gained by going through the process.

Josh Crippen, LPC, began his career in loss prevention and asset protection during college by working full time as an asset protection specialist at Cabela’s. After graduating from Texas State University, he became a loss prevention manager for Lowe’s. Along with his normal LP duties at Lowe’s, Crippen was given responsibility for associate and customer safety for all locations in and around Austin, Texas, and found his passion for the safety side of loss prevention. Josh now serves as the senior regional asset protection manager for Whole Foods Market.

“Early in my career I witnessed leaders in the industry earn their LPC certifications, and I noticed the rewards they gained by going through the process,” said Crippen. “I saw and experienced the effect of the knowledge they received from the course, benefitting not only them but also their

March–April 2021

teams. When I was presented with the opportunity to pursue the LPC certification, I jumped at the chance!”

“The best way I can describe it is as an at-home, self-paced, full college course. It is a truly cumulative approach to the many facets of the industry,” Crippen said of the LPC course. “It is challenging, and you must be regimented in your approach to going through the course; however, the knowledge you gain and the industry recognition you receive from earning the LPC certification make the work you put in so worth it.”

Crippen had some thoughts for those considering pursuing their LPC certification, “Find a mentor. There are so many great leaders in our industry that have been where you are and who are more than happy to help you along the way. Get involved with the Loss Prevention Foundation community. There, you will find like- minded LP professionals who are committed to driving growth

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and development in the profession and who are fostering open dialogue with others in the industry.

Use those resources to your advantage.”

“The loss prevention and asset protection industry is constantly evolving,” continued Crippen. “Make sure you have a hunger to learn and that you can adapt to change. Raise your hand often, be relentlessly positive and proactive, don’t hesitate to seek support from others, and always, always work to serve those around you.”

Greg Dupuy, LPQ

Market Asset Protection Manager, Meijer LPQualified in October 2020

Greg DePuy, LPQ, thought he was going to be a police officer. After completing the police academy and while applying for positions at area departments, Greg realized he needed an interim job and applied to Meijer. He was given the opportunity there to be a part-time store Continued on page 38

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CERTIFICATION Continued from page 36

Greg Dupuy

The LPQ course was more involved and detailed than I expected. One thing that stood out to me was the attention to the financial impact of retail and how the numbers relate to our profession.

detective, and he never looked back. Greg is now a market asset protection manager with Meijer.

When DePuy was asked why he decided to pursue his LPQ certification at this time, he said, “Meijer has made a commitment to continuing education. Twenty managers and team leaders were provided LPQ or LPC course scholarships recently, and I was fortunate enough to be a recipient. I’ve been in the retail loss prevention and asset protection industry for almost thirty years, but I strive to seize any opportunity to learn and develop myself. Certification provides professional credibility and sets the standards and expectations for the LP and AP industry.

“The LPQ course was more involved and detailed than I expected. One thing that stood out to me was the attention to the financial impact of retail and how the numbers relate to our profession.

The coursework helps LP and AP professionals speak the same language as our business partners in operations, which allows us to be far more influential and effective.”

He concluded, “I’ve been in the industry for a while, and many of the things we do are simply because we have always done them.

Providing the reasons why is crucial when training and hiring the next generation of LP and AP professionals. The LPQ course does just that; it explains the why as it is geared toward the practical application of knowledge rather than just knowledge.

The LPQ certification provides professional credibility that raises the expectations for those in our field.”

March–April 2021

Newly Certified Following are individuals who recently earned their certifications.

Recent LPC Recipients Robert Agee, LPC, TJX Lesa Allen, LPC, TJX Hedgie Bartol, LPQ, LPC, Axis Communications Jason Bridge, LPC, TJX Erin Escobar, LPC, Staples Brad Finch, LPC, TJX Raquel Flores-Shippey, LPC, AT&T Ronald Foss, LPC, Albertsons Jeremy Gehrke, LPC, Home Depot William Hedspeth, LPQ, LPC, Walmart Caleb Hussong, LPQ, LPC, Goodwill Industries of Seattle Jacquline Jakubowski, LPQ, LPC, Festival Foods Alexandria Jeffery, LPC, Rite Aid Carolyn Jennette, LPC, TJX Anjelica Kendrick, LPC, John Lewis PLC (UK) Justin Kettel, LPC, Victoria’s Secret Casey Kwasigroch, LPC Eugene Mayba, LPQ, LPC, Festival Foods Thomas Reagor, LPC, CPP, CFE, Walgreens Jean Shawlis, LPC, TJX Mellisa Slavik, LPC, Amazon Korey Smith, LPC, Ascena Retail Group Randy Vasser, LPC, Home Depot Erin Walker-DeCastro, LPC, Rite Aid Marcus Young, LPC, United Supermarkets

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Recent LPQ Recipients Daniel Adams, LPQ, Security Industry Specialist William Allen, LPQ, The Grocery People Shannon Ansell, LPQ, Whole Foods Market John Bradford, LPQ, Home Depot Michael Conley, LPQ, Axis Communications Gerald Connors, LPQ, AT&T Lawrence Curka, LPQ, Fanatics Ricardo Eastman, LPQ, TJX Julius Garcia, LPQ, TJX David Gibson, LPQ, TJX Joshua Grabel, LPQ, TJX Christopher Hallam, LPQ, ALTO Sean Harper, LPQ, Ralph Lauren Michael Hawkins, LPQ, Home Depot Joachim Henze, LPQ, Home Depot Hallie Hunziker, LPQ, University of Indianapolis Byron Iverson, LPQ, Goodwill Industries of Seattle Kailey Kopus, LPQ, Justin Lee, LPQ, Goodwill Industries of Seattle Bronwyn Libeer, LPQ, TJX James Magdaleno, LPQ, Home Depot Matthew McBride, LPQ, Envysion Sean Michelson, LPQ, TJX Tressa Mira, LPQ, TJX Eric Moore, LPQ, Home Depot Derek Mute, LPQ, Home Depot Connor Pease, LPQ, TJX Jennifer Press, LPQ, Whole Foods Market Marcos Rodriguez, LPQ, ALTO Ramiro Rosales III, LPQ, Ralph Lauren Teresa Selleck, LPQ, 7-Eleven Blake Steele, LPQ, TJX David Wickerham, LPQ, CST Solutions Group

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The Unexpected Spy One Woman’s Journey Fighting Terrorism

By Merek Bigelow, LPM Executive Editor

W

hen you learn of Tracy Walder’s experiences in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it will leave you fascinated, intrigued, and all those other words that mean you want to learn more. It certainly did for us at LPM. Is it the likes of Homeland or other spy shows you may have binge-watched while in quarantine?

We know enough to say—most likely—not a chance.

But we also know it is worth sitting down with Walder, listening to her recount her experience and share her insights, and knowing there is also much we can learn from Walder’s experiences as a female in a well-known male-dominated world.

In Walder’s 2020 memoir titled The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists, Walder recounts many of her experiences leading up to and during her time at the CIA and FBI. Her memoir is a

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FEATURE The Unexpected Spy

riveting account of a young woman who went from the pink beanbag chair in her sorority house at the University of Southern California (USC) to a single-wide trailer at a black site in the Middle East.

Her story is that of a new operative, a fresh graduate from the University of Southern California, a Delta Gamma sorority sister who knew she wanted to impact the world but thought that impact would be from empowering and molding young minds as a

Her memoir is a riveting account of a young woman who went from the pink beanbag chair in her sorority house at the University of Southern California (USC) to a single-wide trailer at a black site in the Middle East.

March–April 2021

history teacher rather than as a CIA staff operations officer traveling the world fighting terrorists in a post-9/11 world. A career fair along USC’s open‑air promenade on what was probably a beautiful Southern California sunny day and a brief conversation with a CIA recruiter, suffice to say, was the point her life path took quite a turn. Imagine receiving calls from the CIA to your college sorority main telephone during your senior year of college.

Central Intelligence Agency Less than a year into her new posting at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and just days before 9/11, Walder was thrust into a newly developed department within the counterterrorism unit aptly called “the Vault.”

We all can recount where we were on 9/11—as retailers and solution providers in this industry, many of us found ourselves stranded on work travel, frantically seeking a way to get home quickly to our families and loved ones.

For Walder, as she recounts, it began a period of many sleepless nights in the Vault—a high-security, steel-walled room in Virginia where Walder and her colleagues tracked terrorists with the likes of President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, or Secretary of State Colin Powell looking over their shoulders.

In fact, CIA Director George Tenet often brought Walder and her teammates’ donuts and, once, brought them Thanksgiving dinner as they worked as many hours as possible shutting down chemical terror plots and terrorists. “We felt responsible,” Walder recalled, “like we should’ve done something to stop this. But you don’t have a lot of time to sit around and feel bad for yourself.”

Walder recounts some of the most intense and

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harrowing times working extreme hours late into the night and early morning hours, such as tracking Bin Laden’s location in the mountains of Tora Bora, often taking shifts in seven-minute increments due to the intensity of the assignment and the extreme focus it required. It was hard not to be emotionally invested in the work.

Everything changed for Walder when someone in the White House altered a chemical terrorist chart she had made and stuck on her cubicle wall. The purpose of this chart was to show the White House that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The purpose of the altered chart, however, was to convince the world that Hussein did have WMDs. Driven to stop the new breed of terror that war created, Walder picked up her alias identity, flew overseas, and continued the hunt. Walder debriefed al-Qaeda’s top men—―jihadists who swore they would never speak to a woman, particularly an American woman―—and earned their trust, thus gaining critical and life-saving information.

