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
Michelle Mack Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for $8M Shoplifting Ring
54-year-old Michelle Mack has been sentenced to five years in prison for leading an organized retail crime ring targeting Ulta and Sephora beauty products.
New Task Force Will Fight Crime Related to California Wildfires
The Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force will focus on looting, burglary, impersonation offenses, arson, illegal drone activity, and fraud targeting both disaster victims and those wishing to make charitable donations.
How Retailers Are Responding to Rising Return Challenges
Retailers’ ability to offer customers many happy returns is becoming more difficult and costly. Total returns in retail amounted to $743 billion in 2023, which equates to $145 million in merchandise returns for every $1 billion in sales.
Merchandise Markdown Plot Uncovered in Florida Target
Two Target employees were arrested after their involvement led to the uncovering of a scheme to defraud the company with merchandise markdowns for two customers. The customers would then pay for the marked-down items using gift cards which were later redeemed, and then they would return counterfeit items.
$2M Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Over Fatal Shooting of Pregnant Shoplifting Suspect
The family of a woman who was fatally shot by officers in Colorado who believed she was a shoplifting suspect reached a settlement with the city for $2 million. The lawsuit claimed the 27-year-old woman was killed while she was driving away from police.
Walgreens CEO Describes Retail Theft as Hand-to-Hand Combat
Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth said in Walgreens Boot Alliance’s first quarter earnings call on Tuesday that the company’s asset protection team is developing creative solutions to fight retail theft after realizing locking products up poorly affected sales.