Separate international summits were held recently addressing organized retail crime in the US and Japan, and common problems of retailers operating in Mexico. Both summits were detailed in the Industry News section of the November-December 2015 issue.
ORC Summit in Florida
A two-day meeting of delegates from Japan and the US gathered at Tyco Retail Solutions headquarters in Boca Raton in late October to share common problems and solutions to the growing problem of organized retail crime in Japan.
Recognizing the impact and magnitude of this global problem, the summit was attended by some of the industry’s top subject-matter experts from both countries. The event featured an open, interactive format where attendees had the opportunity to learn and share information regarding the latest approaches being employed to combat ORC.
Different than traditional forms of shoplifting, organized retail crime encompasses large-scale retail theft and other fraudulent activity primarily involving incidents where stolen goods are converted into cash. Yet even more troubling is the role that ORC plays as a “gateway crime” with incidents increasingly linked to even more serious issues such as violent crimes, drugs and drug trafficking, identity theft, money laundering, cybercrimes, and even financing terror groups. While the global figure is unknown, industry experts estimate the cost of organized retail crime at about $30 to $40 billion annually the US alone. Read the entire article: “International Organized Retail Crime Summit Held in Florida.”
Second US-Mexico LP Summit
Nearly thirty retail executives representing nine Mexican and US retailers gathered at the Sheraton Santa Fe hotel in Mexico City in mid-October to share their experiences with the challenges of operating retail locations and supply chains in Mexico. This second conference follows the November 2014 inaugural event held in Guadalajara.
The summit included representatives from drug store chains Farmacia Guadalajara and Farmacias Benavides; Liverpool, Mexico’s largest department store chain and operator of over 15 malls across Mexico; OfficeMax; Walmart Mexico; and US retailers operating in country—Fossil, Nike, Old Navy, and Walgreens, who recently acquired Farmacias Benavides. Representatives from ANTAD, Mexico’s retail trade association, and Wicklander-Zulawski also participated.
Hosted by LP Magazine and PCG Solutions and sponsored by Checkpoint Systems and Axis Communications, the summit series is meant to bring together both Mexican and US loss prevention professionals in an intimate atmosphere to ask questions and share best practices on significant threats and issues. The conference consists of two half days of roundtable discussions and presentations with an evening networking dinner. Read the entire article: “Second US-Mexico LP Summit Shares Best Practices on Retail Security and Loss Prevention Strategies.”