Walder held clandestine meetings in clandestine locales with spies and embedded civilians from other countries.

She followed the trails she found across North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

She traveled to Afghanistan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Morocco, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, and England, among other countries. Through it all, Walder shut down many chemical attacks and brought in many terrorists.

During her time with the CIA, Walder received many awards for her service, from both the CIA and from foreign intelligence offices as well. Among her awards were four Exceptional Performance Awards from

the director of the CIA, two Special Activity Awards, a Meritorious Unit Citation Award, a DCI Counterterrorism Center Medal, and two Operation Enduring Freedom Targeting Awards.

Federal Bureau of Investigations When her undercover life overseas felt untenable, Walder moved to the FBI where she worked in counterintelligence.

Walder provides a detailed account of her experiences within FBI training and the animosity and tension between the CIA and FBI. For Walder, catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. The truth is, if you’re a female in many, if not most, industries, you likely have experienced some sort of sexism. According to WorkplaceInsight.net, research indicates upward of 85 percent of women in the workplace have experienced some sort of sexism while at work. In her book, Walder illuminates her own experiences as a woman in a male-dominated field both abroad and at home.

Walder was poised, confident, and obviously very talented. As she writes of her experience while going through FBI training, it is apparent she was committed fully to the work—studying, being prepared, and even taking on the infamous pepper spray to the face all FBI trainees face with gusto—although she quickly learned (and kept quiet) that she was one of the few percent of people to be immune to pepper spray.

As her time with the FBI progressed, Walder experienced jaw-dropping gender bias and stereotyping, even being asked to send an apology to a supervisor because of the fit of her suit, a suit she had worn for years prior to working in the FBI. Yet in a single year, Walder helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever.

Lessons Learned Recently, we sat down with Tracy Walder on two occasions. If you attended LPM’s March Spring Fling virtual event, you may have had the privilege of hearing Walder directly as she recalled her experience as well as an open question-and-answer session that followed.

MEREK: Some people say that women may make better spies than men—more skilled at reading body language, better at listening and observation.

Do you think there is truth in that in your experience?

What do you think are the differences in women and men in the specific experiences in the CIA and FBI, if any?

TRACY: The head of Mossad, Tamir Pardo, has stated that women are “better at playing a role” and are superior to men when it comes to” suppressing their ego.” He went on to state that “women are gifted at deciphering situations … and superior to men in terms of understanding the territory, reading situations, spatial awareness.” Women have the tools necessary to spot, assess, develop, and recruit human assets. We have more fully developed listening skills, street smarts, and inherent nurturing instincts.

MEREK: What makes you most proud as you examine both your previous and your current careers?

TRACY: In both careers, I am proud of the empathy that I had throughout the vast array of situations that I have been in. That, to me, has been one of the most important tools that I have been given. In all of my roles—spying, law enforcement, and teaching—I have to work with a multitude of different people. Being able to see things, whether I agree with them or not, from

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Walder recounts some of the most intense and harrowing times working extreme hours late into the night and early morning hours, such as tracking Bin Laden’s location in the mountains of Tora Bora, often taking shifts in seven-minute increments due to the intensity of the assignment and the extreme focus it required. their point of view has been very rewarding.

MEREK: Can you provide a bit of detail around some of your most frustrating experiences?

In contrast, can you recall

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FEATURE The Unexpected Spy

When her undercover life overseas felt untenable, Walder moved to the FBI where she worked in counterintelligence. Walder provides a detailed account of her experiences within FBI training and the animosity and tension between the CIA and FBI. For Walder, catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. what may have been the most rewarding?

TRACY: The most frustrating was at the FBI. I did not fit the stereotype of what people felt a special agent should be. Additionally, the animosity that the FBI had toward the CIA created a lot of acrimony.

The most rewarding was being able to stop terrorist March–April 2021

attacks before they happened.

Unfortunately, I cannot be specific.

MEREK: You had a few occurrences of sexism and ageism in your experiences both with the CIA and FBI. Looking back, what might you have told yourself or a fellow female colleague who was experiencing the same things?

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TRACY: Most of the sexism that I faced was at the FBI. I found my lived experience at the CIA to be rather equitable. I would tell a fellow female colleague to not be afraid to document and report what is happening to you. I was scared. I made a report but became scared to see it through because I felt Continued on page 46

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FEATURE The Unexpected Spy

Continued from page 44

that I deserved the treatment that I had. I would encourage women to find an ally in their office.

MEREK: Did you feel like you had a support system?

TRACY: At the CIA, absolutely.

My support system there included both men and women. They wanted me to be successful, and they constantly gave me constructive feedback and helped me further my career.

“My parents have always taught me to be part of the solution. There will always be problems, but if you have the ability and privilege, don’t just sit idly by and complain from your couch or from behind a computer screen. Take action to fix whatever you feel the problem is.”

Tracy Walder MEREK: What might you wish someone would have said to you at the start of your career?

TRACY: Have confidence, do not be afraid to share your informed opinions and assessments. Many times in meetings, I would stay rather quiet, not because anyone specifically made me be that way but because I lacked the confidence within myself and didn’t feel that what I had to say was valuable.

MEREK: What is the most commonly asked question you get about your experience?

March–April 2021

TRACY: The most common question I get is, “Is it like TV?” The answer is, “Absolutely not!”

MEREK: What is some tangible advice you can provide on career advancement?

TRACY: Be open to any and all feedback. It doesn’t mean that you have to implement all feedback or constructive criticism, but I welcomed it, and it made me a better operative. Also, develop your “soft skills”—think conflict resolution, teamwork, active listening, those sorts of things.

Those soft skills will help set you apart.

MEREK: How do you encourage women in your classrooms now to go into these roles within the CIA, FBI, or State departments?

TRACY: I show them the different career paths that they can take within national security. Many times, we think the only role that one can play within these organizations is what we see on TV or through other pop culture outlets.

There is truly a place for every major at these agencies.

MEREK: At the end of your book you mention a “Stop Bitching. Start a Revolution” magnet in your kitchen at home growing up. Can you talk about how you may have had to revisit this idea throughout your career? Or how it has molded you into who you are?

TRACY: My parents have always taught me to be part of the solution. There will always be problems, but if you have the ability and privilege, don’t just sit idly by and complain from your couch or from behind a computer screen. Take action to fix whatever you feel the problem is.

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Life after Government Service Walder has since left the FBI, but her desire and ongoing mission to impact the world still carries weight and provides a sense of life purpose. She did go back to her original intent of shaping the minds of young people as a means to change the world—albeit a bit differently than chasing the “bad guys” on the front lines across the globe.

She is currently an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Texas Christian University and a history teacher. She has created classes at both the high school and university levels teaching about counterterrorism and encouraging young people—particularly females—to make a global impact through pursuing careers in government, including the Department of State, CIA, and FBI. While we have highlighted her experience, we encourage you to read her memoir and learn of her experience in the CIA and FBI while navigating said waters as a strong, unwavering female. You can find her at TracyWalder.com or on Twitter @Tracy_Walder. To hear her presentation at the LPM Spring Fling event, go to LossPreventionMedia.com.

Merek Bigelow is executive editor for LPM focusing on retail industry trends, including customer service, omni-channel retailing, merchandising, and brand protection and enhancement. Upon joining the magazine in 2013, she led the efforts in the digital transformation of losspreventionmedia.com, driving digital content and strategy. Her previous experience includes over twelve years of marketing agency experience with clients such as Progressive Insurance, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Carnival Cruise Line. Bigelow can be reached at merekb@lpportal.com.

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The Total Retail Loss Certificate Program is an interactive, e-learning course available to all retail employees, loss prevention professionals, and law enforcement professionals.

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Meehan is retail technology editor for LPM as well as chief strategy officer and chief information security officer for CONTROLTEK. Previously, Meehan was director of technology and investigations with Bloomingdale’s, where he was responsible for physical security, internal investigations, and systems and data analytics. He currently serves as the chair of the Loss Prevention Research Council’s (LPRC) innovations working group. Meehan recently published his first book titled Evolution of Retail Asset Protection: Protecting Your Profit in a Digital Age. He can be reached at TomM@LPportal.com.

What You Need to Know about the Cyber-Espionage Attack Linked to Russia A

Because of how stealthy the breach was, the attackers were able to spy on government agencies and other companies for at least nine months

massive cyber‑espionage effort, believed to be led by the Russian government, has targeted both private companies and federal agencies, including the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Although Russia has denied any involvement, cyber‑security experts believe that the Russian foreign intelligence service, the SVR, is behind the attack.

How Did the Attack Happen?

A joint statement released by a group of federal agencies, including the FBI and the National Security Agency, confirmed that the

attack was connected to APT29 or Cozy Bear, a group of state‑sponsored hackers working with the SVR. The hackers infiltrated systems in the private and public sectors by adding malware to a legitimate software update from SolarWinds.

By piggybacking onto a software patch, the hackers created a back door into the software. That way, they could enter other organizations’ systems whenever they wanted, essentially able to pick and choose their targets.

