- Retail Rundown
- Posts
- Retail Rundown 10.6.25
Retail Rundown 10.6.25
 | Florida police are searching for masked looters caught on surveillance video ransacking a mall clothing store. The suspects tore through racks, tossed merchandise, and fled with armfuls of stolen goods before officers arrived. Investigators believe the same group may be linked to similar smash-and-grab incidents in the area. Authorities are urging the public to help identify the suspects captured on video. |
 | A minor argument escalated into a deadly mass shooting that left multiple people injured, police said. Witnesses described chaos as gunfire erupted following a dispute between several individuals. Authorities condemned the violence as senseless and preventable. Investigators continue to search for suspects while urging anyone with information to come forward. |
 | A Family Dollar employee in the Bronx was stabbed while confronting a shoplifter, according to police. The worker tried to stop the suspect from leaving the store before being attacked. The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage to locate the suspect. |
 | In a daring heist, thieves stole 24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri’s new tequila brand from a California highway truck shipment. The stolen load, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, disappeared in transit under mysterious circumstances. The investigation revealed a sophisticated theft operation exploiting supply chain vulnerabilities. The case highlights how organized cargo theft rings are targeting high-end products on the road. |
 | A woman has filed a $65 million lawsuit against Target after being falsely accused of shoplifting. The lawsuit alleges wrongful detention and emotional distress after store employees misidentified her as a theft suspect. Target has not commented publicly on the pending litigation. The case underscores growing scrutiny of retailer loss prevention tactics and mistaken identity claims. |
How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Movements
 Kristen Ziman | It takes just seven people to start a movement. If I were standing alone on a sidewalk, looking up at the sky, most passersby would keep walking. Add two more people staring alongside me, and a few might stop out of curiosity—but most would move along. Yet if seven of us stood shoulder-to-shoulder, transfixed on the clouds above, the majority of people would stop and look, too. This is the power of critical mass—the moment when slight movements build into momentum. Sociologists call it the tipping point: when enough people shift, the shift ripples outward until it becomes impossible to ignore. Every revolution, every reform, every seismic shift in culture started this way. Not with an army of followers. Not with a perfectly timed strategy. But with one person who looked at something broken and dared to ask: What if we didn’t do it like this anymore? |
In his unforgettable TED Talk, Derek Sivers tells the story of a shirtless guy dancing alone at a music festival. At first, he looks ridiculous. Then something fascinating happens: a second person joins him. Then another. And another. Within minutes, what started as one weirdo flailing in a field becomes a full-blown dance party. Sivers makes a surprising claim: the real disruptor isn’t the first dancer. It’s the first follower. Because without that follower, the leader is just a spectacle. But with one courageous joiner, the dynamic changes. The risk feels lower. The energy multiplies. And suddenly, a movement is born.
 Florida AG Charges First-Degree Felony in Baby Formula Organized Retail Theft Florida AG James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging Kenneth Jones, of Palm Beach County, with two counts of first-degree felony organized retail theft with prior convictions for stealing massive amounts of baby formula. The financial loss to Publix, Target, and Walmart exceeds $70,000, and Publix has noted that this is their most prolific baby formula theft to date. “Stealing baby formula away from parents who rely on it to feed their children is unconscionable,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. |  VIDEO: Florida deputies force way into wrong home in search of shoplifting suspect A miscommunication resulted in deputies barging into a Lake Mary home in search of a suspect in an alleged shoplifting incident. According to WESH, the miscommunication occurred between the Oviedo police and the sheriff’s office resulting in deputies forcing their way into the wrong home. The incident began when deputies knocked on the residence of Victor Gordillo Jr. just after 10 p.m. on Sunday night. Deputies told reporters that also inside the home at the time was his wife, Jennifer, along with their kids and relatives who happened to be visiting. |  Ventura County Deputies Arrest 5 Sun Valley Organized Retail Theft Crew Members Ventura County Sheriff's Office officials report that in September 2025, detectives from the Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU) launched an operation utilizing various law enforcement techniques to identify and locate the suspects involved in an organized retail theft crime spree spanning multiple days in Ventura County and surrounding areas. Detectives determined that the crew was specifically targeting liquor stores, stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of high-end bottles of alcohol for resale. |
Loitering Lowdown: How It Hurts Your Business and How You Can Stop It Using Technology
 | Imagine walking into your business and noticing someone in the ATM lobby—standing around or lying down with no apparent purpose. It might not seem like a big deal initially, but loitering can significantly impact your business’s reputation and security. |
Whether it’s an ATM vestibule, convenience store parking lot, restaurant patio, or other public area, it’s still your customers’ first impression of your business. Ensuring they enter a welcoming, efficient, and secure establishment is crucial to a positive customer experience. But how can you manage it effectively without constant supervision?
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: 10 things to know in 2025 Cyberattacks are on a steep rise. Over the past four years, their average weekly number has more than doubled: from 818 per organization in the second quarter of 2021 to 1,984 in the same period this year. In the last two years alone, the global average number of weekly attacks encountered by organizations grew by 58%. At the same time, the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 points to an increasingly complex threat landscape. | Home Bargains CISO calls for change in way retailers deal with security breaches CISO Kurlovic was speaking in the wake of high profile incidents involving M&S, Co-op and Harrods, with the former taking a eye watering £300 million profit hit from a cyber attack. In a LinkedIn post, he said: "Another day brings another breach. M&S, Co-op, Jaguar Land Rover, Harrods ...What’s frustrating isn’t just that incidents keep happening - it’s that the details which could help prevent the next one are often locked away as closely guarded secrets. By staying quiet, we almost help attackers more than defenders." | Rite Aid Closes All Stores After 63 Years of Service Following Bankruptcy Pharmacy chain Rite Aid closed all of its locations after filing for bankruptcy twice in less than two years. The retailer posted a brief announcement on its website. "All Rite Aid stores have now closed," the site states. "We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support." The website offers former customers their pharmacy and immunization history, as well as assistance with finding pharmacies that their prescriptions were transferred to. |
The Asset Protection Manager is responsible for the overall inventory shortage performance and total execution of the Asset Protection Strategy for their respective store. This individual will ensure that all company policies, local, provincial, and federal laws are adhered to in the execution of internal and external theft investigations or inquiries. The Asset Protection Manager will be working collaboratively with Customer and Associate groups within the store to ensure all objectives are clearly communicated and executed.
Scam Alert: Police warn residents of man impersonating sergeant The Gastonia Police Department is warning residents about a scammer claiming to be a sergeant with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office. Officials warned that an unidentified male has been making scam calls impersonating GSCO Sergeant Joey Poole, potentially using other names as well. His victims were told to park behind a nearby business during the transaction. | Agentic Commerce is Redefining Retail—Here’s How to Respond Imagine having a personal shopper who deeply understands your preferences, lifestyle, and budget, effortlessly curating tailored product recommendations from thousands of options. Your shopper seamlessly anticipates your needs, secures the best prices, and completes transactions autonomously—transforming shopping from a chore into an engaging and delightful experience. What’s more, that shopper isn’t human. It’s an AI agent. |  |
Simply forward this email to your team or colleagues > they scan the QR code or click below to sign up and BOOM > everyone is smarter.
1