I am a cybersecurity pro and here's the most powerful strategy criminals are using against retailers right now

Retail-focused cybercriminals are increasingly weaponizing supply‑chain attacks, targeting third‑party vendors to slip malicious code into trusted software updates. This stealth approach allows them to bypass perimeter defenses, compromise POS systems, and harvest sensitive customer data en masse. The expert warns that only a zero‑trust mindset—verifying every process and user continuously—can thwart these sophisticated intrusion tactics.

Tech Radar

The Supply Chain Strategies Retail is Using to Respond to Tariffs

Retailers are pivoting their sourcing playbooks by diversifying supplier networks, nearshoring production, and using tariff‑hedging tools like tariff engineering or bonded warehouses. Data analytics and AI-driven forecasting models help companies anticipate cost spikes and reconfigure logistics routes before tariffs bite into margins. The net effect: a more resilient supply chain that can weather policy shocks without passing full costs onto consumers.

Global Trade

Preparing for Hurricane Season 2025

As climate change intensifies storm risks, emergency managers emphasize resilient infrastructure—reinforced roofs, flood‑proofed electrical systems, and pre‑positioned relief supplies—to minimize retail disruptions and community impact. Cross‑sector coordination, including supply‑chain partners and local agencies, is now standard practice to ensure rapid response and stock replenishment post‑storm. Retailers are also training staff on evacuation protocols and leveraging real‑time weather and logistics data to pivot operations on the fly.

EHS Today

Vivint Loses Appeal in $189M CPI Dispute

Security provider Vivint saw its appeal denied in a multimillion‑dollar contract performance incentive dispute with CPI Security, underscoring the high stakes of service‑level penalties in the integrator business. The ruling highlights that ambiguous contract terms on installation timelines and technical specifications can expose vendors to steep financial liabilities. Experts say the case will spur clearer drafting and tighter performance metrics across the industry.

Security Info Watch

Acting ICE Head: We Place Detainer for ‘Any Crime’, Shoplifting Leads to ‘More Crime’

The Acting Head of ICE declared a zero‑tolerance stance, ordering detainers for shoplifting suspects and arguing that even minor thefts fuel broader criminal networks. Critics warn this aggressive policy could overwhelm detention facilities and strain community relations, while proponents claim it will deter repeat offenders and protect retail workers. The debate spotlights the tension between public safety, resource constraints, and the social costs of criminalizing low‑level offenses.

Breitbart

Same Song, Different Orchestra

Amber Bradley
Editor-in-Chief
TalkLPnews
amber@talklpnews.com

I love surprises.

I also love surprising my husband. It’s quite difficult to do, as you can imagine, but sometimes I pull it off. A few weeks ago, I booked tickets to a “Candlelight Concert Series” that’s just as the name describes. I booked the 80s rock anthems (played by a string quartet) in a sea of candles. [funny sidenote: I didn’t think they would be fake candles (duh) so I booked us seats in the back, just in case the place started on fire and we needed a quick exit – here’s to you all my safety folks out there!]

As I sat there in this beautiful venue listening to some of my favorite songs played in a different way I’ve never heard… it hit completely different parts of my brain. The raw energy was still there, but layered with complexity I'd never noticed before. The strings brought out emotional undertones that Guns and Roses had always hinted at but I never fully absorbed.

It got me thinking about how we approach problems in our own industry.

Ever take a walking selfie so you can beat the traffic?  Here's ours.

Most of us are stuck listening to the same playlist on repeat. We hear "shrink reduction" and immediately think cameras, EAS tags, internal theft interviews or ORC. We hear "employee theft" and default to policy reminders and disciplinary action. We've been conditioned to hear these challenges through the same instrumental arrangement for so long…have we forgotten there are other ways to play the song?

But what if we changed the orchestra?

When your regional team keeps reporting the same shrink issues across multiple locations, maybe the problem isn't individual store execution. Maybe it's an operational or training flaw that sounds completely different when you step back and listen with fresh ears. The same data, played through the lens of organizational psychology instead of operational metrics, might reveal patterns we've been missing.

Here's what I mean: That "difficult" team member who pushes back on every initiative? Through one lens, they're insubordinate. Through another, they're your canary in the coal mine, signaling flaws in your change management approach. Same behavior, different interpretation, completely different solution.

The best LP executives I know are constantly switching orchestras. They'll take an inventory shrink problem and switch perspectives to operations, then HR's lens, then finance's viewpoint, then even the customer experience angle. Each time, new harmonies emerge that weren't audible before. They understand that the same business challenge can sound like a training issue to one department, a technology gap to another, and a cultural problem to a third – and often, they're all right.