Many government agencies and thousands of companies around the world use SolarWinds’s Orion software to monitor their networks. In December 2020, SolarWinds reported that approximately

Many government agencies and thousands of companies around the world use SolarWinds’s Orion software to monitor their networks. In December 2020, SolarWinds reported that approximately 18,000 clients were affected by the breach. They also said that the breach was due to a “highly-sophisticated, targeted … attack by a nation state.”

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18,000 clients were affected by the breach. They also said that the breach was due to a “highly‑sophisticated, targeted … attack by a nation state.” They also said that the breach was due to a “highly‑sophisticated, targeted … attack by a nation state.” The company was able to trace the attack to updates to Orion between March and June of the same year. This announcement came within a day of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issuing an emergency directive ordering all federal agencies to immediately disconnect affected Orion products from their networks.

Why Is This Breach a Big Deal?

Because of how stealthy the breach was, the attackers were able to spy on government agencies and other companies for at least nine months. The hackers took advantage of the widespread trust associated with SolarWinds and their

products in order to carry out their attack.

By attacking the SolarWinds supply chain directly, rather than targeting individual federal agencies or companies, the hackers were able to infiltrate thousands of systems through one compromised software update. This type of breach also indicates that the attackers were going after high‑profile targets, focusing on quality over quantity.

Microsoft and cyber‑security firm FireEye, which were both affected by the malware, have been investigating the cyber attack. Although Microsoft did not find evidence that the malware accessed their services or customer data, FireEye discovered that the proprietary hacking tools it uses to test clients’ cyber security were stolen. They even noted that the attack used some of the best operational security they have ever seen in a cyber attack, “focusing on evasion and leveraging inherent trust.”

Although data breaches have been in the news cycle many times, this cyber attack is even more impressive (if you can call it that) because it combines sophisticated hacking with the classic stealth of political espionage.

By using SolarWinds as a vector of attack, the hackers were able to breach organizations in government, consulting, technology, and telecommunications in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Through its investigation, Microsoft found that the hackers’ approach allowed them to “impersonate any of the organization’s existing users and accounts, including highly privileged accounts.” Russian foreign intelligence has also been linked to attempts to steal coronavirus vaccine

By attacking the SolarWinds supply chain directly, rather than targeting individual federal agencies or companies, the hackers were able to infiltrate thousands of systems through one compromised software update. This type of breach also indicates that the attackers were going after high-profile targets, focusing on quality over quantity. research from the United States last summer.

Have We Seen an Attack from Russia Like This Before?

In 2014 and 2015, the same group of hackers targeted thousands of organizations and infiltrated the unclassified email systems of the White House, the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the State Department in an attack that was much more aggressive than past attempts.

At the time, however, the Obama administration considered the breach to be “traditional espionage,” which focuses more on information collection in order to understand political motivations. Because the United States also participates in this type of espionage, the White House did not implement sanctions against Russia and instead focused on improving cyber‑security defenses.

The Russian military intelligence unit, the GRU, led the attack that targeted the US presidential election in 2016 by compromising state election systems, spreading fake news on social media, and breaching private email servers. However, this operation was focused on spreading misinformation online and intervening with American politics.

What Happens Next?

Since they disclosed the breach, SolarWinds has been cooperating with the FBI and other intelligence agencies to LPM

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investigate the malware and its effects further.

While stealthy cyber attacks like this don’t focus on stealing tons of data at once, the risk is that this type of breach can remain hidden for months, or even years, and collect data over a period of time. This specific breach lasted for over nine months and covered the rapid development of COVID‑19 vaccines using new technology and the presidential and congressional elections in the United States.

Because this operation is most likely another case of traditional espionage that all major nations engage in, it hasn’t been very disruptive, especially compared to the other major Russian attack in 2016. However, this data breach serves as an excellent reminder to practice good cyber‑security hygiene. To protect yourself and your organization from being compromised, I recommend that you: ● Regularly update your software on all your devices. ● Install a virtual private network (VPN) to secure your data and protect your identity while browsing the Internet. ● Use different and unique passwords for all your accounts. ● Set up multifactor authentication on all accounts. ● Educate yourself about phishing scams. ● Collaborate with your IT team to develop up‑to‑date. security training for your employees.

March–April 2021

Through its investigation, Microsoft found that the hackers’ approach allowed them to “impersonate any of the organization’s existing users and accounts, including highly privileged accounts.”

ASK THE EXPERT

Hedgie Bartol, LPQ, LPC

Aqi / Shutterstock.com

Bartol serves as business development manager for the retail segment in North America at Axis Communications. In this role, he works closely with partners and retailers on strategic surveillance installations designed to maximize loss prevention and streamline business operations. Bartol is a well-known industry advisor on video solutions.

One Year Later

When you talk to some retailers that haven’t had to close their doors, their sales are way up, but profitability is not necessarily in line with where it was a year ago. This is because of the multiple additional processes that have had to happen to execute one sale.

What’s different about the retail landscape today versus one year ago?

Retailers have had to reinvent themselves and likely accelerate plans regarding the omni‑channel and serving the market beyond the walls of brick and mortar. When you talk to some retailers that haven’t closed their doors, their sales are up, but profitability may not because of the additional processes that have had to happen to execute one sale. More employees have to be engaged to monitor mask compliance and occupancy management.

On top of this, retooling to serve e-commerce has certainly reshaped how they do business. Unlike other security disciplines, they cannot simply lock up their stores to protect an item or to stop the spread of COVID. How can retailers utilize the technology to mitigate or solve the impact of these challenges?

Network surveillance solutions can help retailers service customers without face-to-face interaction. A retailer could use license plate recognition with network cameras and audio to capture a license plate, compare it to a predefined list, and generate an alert when the customer arrives for pickup.

Retailers could also set up a similar low-touch process

March–April 2021

with a network door station.

Maybe a trip-wire application activates the door station, alerts an employee, and a two-way communication ensues.

Certainly a network audio solution can be used to make live or prerecorded messages to remind folks to social distance, use hand sanitizers, and wear masks.

How has the pandemic changed the need or want for certain technologies?

There was a lot of excitement about technologies that would count people for occupancy management or identify those not wearing a mask. Companies quickly realized technology in and of itself was not the answer. Instead, they had to lean on what I call the three Ps—people, process, and procedures. Then how can technology augment those three Ps? Retailers need to make sure that if technology identifies someone not complying, they have the procedures and people in place to enforce rules. Then they need to ask themselves how this technology can help them outside of pandemic-response situations.

How will tech be looked at differently to encompass the customer experience?

Today’s customers have a much greater expectation of technology being utilized to

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personalize their experience.

That could be through audio announcements, digital signage that is based on their demographic, or announcements related to COVID. An example of how this can be done is with queue monitoring technology that provides real-time numbers of people queuing. Long checkout lines have been a problem for years because of the fear of abandonment, but are especially problematic with social distancing. A store can implement a system that alerts personnel that lines are getting long and assistance is needed. Or the solution can be to announce that self-checkout stands are available.

What is the future of integrated systems in retail?

What you’re likely to see is more intelligence and capability being put at the edge. This allows cameras or speakers to take advantage of analytics, conduct more analysis, make informed decisions, and perform different tasks onboard the camera instead of having to go to a server.

You’re also likely to see more utilization of the cloud to allow greater utilization of AI and machine learning.

This will enable devices to do more for LP professionals by sending them more data more efficiently.

JOIN OUR RESEARCH & RESULTS COMMUNITY The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) conducts evidence-based research and provides a collaborative environment to develop crime and loss control solutions to improve the performance of its retail members, solutions partners, and entire retail industry.

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March–April 2021

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Robotics THE USE OF AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS IN RETAIL

By Read Hayes, PhD

Y

ou’re visiting the grocery store when the announcement “spill in aisle four” sounds off. Since you’re on aisle three, you take a peek to see if you might help out. As you round the corner, you notice the spill actually means a customer got sick, really sick, and somebody is going to need to deal with a pretty unpleasant and potentially infectious situation. Then you notice an approaching whirring noise and witness a special test robot roll up, stop, and proceed to handle the situation.

For those of a certain age, you might hear somewhere in the back of your mind, “Danger, Will Robinson!” from the old black‑and‑white Lost in Space television series. Today, however, thanks to advances in technology, robotics has come of age, including applications within retail.

Retail is incredibly competitive and perhaps at a fever pitch with reduced margins across brick‑and‑mortar, online, and omni‑channel chains. Convenience and safety rule the day, meaning retailers must gin up their innovation and technology efforts to increase their customers’ in‑store experience and even their company’s long‑term existence.

E‑commerce isn’t new, but according to digitalcommerceonline360.com, customers spent an incredible $861 billion online in 2020, an unprecedented 44 percent increase over 2019. The pandemic appears to have boosted a shift to digital shopping over physical stores at a pace that would typically take place over five years, requiring massive innovation.

Different forms of artificial intelligence (AI) including data management and computer vision are part of this

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March–April 2021

Photo courtesy of Knightscope

Remaking Retail

FEATURE Robotics innovation. Well‑designed AI models more rapidly detect opportunistic and profitable inventory popularity and movement patterns; building heating, ventilation, and air‑conditioning and lighting efficiency areas; and customer purchase and theft patterns and events.

The pandemic and convenience‑led move from stores means retail executives are needing to remake their companies to better showcase key merchandise products, provide a more convenient and interesting physical store‑visit experience, and identify and retain employees more likely to bolster customer relationships and brand allegiance. A large part of this process includes retailers speeding up their testing and adoption of scalable Internet of Things (IoT) and RFID to improve inventory selection, movement, loss reduction, and margin performance via almost real‑time and prognostic modeling.

