Businesses close due to crime, lack of support

A small business has permanently closed after years of financial strain, repeated break-ins, and what the owner described as a lack of meaningful government support. Despite surviving the pandemic and economic uncertainty, the tipping point came with rising crime and mounting frustration over unfulfilled promises of aid. In a heartfelt farewell, the owner expressed deep gratitude to the community but warned that many entrepreneurs are being left behind as leaders claim progress that small business owners simply don’t see.

B-Town Blog

Global retailers' tariff strategy risks spreading pain beyond US consumer

Global retailers like Birkenstock and Pandora are quietly spreading the financial impact of new U.S. tariffs by raising prices across multiple international markets—minimizing backlash at home while keeping margins intact. This strategy, while financially strategic, has central banks in Europe and the UK concerned that such price adjustments could reignite inflation just as it had begun to ease. Experts warn that in the fog of global pricing and tariff complexity, companies may also use the moment to inflate prices beyond actual cost increases—echoing profit-taking behavior seen during the pandemic.

Reuters

Retailers on Alert: How the New Tariff Landscape Puts Your Brand and Your Customers at Risk

As cybercriminals exploit tariff confusion to launch scams posing as retailers or delivery services, brands face a growing threat—not just to customer wallets, but to their own reputations. When consumers fall for phishing schemes disguised as “tariff payment” requests, trust in the retailer’s name is often the first casualty. In this climate, retailers must play an active role in consumer protection by delivering clear communication, monitoring for brand impersonation, and becoming a trusted voice amid policy-driven uncertainty.

TalkLPnews

Home Depot vows to maintain prices despite tariff pressures hitting retail sector

While many major retailers brace for price hikes due to tariffs, Home Depot is breaking ranks—announcing it has no plans to raise prices for customers. The company credits its long-term supply chain diversification strategy, which ensures no single country outside the U.S. will account for more than 10% of its sourcing by next year. As competitors like Walmart and Target warn of price pressure and consumer impact, Home Depot is positioning itself as a stable, value-driven alternative in a volatile trade environment.

FOX Business

Retail Leader Crossroads: Why Resilience Is the New Competitive Edge in a World of Tariffs and Turmoil

In 2025, retailers are navigating a volatile landscape shaped by escalating tariffs, geopolitical instability, and fragile supply chains, forcing a strategic shift from reactive tactics to long-term resilience. To stay competitive, leading businesses are embracing diversified sourcing (friendshoring), investing in supply chain technology, and building local production capabilities, while also planning for black swan events and strengthening partnerships. Success now hinges not just on managing costs, but on adopting a proactive, adaptive approach that builds agility across operations—from inventory buffers and customer communication to cybersecurity and ESG compliance.

TalkLPnews

Melanie Subin

Futurist; Trends, Scenarios, & Strategic Foresight Leader

Managing Director, Future Today Strategy Group

APEX Session Announcement:

How to Think Like a Futurist

Today’s leaders are tasked with managing their teams and steering them toward their goals in this midst of unprecedented disruption, while simultaneously preparing their organizations for the possible futures of their industries. What strategies can leaders leverage to position their organizations for future success and navigate them in making their ideal futures a reality?

In this session, leading strategic foresight, and futurology management consultant Melanie Subin influences audiences to think like a futurist and introduces them to the concept of foresight, as well as its approaches and tools. As she walks audiences through its various phases, from signal identification to scenario planning, she provides a deeper understanding of how to implement foresight into their organizations in support of purpose, and more innovative and higher performing futures.

States Tackle Workplace Violence Risks, With Retailers in Focus

Regulators have increased their focus on addressing workplace violence risks, including some with particular attention to risks associated with retail employers.

Retailers from New York to California should monitor continued developments within state legislatures and adjust their workplace policies to account for these rules — new and old.

TotalRetail

Nearly 80 more Big Lots stores to reopen in June: Here’s where

It’s been five months since Big Lots announced it was preparing to close all of its stores, after closing hundreds of others following its bankruptcy filing.

Since then, more than 100 Big Lots stores have reopened under new management.

Next month, nearly 80 more Big Lots stores will open, Variety Wholesalers confirmed to Nexstar on Monday. 

The Hill

Man sues store manager for personal injury after shooting incident

 Ozark First

Video Surveillance to Reduce Product Shrink

Reduce shrink and improve customer experiences with OpenEye’s intelligent and aware cloud video platform that lets you manage your business from wherever you are. From creating better customer experiences to helping reduce shrink, OpenEye gives you a single platform that keeps you focused on being more profitable.

• Loss Prevention: POS data combined with video verification makes it easier to investigate returns fraud, coupon manipulation, voids and under ringing at the point of sale.
• Remote Monitoring: Keep an eye on things from any location, such as a late open or when restricted areas are accessed with custom alerts sent to your phone or email.
• Enhanced Experiences: Easily monitor store operations, customer journeys, and trends for a better customer experience that ultimately leads to stronger profits.

OpenEye Web Services gives you the enhanced visibility you need to stay on top of loss prevention and improve security. Leverage advanced security features, including:

• Powerful Analytics: Monitor queue length, customer wait times and employee engagement for anomalies to gather valuable business intelligence.
• Automated Reporting: Get better insights into customer readiness and improve security compliance audits.
• Point-of-Sale Integration: Stay on top of fraud with POS search and alerting for suspicious transactions.
• Remote Access: Multiple client options and single sign-on ensure access on any device from virtually anywhere.
• Proactive Alerts: Get quick visual verification of incidents with custom alerts sent via phone or email.
• Automated Health Monitoring: Ensure video is there when you need it with alerts for network outages, camera failure, and more.

Retailers: Mark your calendars for Boots & Brews at NRF PROTECT, Tuesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m!

L.A. County DA Files Over 1,000 Felony Theft Charges Under Prop 36 in Retail Crime Crackdown

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced that his office has filed more than 1,000 felony charges since December under a new state law targeting repeat retail theft offenders, marking one of the most aggressive enforcement efforts in California since voters approved Prop 36 last year.

West Side Today

Albertsons Makes Further Counterclaims Against Kroger

Nearly 6 months after their failed merger, Albertsons is pushing back against The Kroger Co. and its assertions that while it was working to seek regulatory approval and close the merger, Albertsons was engaging in a secret campaign alongside C&S Wholesale Grocers to pursue its own regulatory strategy.

Progressive Grocer

Armenian organized crime rings charged with stealing $83 million in Amazon cargo

Department of Justice officials on Tuesday charged members or associates of an Armenian organized crime ring with stealing more than $83 million worth of cargo from Amazon
 by posing as legitimate truck drivers and siphoning off goods destined for the company’s warehouses.

CNBC

The Possibility of Scan-and-Go POS Solutions

Retail Tech Insights

AI is Already Changing Retail — and There’s No Turning Back

What was once the stuff of the silver screen ("Minority Report," anyone?) is now shaping everyday decisions.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a cornerstone of modern retail, almost by stealth — and its adoption shows no sign of slowing. New research from Apply Digital, surveying senior leaders across the sector, shows that retail has moved decisively towards AI-powered personalization at scale.

TotalRetail