This isn't about being wishy washy or lacking conviction. It's about recognizing that complex organizational problems rarely have single note solutions. The executive who only hears theft prevention through a "more cameras and tighter controls" arrangement is missing the full symphony of factors at play.

The action: Next time you're facing a recurring challenge, deliberately seek out someone from a completely different department or experience level. Ask them what they hear when you describe the problem. Don't defend your original interpretation – just listen.

Because here's the thing: Metallica played by a string quartet doesn't make the original version wrong. It just reveals layers that were always there, waiting for the right instruments to bring them forward. Your toughest organizational challenges probably have the same hidden complexity.

Sometimes the solution isn't changing the song.

It's changing how you're choosing to play it.

Agree, disagree, more examples to share?  Send them to me here.

TikTok Scam Drains $17 Million From New York ATMs

PYMNTS

VIDEO: Thieves steal roughly $1 million from jewelry store in smash and grab

Police were still searching for multiple suspects that they said rushed into a jewelry store and stole around $1 million in a smash and grab.

According to local outlet KCRA, deputies were dispatched at around 1:15 p.m. on July 6 to a jewelry store for a report of a robbery, but by the time they arrived the business had already been severely damaged.

Deputies reviewed security camera videos and learned that eight people were involved in the robbery and roughly $1 million worth of product was lost. 

Local 12 News

Inventories in an Age of Uncertainty

Real Economy

30 Wild Stories from Retail Workers

Working retail is basically a perpetual societal study. Reading about the Stanford Prison Experiment, as someone who’s worked multiple retail jobs? Seemed to me like a waste of time, when they could have observed the same dynamic emerge at pretty much any Walmart.

If you’ve ever worked retail, you’ve met at least a couple people who remind you that monsters walk among us. It’s like a vampire movie, except the biting is mostly on the shins — from unsupervised children who are extremely disappointed in your lack of the Bionicle they wanted. 

Redditors have shared some of their worst stories from past real jobs, and you should hope you never share a checkout line with anyone mentioned.

#30

Amazon faces $5.4 billion lawsuit over alleged market abuse

Amazon is facing mounting legal pressure as a London tribunal ruled that two multi-billion-dollar lawsuits accusing the e-commerce giant of abusing its market dominance can proceed.

The cases, brought separately by third-party retailers and consumers, could cost the company up to $5.4 billion if successful. 

WIO News

Three Shelby County men accused of stealing over $200K in electronics arrested at Mississippi Walmart

Police in Oxford, Mississippi said Monday that they arrested three shoplifters at the Oxford Walmart who they said stole more than $200,000 worth of electronics from the retailer across three Mid-South states.

Police said they arrested Kasaydraus Eddings, 29, of Memphis, TN, Kevin Watkins, 29, of Collierville, TN and Ahmad Alfreahat, 28, of Bartlett, TN.

FOX13 News

Queens Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Assault at The Home Depot in Levittown

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Queens man was sentenced to 22 years in prison for an incident that took place at The Home Depot in Levittown in 2020, which left a victim with significant and irreparable injuries to one of his wrists.

The defendant was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.

Nassau DA

The Regional Asset Protection Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating all Asset Protection functions within a given market to achieve maximum shrink prevention and protection of company assets. This position is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of Asset Protection policies and procedures through compliance assessments and use of exception reporting. This position may report to the Director or VP, Asset Protection and may have direct reports.

This role will support 29 locations in the Minneapolis area surrounding state like Oklahoma and Kansas City. Ideal candidate would reside in Minnesota or surrounding states.

Creating a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Attracting and Retaining Talent

According to Aerotek’s Job Seeker Survey, 89% of respondents indicated a preference for companies that focus on employee safety. Despite this, employers may not always highlight their safety practices during the hiring process.

While current hiring trends may not be as aggressive as in recent years, attracting top talent remains important. The survey data indicates that many applicants consider a potential employer’s safety practices before making employment decisions. 

EHS Daily Advisor

Safe and Open: Rethinking Retail Loss Prevention Without Compromising the Experience 

Locked cases and restrictive access may deter theft—but they’re also driving customers away. In our latest insights article, “Safe and Open,” we explore a smarter approach to retail loss prevention—one that protects profits, people, and the shopper experience.

Learn how Gatekeeper Systems’ Purchek® solution quietly stops pushout theft without confrontation, while FaceFirst AI-enabled face matching helps identify repeat offenders in real time. Together, these technologies offer a dual-layered, intelligent defense that keeps stores open, safe, and welcoming.

Brought to your by Gatekeeper