Retail Robotics While not new this year, smart machines including autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, are generating more brainstorming and

in 2020 and reassigned store associates to shelf scanning possibly for ROI reasons.

Human flexibility compared to current AMRs is unique since the same associate assigned to scan bar codes or RFID tags can be quickly moved to the point of sale or stockroom or can provide situational customer service if trained to do so. So robots need to be carefully chosen for those environments or tasks they’re best suited for. For example, Walmart is still deploying robots to clean floors, unload inventory, or even pick and move products in their distribution centers (DCs) or even large or former stores serving as small DCs. Also, robots can conduct more than one duty, such as cleaning while scanning shelves and detecting spills.

Other AMRs like “Marty” are detecting debris, spills, and other hazards in a planned rollout of up to 500 Ahold’s Giant Foods Stores. Lowe’s has selectively deployed “LoweBot” to assist customers with where to find items while helping maintain inventory monitoring, so employees can interact with shoppers while moving across the store finding a range of user‑experience opportunities.

While not new this year, smart machines including autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, are generating more brainstorming and actual testing across the entire retail value chain. Robots combine artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and mobility for certain use cases. actual testing across the entire retail value chain.

Robots combine AI, IoT, and mobility for certain use cases.

Walmart, for example, started using merchandise‑scanning robots to better maintain on‑shelf availability in 2017 but severed their relationship with the robot’s manufacturer March–April 2021

Additionally, Giant Eagle and Schnucks have been using a Simbe robot to monitor on‑shelf levels, while Australian retailer Woolworths has been using an AMR to detect and even clean up spills. The UK’s Tesco uses RFID reader robots to maintain high in‑store inventory accuracy. Some

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companies are exploring using robots to charge electric cars while customers are shopping.

By the way, all robots are not AMRs, including a test Lowe’s is doing with Virginia Tech on smart exosuits designed to help employees more safely lift heavier products. Drones are yet another example of smart machines being more frequently used in retail environments.

Parking Lots Are Part of the Store We’re talking a little about how robotics will and are affecting in‑store and supply chain operations, but we also should discuss how AMRs will be used in what we call Zone 4 or parking lots. Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) community members have long discussed how the first and last thing customers and employees experience in a physical store visit is the parking lot. Whether traveling by car, bus, or on foot, the parking area is important to “get right.”

Customers then to avoid places where they feel intimidated by people approaching them for money, dark areas, suspicious vehicles, publicized attacks, stolen cars, loitering teenagers, or vehicle burglaries, so great merchandise, interior store aesthetics, and friendly employees may not be enough to keep them coming back, especially when they can just order items on their smartphones.

The LPRC is preparing to explore parking lot AMR options to greet and assist customers, perhaps providing comfort to employees and customers as their cameras provide real‑time video and audio feeds to place guardians. As previously mentioned, robots might in the future provide charging to electric vehicles, report

hazards and violence, collect shopping carts, and clean up broken glass, for example.

Digital Ecosystems Data around what’s being purchased, lost, and stolen, where and when the events cluster, and adding in situational data around weather, staffing and in‑store customer levels, current state display, and protective action are helping retailers better focus for efficiency and margin. But this process needs data, and the data come from transactions, sensors, and other sources.

The IoT is a network of connected sensors and devices picking up and streaming huge data flows for quick on‑premises or cloud computing. This IoT digital ecosystem might include robots and cameras and leverages machine learning to immediately enable

Roaming robots can continuously gather data on what products are and are not shopper-available on fixtures and, if they’re running throughout a store’s open hours, can generate a more complete picture on what customers are dealing with across categories, issues, and places. more efficient processes for onsite and executive decision‑making. Retail robots working precise and programmed pathways can provide a critical advantage since they might capture more on‑shelf, purchasing, and human behavior details consistently across place and time than people who are frequently moving more randomly around, not always very accurately, and off responding to situations.

European retailer Auchan is using AMRs with camera “eyes” digitally recording all shelves to provide near‑term

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in‑ and out‑of‑stock insights for quick action as well as midterm planning.

Retailers are exploring numerous digital, visual, and aural sensors to be more responsive to customer and employee shopping, working, and even safety needs. Sensors help establish customer counts correlated with purchases, path‑tracking, loitering, searching but not finding, purchasing, and stealing or aggressive behaviors, attention spans, and emotions.

Customer‑scoring systems recognize micro‑expressions

March–April 2021

FEATURE Robotics to sense potentially unhappy customers and help spur on corrective actions. Combining multiple sensors, including those on AMRs, which provide mobility and consistency, provides a more complete understanding on what, where, and how buying and stealing is or is not occurring and puts it into context, including time periods and display or other factors. Other retailers are considering testing robots that can speed selected apparel items to and from fitting rooms where employees are scarce.

AMRs in Action

Photo by Jack Trlica

This robotic retail inventory management system was demonstrated in the Zebra booth at the 2020 NRF Big Show in New York City.

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Roaming robots can continuously gather data on what products are and are not shopper‑available on fixtures and, if they’re running throughout a store’s open hours, can generate a more complete picture on what customers are dealing with across categories, issues, and places. By tying together the out‑of‑stocks with event video footage, robot‑collected data can provide a more real‑time or emerging picture on what items, like toilet paper, are suddenly selling out or what items have stopped selling but still need to be replenished because of theft.

These real‑time detections with other evidence will help leaders more quickly take advantage of new opportunities while rapidly responding to better‑defined problems. Robots might soon be able to respond to unexpected issues themselves. Customer loyalty and company profits are at stake.

Another cleaning AMR benefit is they automatically upload their what, where, and when cleaning information, and the data tend to be more timely, complete, and accurate. Not many employees meticulously report and map

their cleaning protocol, so area and place cleaning may not be as complete or even meet expected standards. And in a pandemic or even in heavy competition with other chains or buying channels, extra cleanliness can be a benefit.

Augment not Replace: Five Robot Ds As expected, some employees and unions have expressed concerns about being replaced by robotics, and in 2017 Forbes listed the frequently used “five robot Ds” to describe some of the reasons robots might be preferrable to human counterparts. These include: ● Dirty. Robots do the jobs that are really dirty, smelly, or sometimes a bit dangerous, such as inhaling fumes. They do the jobs like spray‑paint cars, move things back and forth

Another cleaning AMR benefit is they automatically upload their what, where, and when cleaning information, and the data tend to be more timely, complete, and accurate. Not many employees meticulously report and map their cleaning protocol, so area and place cleaning may not be as complete or even meet expected standards. through mines, and mine things out of the ground. ● Dull. Robots are also good at repetitive and boring jobs like daily putting thousands of lids on bottles, putting hundreds of small toys together, or turning millions of items around on a conveyor belt each month. ● Dangerous. Some robots do the very dangerous jobs like defuse bombs, assist highly contagious medical patients, walk on Mars, handle nuclear plants, and other dangerous jobs that could

have taken the lives of many human beings. ● Dexterous. Robots are used for precision with their arms able to accurately and consistently move very small things and are being used to conduct highly precise surgeries. These robots can be operated across the digital ecosystem, so physicians can conduct surgery on patients in distant lands, for example. ● Domestic. Increasingly AMRs are used for household cleaning,

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March–April 2021

FEATURE Robotics automatic lawn mowing, elder care, or even children’s toys. They help and entertain humans, do cleaning jobs, and call for help during an emergency.

Robots and People in the Same Aisle One issue often considered with AMRs is how people respond to them. And as imagined, that depends. A person’s response to their first robot encounter in a store can be excitement, amazement, or uneasiness. Age, situation, and the robot’s physical size, appearance, and even its movements can play a role in an emotional response.

So robot developers and users spend considerable time exploring varied perceptions based on robot appearance and action options to dial in a façade that can accomplish the mission(s) while not “freaking out” legitimate place users like customers, especially since AMRs are designed to enhance store

help this process, and if flexible, the robot’s exterior can be modified as more interaction and response data are collected.

AMR Survivability Another real‑world consideration is people picking on or even attacking robotic devices. The New York Times featured an article in 2019 describing why some humans are prone to bully robots. The tendency is evidently global with attacks reported from Japan to Moscow and across the US. People have kicked them over, hit them with bats, punched them, intentionally driven into driverless cars, thrown tarps over them, and more. One security robot immediately sent images of its attacker to the police resulting in an arrest. Fear, novelty, showing off for others, or just treating robots the same way they treat other humans are possible explanations. But for retail use, AMRs need to be durable in the same way

One issue often considered with AMRs is how people respond to them. And as imagined, that depends. A person’s response to their first robot encounter in a store can be excitement, amazement, or uneasiness. Age, situation, and the robot’s physical size, appearance, and even its movements can play a role in an emotional response. aesthetics. Some research shows people anxious about human‑to‑human interactions are often less nervous with a robot. Kids generally like robots, and regardless, people quickly get used to them.

Part of the decision‑making process includes whether the robot should be clearly store branded or rather convey a high‑tech facade. Should the AMR appear sharp or a little goofy? A lot of objective customer feedback can

March–April 2021

display fixtures and other items must hold up under constant human exposure.

Robot Care and Feeding in the Real World

drive ROI and numerous requirements, but mobile robots tend to be cordless and wireless, so data transfer and even battery charging frequency, type, and location need to be addressed.

