We know that your week can get busy, and the time you have to catch up on the news from around the retail loss prevention industry is often stolen away by other things. That’s why the LPM team sifts through headlines from all over the country to bring only the most relevant LP news to you here, in our special weekly news round-up—the perfect bookend to a productive week.
Here’s What You May Have Missed
In deep blue LA County, the “godfather of progressive prosecutors” lost his reelection bid by more than 20 percentage points to a former Republican. In the Bay Area, voters appeared to have recalled another reform-minded DA. And statewide, Prop. 36 passed with overwhelming support.
Major Retailers Tighten Return Policies Ahead of Holiday Season
With holiday shopping ramping up, major retailers like REI, Target, and Amazon are revising return policies to combat fraud. REI confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that a small fraction of frequent returners will be banned from any exchanges or returns.
Serial Shoplifter Arrested, Connected to 113 Incidents
A California man was arrested in connection with 113 retail thefts throughout the San Jose area. The 41-year-old Johnny Pena was accused of stealing “tens of thousands” in merchandise from stores including Home Depot, Lowe’s, DICK’s Sporting Goods, and Target.
27% of Shoppers Say They Will Switch Retailers, Abandon Purchase if They Come Across Locked Up Products
Twenty-seven percent of shoppers said they would choose another retailer or abandon their purchase entirely if they came across locked up products, but 62 percent said they would typically wait for assistance from an employee.
San Francisco Police Arrest 13 in ORC Operation
San Francisco police officers arrested 13 suspects during a pre-planned operation targeting organized crime last week. Of the 13 suspects, 10 adults were cited and released at the scene, two adults were booked at San Francisco County Jail for outstanding warrants, and one juvenile was admonished at the scene.
US Retailers Face Positives and Negatives with a Large Dose of Uncertainty from Trump 2.0
Following the election of Donald Trump and the economic changes ahead from a Trump 2.0 presidency, Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at GlobalData, offered his view on some of the ramifications for the retail industry.