Companies are working on wireless charging to enable a single robot to operate for much longer time periods, reducing the number of units needed per location.

Robotics, IoT, AI Next Retailing is rapidly changing, especially brick and mortar. COVID‑19 infections, mobility changes, and evermore convenient buying options are driving retailers to accelerate change. Retail companies need to change a customer’s in‑store experience, including aesthetics, convenience, and even safety and security.

A combination of AI, IoT, more powerful on‑premises computers, and AMRs is enabling retailers to much more quickly and accurately understand how store layout, merchandising, transactions, cleanliness, and safety options affect store visit frequency and duration and customers’ buying behaviors while in the store.

With buy online and pick up in store (BOPIS), buy online and return in store (BORIS), curbside, store‑to‑store service, and home delivery constantly evolving as well, robotics offer new ways to understand, serve, and protect employees and customers in varying conditions and environments.

Robots, like anything, will Dr. Read Hayes is break, need updates, be director of the Loss damaged, and need power Prevention Research to operate. Store size, design, Council and coordinator constant layout changes, of the Loss Prevention employee size, and capabilities Research Team at the are also considerations. The University of Florida.

AMR’s primary and perhaps He can be reached at 321‑303‑6193 or secondary missions will via email at rhayes@lpresearch.org.

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CYBER SECURITY

klyaksun / Shutterstock.com

Garett Seivold, LPM Senior Writer Garett Seivold is senior writer for LPM. A trained journalist, he has spent the majority of his career writing about security, risk management, supply chain, and loss prevention topics. He can be reached at GarettS@LPportal.com.

In Search of a Better User Experience, Retailers Create Cyber Vulnerabilities W

Successful web application attacks pose a serious threat, accounting for 43 percent of all data breaches in 2019 and up double from the year before, according to the 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)

by Verizon.

ith online shopping surging 30 percent in 2020, it’s little surprise that cyber attacks are common, with nearly 400 million customer records exposed in attacks on retailers last year, according to calculations

by Bloomberg. Such events can do lasting damage—78 percent of customers indicate they would be concerned about doing business with a retailer if the company experienced a breach, according to survey findings released in November by Generali Global Assistance.

Retailers are implementing advanced security to prevent online intrusions, but as retailers expand their online operations, the sheer expanse of their attack surface makes protection difficult. Many experts point to retailers’ desire to create better user experiences—faster shopping, more personalization—as a primary challenge for retailers moving forward. To create a fast and easy shopping experience for consumers, retailers must deploy a complex web of applications.

And with more applications at work the harder it is to spot and manage vulnerabilities.

March–April 2021

them considered suspect Successful web application (often test environments attacks pose a serious threat, left online and potentially accounting for 43 percent providing a backdoor for of all data breaches in 2019 bad actors) and 22 percent and up double from the year running on old components. before, according to the 2020 Exploitation of vulnerable Data Breach Investigations web app infrastructure is one Report (DBIR) by Verizon. Retail variety of the attack pattern, industry data tells a similar according to the Verizon story, with web applications DBIR, and the use of stolen becoming the primary target credentials is another. Data of attacks on the retail industry. show the two “are close “Over the last few years (2014 to 2019), attacks have made the competitors for first place in the hacking varieties category, swing away from point‑of‑sale and there is not a great deal to devices and controllers, and distinguish between them from toward web applications,” a percentage point of view,” according to the DBIR. said the report. “In a perfect Many web applications world, someone else’s contain a labyrinth data breach would of layers, according not raise the risk to to Stephane your own. However, Konarkowski, senior that is increasingly security consultant not the case, with for Outpost24, a the adversaries provider of vulnerability amassing datastores of management credentials from other technology. “If not people’s misfortune designed with security Stephane Konarkowski and trying them out in mind, they can against new victims.” be a breeding ground for Other studies and surveys vulnerabilities,” he wrote for point to three other strategies the RSA Conference. In its research, Outpost24 found that may help retailers get a 3,357 publicly‑exposed web better handle on current and applications running over emerging cyber threats.

401 domains among the top retailers, with 8 percent of Continued on page 62

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CYBER SECURITY the group notes. Data indicate that the average ransomware payouts for all businesses have grown from less than $10,000 1. Cyber criminals shift in the third quarter of 2018 from attacking people to to more than $178,000 per business, requiring a focus event by the end of second on employee behavior. quarter 2020. “Large Nationally, data enterprises are making breaches were down average ransomware 30 percent in 2020, payments of over $1 with the number of million,” said the ITRC individuals impacted 2021 predictions report. down more than 60 “BEC scams cost percent, according businesses more than to preliminary data $1.8 billion in 2019.” from the Identity Theft Eva Casey 2. Cyber alignment Resource Center Velasquez is worth reviewing.

(ITRC). The ITRC sees Surveys with information a fundamental change in security professionals show how identity crimes are being that sophisticated, targeted committed rather than crime attacks are often the greatest going away. Cyber criminals concern and threat to US are making more money businesses, but that company defrauding businesses with IT security teams spend most ransomware attacks and of their time fixing security phishing schemes that rely vulnerabilities introduced on poor human behaviors by their own application than traditional data breaches development teams. Social that rely on stealing people’s engineering attacks are personal information, similarly shortchanged in time according to ITRC predictions and budget, surveys suggest. for 2021, which it believes In short, many organizations could be a long‑term trend. (and perhaps most) are not “There is a clear shift in tactics away from cyber attacks spending their time, budget, and staffing resources on the that require mass amounts problems that its security‑savvy of consumer information to professionals consider to be fuel identity crimes, and that’s the greatest threats. While good news for consumers,” issues such as compliance said Eva Casey Velasquez, ITRC president and CEO. “With and application security take a significant amount of their time, that said, businesses of all cyber‑security teams may need sizes are now the targets of cyber criminals who know how to focus more on emerging threats such as targeted attacks to take advantage of human and social engineering exploits. behaviors—not hope for a Advice: retailers should ensure technology failure—to rake in that they’re correctly aiming billions of dollars.”

Cyber criminals are focusing cyber‑security resources at their greatest risks. on cyber attacks that require 3. “Executive protection” logins and passwords to get should have a broader access to corporate networks meaning. Because it’s for ransomware or business getting harder to get email compromise (BEC) average workers to open scams, according to the unknown email attachments, ITRC. These attacks require hackers have been targeting less effort and are largely bigger game with more automated, the risk of getting caught is less, and the payouts sophisticated weapons.

“Whaling” is when hackers are much higher than taking send extremely specific over an individual’s account, Continued from page 60

“Whaling” is when hackers send extremely specific emails to CEOs that contain attachments with malicious code to facilitate keystroke recording, including to their personal email accounts. The emails differ from mass attacks and are carefully and specifically crafted to encourage the big cheese to open them.

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emails to CEOs that contain attachments with malicious code to facilitate keystroke recording, including to their personal email accounts.

The emails differ from mass attacks and are carefully and specifically crafted to encourage the big cheese to open them. Common targets are chief investment officers, company CEOs and presidents, directors of research and development, and chief information and technology officers.

Protecting executives from this threat should include security for family members as executives’ loved ones have also received targeted email attacks. Tricking a relative into installing malicious code could allow a hacker to obtain sensitive information if an executive uses a home computer for work purposes.

A study by Verizon Enterprise Solutions showed that many high‑level individuals with access to privileged information (CFOs, directors of HR, board members, and so on) have increasingly become the targets as hackers focus their aim. In the past, attackers used “spray‑and‑pray” tactics where they would attack broadly and hope to hit something. Targeting is now more refined. More studies find that malware samples are unique to a specific organization.

When an attack is highly targeted and customized to a particular organization, it becomes harder to identify and can be difficult to recognize as something suspicious, warned Ed Powers, partner and former managing principal for Cyber Risk Services at Deloitte & Touche. His advice is to assume that some of these attacks are going to be successful plan accordingly. That is, be prepared to react quickly and effectively to minimize the impact of successful hacks.

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ur NG10 is the first transparent acrylic antenna to be released in the NEO range. Designed with store aesthetics in mind, this sleek and slim antenna features rich Bluetooth wireless connectivity and delivers the highest-performing electronics on the market. The advance RF technology improves detection. Higher detection rates mean reduction in inventory shrink across even the smallest of tagged products.

Powered by NEO With intelligence built in, the NEO platform advances performance capabilities beyond the traditional antenna. A sophisticated sensor, NEO can connect directly to store networks, smartphones, and the Checkpoint cloud platform with no middleware, allowing continuous and seamless data gathering. With its 24/7 real‑time remote monitoring, any issues are picked up immediately. The new electronics mean the antennas are compact and slimmer with the scope of supporting more technology, without changing the aesthetics of the antenna frame.

FEATURES: ● Wireless

Connectivity Detection ● Quick Fit Based ● Boosted

ADVANTAGES: ● Instant ● No

Synchronization Floor Cutting

CUSTOMIZABLE: ● Acrylic

Etching LED Colors ● Alarm Notification via Audio WAV File

As the first acrylic antenna to be released in the NEO range, we are excited to see the market reaction to the NG10. We have sold more than 1,000 units ahead of its launch, exceeding expectations with the unbeatable detection that NEO is renowned for.

– Global Product Management Team, Checkpoint Systems

● RGB

LPM

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March–April 2021

Alexander Softog / ShutterStock.com

Resource Guide

For companies who would like to showcase their solutions in this section, please contact LPM’s Media Strategist Ben Skidmore at 972-587-9064 or via email at BenS@LPportal.com.

Resource Guide to Products and Services

This section provides readers with information on select products and services from retail asset protection solution providers. If your company is considering new technology or programs, please check with these vendors as well as the other advertisers throughout the magazine.

AFA PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS, INC. SINCE 1873

• Fire Alarm Systems • Design, Installation & Service • UL Listed & FM Approved Central Station Monitoring • Test & Inspection Services

At AFA, we deliver superior levels of customer service.

If you don’t believe us, ask our customers! www.afap.com (866) AFA-NATL

March–April 2021

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LossPreventionMedia.com

AFA PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS, INC. SINCE 1873

• Video Surveillance Systems – IP & Analog - Intelligent Analytics

Give Associates Peace of Mind with Motorola’s Body-Worn Cameras

• Design & Installation

The Motorola VT100 BWC is a small, unobtrusive device that can capture customer interactions on video and lower the possibility of aggressive situations.It provides video anda audio evidence of any incidents and gives employees who wear them a valuable new way to feel confident while they continue to provide superior service.

lnlsystems.com/lpvt100

877-456-5797

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used under license ©2021 Motorola Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

At AFA, we deliver superior levels of customer service.

If you don’t believe us, ask our customers! www.afap.com (866) AFA-NATL

Connect With Your Crew Let your audience choose their preferred platform to increase awareness and participation. At LPM Media Group, our mobile and digital solutions move meaningful connections from possibility to reality.

#connectwithyourcrew | www.LPMmediagroup.com LPM

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March–April 2021

Aleksandra Bataeva/ ShutterStock.com

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE To stay up-to-date on the latest career moves as they happen, visit the Professional Development page on the LPM website LossPreventionMedia.com.

To inform us of a promotion or new hire, email us at peopleonthemove@LPportal.com.

Professionals Advancing Their Careers Jon Doyle, CFI was promoted to regional manager of AP at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Nadine Lajeune is now director of national projects, AP at ALDI USA.

Martin Haynes was promoted to head of LP, central support, Middle East and North Africa (Kuwait), and Sue Calder was promoted to LP manager of fraud and investigations at Alshaya Group (Kuwait).

Stefanie Hoover, CFI is now AVP, strategic accounts and business development, North America at ALTO USA.

environmental programs; Elizabeth Giovanni, project manager, LP, process improvement; and Raúl Tejeda and Michael Guminski, LPC, regional LP managers.

Anthony Dentler, LPQ, Eric Welch, and Marshall Fredrick are now regional AP managers at Bass Pro Shops.

Ryan Morgan, CFI is now senior manager of AP operations at Bath & Body Works.

Mark Powell was promoted to regional risk and compliance manager at David Jones (Australia).

Johan Ideler was promoted to vice president of AP, quality and shrink management at Delhaize (Belgium).

Nickolas Brown was promoted to market AP manager at Belk.

Michael Carey and Tim Medeiros are now regional AP managers at BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Amazon announced the following promotions and new hires: Tsuyoshi Kasuya, security program manager (Japan); Geoff Taylor, CPP, senior program manager, LP (United Kingdom); Quincy Howard, manager of internal audit, forensic and fraud; David Mosser, LPC, physical security program manager, northeast; Ben Wang, senior safety analytics manager, last mile; Daniel Tortoriello, Rigoberto Hernandez, CFI, and Chris Knobbe, CFI, regional LP managers; Carol Hawkins (United Kingdom), Becky Dawson-Hand (United Kingdom), and Dave Huntingford, CSMP (United Kingdom), cluster LP managers; and Steve Mathieu, LPC, IIRSM (Canada) and Kieran Lewis, multisite LP managers.

David Halliwell, MBA, LPC was promoted to regional AP manager, and DeAndre Davis and Joseph Evans are now district AP leaders at CVS Health.

Chris Frederick and David Conner are now zone LP managers at Bealls.

Sue Steinman was promoted to senior analyst, safety ERC at Best Buy.

Jesus Lopez is now a customer service specialist at ALTO USA.

Luca Forcignanò is now regional LP advisor for Spain, Portugal, and Italy at Claire’s (Spain).

Justin Thomas is now director of AP at Bluemercury.

Dana Rager is now a LP specialist at Boot Barn.

Colin Gubernick is now corporate investigations coordinator, Chanalue Knibbs was promoted to territory AP director, and Bianca Cortes is now a district AP manager at Burlington Stores.

Emerson Soares was promoted to national coordinator of loss and risk prevention at C&C Casa e Construção (Brazil).

John Carro, CFI is now a regional LP manager at Auto Plus Auto Parts.

Anthony Kuisle is now enterprise AP operations manager at Casey’s.

AutoZone announced the following promotions and new hires: Daniel May, LPC, director of safety and

Kelly King is now national account manager at Checkpoint Systems.

March–April 2021

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Deise de Lima Félix Gonçalves was promoted to LP senior analyst at Direct Log (Brazil).

Nicola Ainsworth was promoted to regional LP manager at Dixons Carphone (United Kingdom).

Joseph Piscioneri and Susan Grieve Dahl are now senior analysts of AP operations, and Derrick Boyd is now a regional AP manager at Dollar General.

Paweł Toms was promoted to senior global security manager, EMEA at Elanco (Poland).

Etsy announced the following promotions and new hires: Christine Dobbins, senior manager of fraud and risk operations; Mike Bogdanowicz, fraud and risk manager; Jared Reece, fraud strategy analyst; Greg Luther, fraud program manager; Caterina Pepe, global operations manager (Ireland); Miriam Sanz, account security operations manager (Ireland); and Ramon Gutierrez, account security manager.

LossPreventionMedia.com

Daniella Montoya is now security and Ravindra Malage is now a regional LP LP project manager at Falabella (Chile). officer at Health & Glow (India).

Cynthia Grizzle, CFI is now vice president of AP at Family Dollar.

Bruno Fagner is now coordinator of LP at Farmácias Pague Menos (Brazil).

Daniel Müller is now head of security at Ferrero (Germany).

Chris Ritter was promoted to director of sales, public sector, eastern USA, and Jeremy Hagen was promoted to regional director, enterprise west at Genetec.

Kylie Lowe is now a LP manager at Genuine Parts.

Rowdy Durci was promoted to manager of omni-channel fraud at GNC.

Kevin Morrison, CFI, LPC was promoted to director of LP, fraud, and payments risk at Helzberg Diamonds.

Marlon Ortez is now a multistore AP manager at The Home Depot.

George Lembessis was promoted to divisional vice president of AP at Hudson’s Bay Company (Canada).

Jean Degner is now a risk compliance officer at IKEA. Alex Payne is now director of LP at Ingles Markets.

Patrick Finnigan is now director of LP analytics and fraud, and Amanda Marschilok is now manager of LP analytics at Inspire Brands.

Jayson Villanueva is now regional LP supervisor at Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina.

Joe Suarez is now LP operations control analyst at IntelliShop.

Tony Zenari, CFI, CECI is now an area LP and security manager at Green Thumb Industries.

Justin Stankevicius is now a LP business partner at Jaycar Electronics (Australia).

Charles Oliveira de Almeida was promoted to LP analyst at Grupo D’avó (Brazil).

Goncalo Garrido was promoted to group profit protection manager, Portugal & South Spain at JD Sports Fashion (Portugal).

Tony Paixão, CFE, CFI was John Corner, CPS was recently named promoted to executive director at the International Association director of LP and safety at Goodwill of Interviewers (IAI).

Industries of Memphis.

Wajid Ali is now asset and profit protection specialist at Gulf Marketing Group (United Arab Emirates).

Macy’s announced the following new hires and promotions: David Rogers, senior director of market AP leadership and training; Bernie Bulos, CFI, director of central investigations; and Tony Taylor, Kevin Uhe, CFI, Kevin Watson, and Nicole Lauf-Smith, AP market leaders.

John Rangel is now manager of physical securities at Mattress Firm.

Ian Colling is now a group LP manager at McKesson (United Kingdom).

Mercado Libre announced the following promotions and new hires: Paul Lima, LP manager, (Mexico); Pablo Nicolas Espinosa, APP, PSP, LP regional operations supervisor (Argentina); Ismael Arana, senior LP analyst (Mexico); and Higor de Jesus Fontana, LP analyst (Brazil).

Matthew Fardell was promoted to profit protection analysis manager (United Kingdom), and Iain Harris was promoted to regional profit protection manager UK and Europe (United Kingdom) at Merlin Entertainments.

Arthur To is now divisional LP specialist at Metro Supply Chain Group (Canada).

Patrick Keegan is now a district AP manager at Kroger.

Jordan Rivchun, MBA was promoted to senior manager of retail and banking solutions, strategy, and business development, and Kevin Darnell is now retail business development manager, North America at Hanwha Techwin.

Gavin Sheehy is now the security and AP officer at Linfox (Australia).

Thomas Price III, PMP, CPP was promoted to senior corporate LP manager, Damien Walter is now national investigator, organized retail crime, and Lisa Waznis is now an area LP manager at Harbor Freight Tools.

Zach Fereday is now LP manager, USA at Lovisa.

Michael Magrum, CFI, LPC was promoted to senior director of AP, and Justin Maiorana, CFI, LPC was promoted to senior manager of AP at Harris Teeter.

Matthew Schoenauer is now senior external organized retail crime investigator at lululemon.

Richard Brooks, CPP, PCI, PSP, MSyI, M.ISRM was promoted to regional security and safety manager, UK, Ireland, South Africa, and Nordics at Louis Vuitton (United Kingdom).

Bill Asson, Jessika Gordon Fields, LPC, and Sabrina Williams, CFI are now district AP managers at Lowe’s Companies.

Jessica Smith, MS, CSMIE, CCIP, OSINT and digital ORC investigator at Target is now also special investigations lead at The National Child Protection Task Force.

Steve Walker was promoted to director of LP/safety East (Eastern U.S. and Europe) at Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM).

Karem Al Bokhari is now regional security and LP manager at Noon eCommerce (Saudi Arabia).

Robert Portugal and Ben Robeano, CFI were promoted to regional directors of safety and AP at Lowe’s Pro Supply.

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Scott Flint, CFI was promoted to senior director global LP at Nike.

March–April 2021

Brit Hehn was promoted to director of LP operations/LP field (Mexico) at Old Navy.

PEOLPE ON THE MOVE Mauricio Pereira is now LP supervisor at Paquetá The Shoe Company (Brazil).

Mel Davis was promoted to national LP manager at The Parts Authority.

Bill Penn, CFI was promoted to corporate manager of AP and safety operations at Party City.

Tim Moore is now senior manager of global security operations at Peloton Interactive (United Kingdom).

Nathan Hamblin, LPC, CORCI was promoted to senior LP and safety business partner, and Todd Stresen‑Reuter is now a LP and safety business partner at PetSmart. ony D’Onofrio is now CEO and T managing director, global retail business at Prosegur Security.

Indra Harya Wibowo was promoted to regional section risk prevention manager at PT Transretail (Indonesia).

promoted to director of organized retail crime and special investigations, Jason Conaway was promoted to manager of organized retail crime and special investigations, and Eric Sira was promoted to senior manager of physical security at Rite Aid.

operations center specialist; and David Sandoval and Philip Johnson, district LP managers.

Robby Saylor was promoted to senior area LP manager, and Dwight Bennett, LPC is now an area LP manager at Ross Stores.

Tracie Lyons is now a LP advisor (United Kingdom), and Yung-U Jo was promoted to district LP manager (Germany) at TJX Europe.

Brian Wedoff, MA was promoted to senior director, LP operations, Grant Danby was promoted to regional LP manager, and Mark Flores, CPP is now an area LP manager at Ulta Beauty.

Debbie Maples, CFI is now VP of global safety and security: intelligence, investigations, and protection at Salesforce.

Jillian Robinson was promoted to manager of LP, and Marissa Kendel is now a district LP manager at Sephora.

Rıza OK was promoted to LP supervisor at Shaya (Turkey).

Jamaal Graham is now a regional LP manager at Public Storage.

Maggie Naayers, MBA, CFE, CFI was promoted to director of LP southeastern division, and Jeffrey Heyl is now a regional AP manager at Sherwin-Williams.

Matt Hall is now a profit protection specialist at PVH Corporation (United Kingdom).

Jose Alberto Sanchez Lopez was promoted to territory profit protection manager at Sprinter (Spain).

Mike Jordan is now a regional safety and security manager at Radial.

Edward Turner, CFI, LPQ was promoted to manager of fraud, workplace violence, and physical security at Staples Stores.

John Sisniegas is now a LP specialist at The RealReal.

Amna Hadzihasanovic was promoted to regional security manager at Reitan Convenience (Sweden).

Ashok kumar Laxkar, MAP SLP, BA, MBA, IRP, ISSFF, PSSR, DRM (India) and Ravinder Kumar were promoted to area LP leads (India) at Reliance Jio Infocom Limited.

Patrick Brady was named senior director, state affairs and advocacy, and Erin Hiatt was promoted to vice president, corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).

Micki Wellhauser was promoted to regional internal investigator at TJX Canada/Winners Merchants International (Canada).

Henry Palomar was promoted to LP supervisor at Vallarta Supermarkets.

Wes Gray, ACFI was promoted to director of security and LP at Verizon Authorized Retailer.

Justin D’Aigle is now an area AP manager at Victoria’s Secret.

Angelisa Cruz is now a LP specialist at The Vitamin Shoppe.

Edward Coloske was promoted to senior AP supervisor at Wakefern Food.

Marc Ringuette, CFI, LPC, Nikki Esguerra, LPC, and Stacy Tegg are now managers of AP solutions at Walgreens.

Sharon Curry was promoted to director of investigations, workplace investigations, and global investigations at Walmart.

Berry Dampier was promoted to senior AP manager at StockX. Chad McManus, CFI, CFE, LPC and Tracy Abrahamowicz, LPC were promoted to senior managers of AP at T-Mobile.

Leroy Green was promoted to assets protection director, and Matthew Crow was promoted to senior manager of supply chain safety at Target.

Steven Ren is now a regional security manager at Tesla (China).

The TJX Companies announced the following promotions and new hires: Fábio Henrique Rosa Henrique is now Jeremy Henderson, AVP, director head of LP and internal audit at Ribeiro of investigations and safety; Ernest Home Center (Brazil).

Cuevas, West Coast 3PL DC LP Andy Wang is now manager of security manager; Carissa Brinkmann, CFI, supply chain investigator, eCommerce operations at Richemont (China). division; Ana Horton, regional LP Jason Davies CFI, CORCI, SMIA was manager; Julia Tricca, security March–April 2021

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Geoffrey Styles is now manager of LP at The Walt Disney Company.

Sharjeel (Serge) Ahmad, MBA, LPC is now regional security manager–west at Wayfair.

Darren Leonard, LPC is now senior AP specialist at Whole Foods Market UK (United Kingdom). ayne Hoover, CFI is now senior W partner of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates and chairman of the advisory board at the International Association of Interviewers (IAI).

Richard Dean was promoted to senior profit protection manager at Wilko (United Kingdom).

LossPreventionMedia.com

Find the Perfect Match

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Whether you’re an LP professional looking for a new opportunity or an employer looking for new talent to fill a position, LPjobs.com is a resource you cannot afford to miss utilizing if you are truly committed to finding the best job or the best job candidate!

We have been helping to find jobs and fill positions since 1999 as the only online resource dedicated to the loss prevention and asset protection profession.

Don’t miss out on the perfect match. Visit LPjobs.com today!

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LOSSPREVENTIONMEDIA.COM

LPM Podcasts 7,500 Downloads and Counting I

more the rule, she put discussed the forward the challenge controversial issue of against those who feel mask wearing in retail. that this process has He shared some of left us less connected the challenges that and instead offers his team had faced at for consideration the Meijer encouraging opportunity that remote and enforcing retail’s managing actually new normal.

Lisa Labruno brings coworkers closer Jaeckle then together—if you let it. weighed in on the Episode 42 had Lund topic of riot versus discussing work‑life rebellion, discussing balance. He described the importance of why he thought how the language we 2Cents on 2Things maintaining a good use internally as well work‑life balance was as the outreach we Our 2Cents on 2Things is a important and how his make to communities limited series of interviews David Lund company supports this play critical roles with industry executives that effort to help promote gives the guest the opportunity in both supporting a positive working environment public demonstrations and to provide their thoughts on and impact positive emphasizing safety and two topics of their choice. mental health. security for stores, staff, The series also includes a and customers. discussion of the person’s For his second topic, In episode 41 in January, favorite charity, to which LPM Lund described his journey LaBruno described her and the series sponsor send to make an effort to better journey to find forgiveness for a donation. Thus far, we have understand the confluence someone who brought years interviewed Paul Jaeckle, LPC, of issues relating to diversity of pain to her and her family, of Meijer; Lisa LaBruno from and inclusion. It is an leaving both emotional and the Retail Industry Leaders interesting discussion by two physical scars. She Association; David fifty‑something white men has found forgiveness Lund, LPC, with DICK’s who ask if they are perhaps not only her greatest Sporting Goods; and considered part of the problem accomplishment but Tom Arigi of Kroger. in relating to issues of racial also the best gift ever In episode 40 in and social diversity while also for her family.

December 2020, discussing the importance of For her second topic, keeping an open mind and Jaeckle sat down LaBruno discussed with the series host, open heart as only the very first remote working. Once Kevin McMenimen, step to embark on the journey the exception but now LPC, when Jaeckle of understanding and support.

Paul Jaeckle

n the past year, LPM has published forty‑six podcast episodes that recently exceeded 7,500 total downloads. The podcasts are available through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify but can also be listened to on the Podcast tab on the magazine website LossPreventionMedia.com.

Here is a sampling of some of the most recent and most popular podcasts.

In the last year, LPM has published forty-six podcast episodes that recently exceeded 7,500 total downloads.

March–April 2021

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LossPreventionMedia.com

Most recently in episode 45, Kroger’s Tom Arigi detailed what he believes are some of the characteristics of a true vendor partner and how strong listening Tom Arigi skills and trust are at the center of great retailer‑vendor relations.

In his second topic, Arigi got personal as he shared his favorite hobby and some of the life lessons learned from his parents. He also talked about what he really wanted to do for a living and how he might achieve his dream when he retires from retail.

across their enterprise to support their investigations and training in the fight against organized retail crime in their stores.

Recent Webinars Two recent LPM webinars are available on the magazine website to watch the archived video or listen to a podcast version. You can find all the LPM on‑demand and live webinars on the Resources > Webinars tab at LossPreventionMedia.com.

Emeritus Professor Adrian Beck, who developed the concept in partnership with the Retail Industry Leaders Association, along with Pamela Velose of Belk, Seth Hughes from REI, Rob LaCommare of Big Lots, and Bill Inzeo formerly of Walgreens and now with Zebra Analytics.

The panelists made the case for why adopting this concept will enable retailers to develop a strategic approach to recognizing the true cost of retail loss and returning value to the bottom line.

However, this path includes many challenges through the change needed in retail.

And This Is Why In another limited series called And This Is Why that premiered in February 2021, McMenimen sits down with retailers to discuss why they partnered with Developing a Total Retail specific solution providers Loss Approach to implement technology Traditional approaches to or services to solve asset managing retail loss have protection challenges. largely focused on dealing In episode 43, Bill Inzeo, the with the issue of shrinkage, a senior director of strategic periodic measure dating back analytics systems and support over 140 years, that typically for Walgreens, explained why captures the difference Walgreens partnered with between expected and actual ALTO Alliance to implement stock values. Shrinkage a comprehensive solution calculations offer little, if any, that helped the company insights into the root causes of address shoplifting loss. As the complexity and organized retail of retailing continues crime in their stores. to accelerate, the Inzeo detailed the capacity to assimilate process of identifying data and the range a solution partner, of risks retail now testing the solution, faces have increased determining results, considerably. Relying and rolling out upon this single Bill Inzeo the solution to measure of loss to other stores. guide strategy is In episode 44, increasingly anachronistic.

Lead ORC Manager The Total Retail Loss Alaina Kring with concept offers a much Ulta Beauty explains more progressive and why they chose inclusive approach to Detective Analytics’ understanding how deep‑learning loss retail risks impact prevention platform profitability. This Alaina Kring to use as a tool webinar features

LPM

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New Ways to Manage Supply Chain in Today’s COVID Environment This webinar features Maurizio Scrofani, CCSP, LPC, GB6S, director of global supply chain asset protection safety for The Home Depot, who described how one of America’s largest retailers adapted new ways to receive and process freight while keeping everyone safe in the COVID‑19 environment.

Supply chain expert Chuck Forsaith detailed changes that transportation companies have made to ensure timely movement of goods from ports to distribution centers to stores during the pandemic.

Also, Rhett Asher, president of the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO), outlined the goals of the organization, their views on current events, and how professionals may link with them to stay connected in this fast‑moving environment.

March–April 2021

Listen to LPM podcasts on your favorite platform by searching Loss Prevention Magazine or listen on the LPM website.

Advertisers ADT Commercial............................... 55 adtcommercial.com AFA..........................................................64 afap.com Axis Communications........................ 2 axis-communications.com/lpm/audio Checkpoint.......................................... 21 checkpointsystems.com ClickIt.................................................... 33 clickitinc.com CONTROLTEK.........................................1 controltekusa.com Cyber Security Summit................... 55 cybersummitusa.com Detex........................................................ 5 detex.com/aod1 InstaKey................................................ 35 instakey.com Loss Prevention Foundation......... 45 losspreventionfoundation.org Loss Prevention Research Council.............................. 51 lpresearch.org LNL Systems.......................................65 lnlsystems.com/lpvt100 LP Portal App......................................39 Google Play or Apple App Store LPjobs....................................................69 lpjobs.com LPM Media Group.......................39, 65 lpmmediagroup.com Medeco.................................................25 medeco.com/ick Off Duty Services..............................57 offdutyservices.com Protos Security.................................. 75 info.protossecurity.com/protos-labs Securitech............................................. 7 securitech.com Sensormatic Solutions...................68 sensormatic.com/sensormatic-iq siffron.................................................... 19 siffron.com ThinkLP.................................................64 thinklp.com Total Retail Loss Certificate.........47 lppro.com Verkada.................................................. 3 verkada.com/lpm Wicklander-Zulawski......................59 w-z.com

Calendar Due to the many event cancellations and postponements because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not listing industry events here. Please go to the magazine website Events page to get the most up-to-date calendar listings.

LossPreventionMedia.com/events

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TODAY’S RETAIL LP LEADERS AND TOMORROW’S…

“…I have been a reader for many years now and I still continue to gain new knowledge and establish new connections because of your magazine.”*

LPM Readership LPM's primary readers are the LP management and professionals responsible for implementing, researching, specifying, recommending, and approving purchases of LP products and services.

About Our Readers

Industry Segment** Non-Retail 29%

Distribution of each print issue averages over 14,000 individuals every two months with 67% pass-along rate to 2 or more colleagues.* Plus, our extensive online presence is over 500,000 in online reach and growing quickly. The LPM brand truly is the fastest growing media brand for loss prevention.

Your media strategist can provide additional readership details.

14,000+

Individuals every other month

67%

Pass-along rate to 2 or more colleagues

OVER 500,000

Online reach and rapidly increasing

*2019 Annual Readership Study, September 2019; **Circulation Data; November 2020, sample of 6,577 qualified readers; ***Performance Analytics as supplied by Google Analytics

Non-Retail Management 29% Retail 71%

Other Retail Management 9%

LP/Security Management 62%

Retail Segment** Department store, mass merchandiser Discount, wholesale club, outlet, off-price Specialty apparel, footwear, gifts, jewelry, sporting goods Home center, hardware, appliances, furniture

34% 7 11 9

Drug store, pharmacy, vitamins

6

Office supplies, electronics, videos, music, books Grocery, supermarkets, convenience stores Restaurant, hospitality, entertainment

3 14

Other retail segment

13

Note: Numbers may not equal 100 due to rounding

Retail Job Function** Corporate, regional, district manager 43% Store LP manager, investigator, associate 33% DC, logistics, supply-chain, other LP manager 4% Other retail manager (non-LP) 9%

3

60% read the magazine Cover to Cover*

68% read content on the LPM website

84%

84% read the LPM daily newsletter*

53%

have direct influence on LP-related purchases within their organization*

To find out more about reaching LPM readers to support your marketing strategy, contact Ben Skidmore at BenS@LPportal.com or by phone at 972-587-9064. To download the LPM media kit, visit LossPreventionMedia.com/advertise.

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PARTING WORDS

Jim Lee, LPC Executive Editor

Groundhog Day T

I, for one, have described the past year as one big groundhog day for me. Get up, have breakfast, go to the office, go home, watch TV. Get up the next day and repeat.

journey, the goal, and thrive he past year has been on it all. For those people, crazy, don’t you think? the pursuit of their goal is For some it has been one big not work; it is not tiring. It Groundhog Day—you might is fun and intriguing. Their remember the movie with Bill passion is contagious. Those Murray and Andie MacDowell. around them begin to share Murray woke up every day, in their excitement. reliving the previous over again.

I, for one, have described ● It is true that your career the past year as one big will be shaped by your groundhog day for me. Get up, surroundings—by the have breakfast, go to the office, character of the people with go home, watch TV. Get up the whom you come in contact. next day and repeat. For others, But how do you know you it has been a new source for are with the “right people?” growth. Learning how to adapt, I use a very simple rule: how to do more remotely, how They make me feel good, to be more accepting of others. positive, and upbeat, and I That is what I have heard from have no fear of what they some executives. might do in our relationship.

So I am in the repeater camp.

I trust them.

With that in mind, here are ● Ever wonder why some some of my favorite things I people just seem to get have said before (groundhog a lot of pats on the back? statements of sorts): How some people have a reputation for being a ● The best vendor account person who knows how managers are those who are to get things done? There interested in the success of are many LP folks who fit a company or LP program these descriptions; maybe and not just interested in you are one of them. They selling. They are interested are people who approach in the person. They share each day in a positive state their company’s agenda and of mind. They love the future plans. They return challenge of what to do. calls quickly and respond to They realize that they can the needs of the customer. mess up or be rejected.

The bottom line is that the Their persistence to little things mean a lot in succeed removes the fear being the best. of failure. ● People who consistently win Lastly here is a story that do it with passion. They get depicts what the pandemic excited about what they are has been. Called “The Mystery doing. They have become Revealed," it goes like this passionately invested in the March–April 2021

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(adapted from Random House Book of Jokes and Anecdotes).

After years of a fast-paced job, Dustin sold his house, gave away all his possessions, and set out to discover the meaning of life. He meditated, fasted, chanted, grew a beard—you name it—in hopes of gaining insight and wisdom.

One day he read about a wise man who lived in a remote mountain village in some faraway country. The wise man had been extolling his philosophy to pilgrims for decades. So Dustin flew to the country and hired guides to help him locate the mountain. The guides took him to the base of the mountain and told him he’d have to go the rest of the way by himself. After two days of climbing, Dustin finally reached the small shack that the sage called home. The wise man was seated outside smoking a primitive-looking pipe.

“I have given up all of my worldly possessions and traveled halfway around the world to reach you,” said Dustin. “I seek your wisdom in answering the question—what is the secret of life?”

The sage looked deep into Dustin’s eyes and said, “Life is a stream.”

“What? I came all of this way, and that’s all you’ve got to say?”

“Okay, okay,” the sage said in an affected New York accent.

“Life is not a stream.”

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