Trump advisor Hassett is confident tariffs will prevail despite judges’ ruling

Top Trump economic advisor Kevin Hassett voiced strong confidence that recent court rulings striking down the administration’s aggressive tariffs will be overturned on appeal, asserting the tariffs are legal and vital to fair trade efforts. Hassett criticized the judges’ decision, particularly their dismissal of the tariffs’ link to combating the fentanyl crisis, and insisted the administration will continue its anti-fentanyl initiatives. While alternative legal avenues exist to reinstate the tariffs, Hassett stated the current plan is to focus on winning the appeal, calling the ruling "incorrect" and disruptive to ongoing trade negotiations.

CNBC

Burlington CEO Sees 'Challenges and Opportunities' Ahead for Off-Price Retail

Burlington CEO Michael O’Sullivan told investors that the retailer saw a broad sales slowdown in the first quarter, though it’s too early to tell if it signals a wider consumer pullback. He warned that recent tariff volatility—especially the near halt in U.S.-China trade—could disrupt inventory flows, creating both risks and opportunities in the months ahead. Despite margin pressures from tariffs, Burlington beat earnings expectations and reaffirmed its full-year outlook, with O’Sullivan expressing confidence that the company can navigate short-term uncertainty while staying focused on long-term industry trends.

Investopedia

Best Buy lowers guidance due to tariffs as Q1 revenue drops

Best Buy is facing pressure from heightened tariffs on Chinese imports, with CFO Matt Bilunas noting the company is prepared to adapt as the situation evolves. CEO Corie Barry said sourcing from China has dropped to about 30-35% of product costs, thanks to diversified vendor strategies, but the latest court ruling blocking some Trump-era tariffs could further impact the landscape. Despite a slight decline in Q1 domestic sales and ongoing category challenges, Best Buy is pushing forward with key initiatives, including a new third-party seller marketplace launching this summer to help navigate economic uncertainty.

Retail Dive

Albertsons Cuts Corporate Staff in Phoenix

Albertsons has confirmed corporate workforce reductions in Phoenix as part of a broader strategy to enhance competitiveness and drive its “Customers for Life” vision, though no store-level associates were affected. The move follows earlier corporate staff cuts and comes as the grocer continues to post strong results, including a 2.3% Q4 sales increase, 24% digital sales growth, and a 15% rise in loyalty members. Now under new CEO Susan Morris, Albertsons is focused on maintaining momentum in a rapidly evolving retail landscape while supporting impacted employees through the transition.

Progressive Grocer

How to Strengthen Cyber Defenses Before It’s Too Late

As cyber threats escalate, new federal guidance urges stronger protection of critical infrastructure systems, but experts say key gaps remain—especially around outdated authentication. Raul Cepeda Jr. stresses the need to replace vulnerable passwords with phishing-resistant tools like Passkeys and MFA to better secure OT environments. The challenge now is adapting modern authentication to legacy systems without compromising operations.

Security Info Watch

Are you a Renaissance Man?

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

Or woman, as the case may be?

I was talking with an industry executive this morning, a Vice President of Asset Protection, Safety, Compliance, Corporate Services, et al of a major retailer about our Asset Protection Executive Xchange (APEX) agenda.

We're about to release the full agenda shortly and I always like to grab opinions from our APEX Executive Council, as well as some other trusted industry veterans -- just to ensure we're on the right track. We take it very seriously when AP/LP executives trust us with their time.

One comment struck me as especially poignant (there were many but only sharing one here). The APEX Councilmember said, "This agenda is absolutely what we need because we're being asked more than ever to be a Renaissance department."

Now I've obviously heard the term before but wanted him to elaborate his meaning (selfishly specific to the APEX agenda). He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Our department - and me specifically - are constantly being asked to take on expanded roles, broaden our skill sets, and constantly adapting to new challenges. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic and we welcome it. But it does increase scrutiny on where decide to go for continuing education."

This was a perfect lead-in for me to ask his specific feedback on the confidential agenda I shared. After I went through the vision of each session line-by-line, he thoughtfully said, "APEX really needs to give itself credit for having something for every executive in the room. There are sessions on leadership, professional development, enterprise risk, investigative theory, employee safety, vendor relations, our CFO's perspective, new tech, old tech and of course the signature APEX surprises. I appreciate this agenda isn't simply AI wound through every thread or the ole cops and robbers bag we're all so tired of hearing about. It's truly something to help us be the well-rounded Renaissance executives we must be in this environment."

I don't share this to pat APEX on the back (although we are very proud of how hard we work on the content). I share it to ask you to consider your time investment. Where are you spending it? Can you count on takeaways that will truly manifest themselves in stronger, more resilient organizations? Consider these things when investing your time and ever-so-precious travel budget (although APEX is less expensive than its competitors by far).

Ok, ok - yes, I will share a sneak peek of these sessions, speaker names to come (I gotta give you something to wait for!):

Sneak Peek of APEX Session Titles:

• How to Think Like a Futurist, presented by Melanie Subin, Trends, Scenarios & Strategic Foresight Leader, Managing Director, Future Today Strategy Group
• Beyond Executive Protection: Managing In-Person & Digital Threats to your Brand
• What Enterprise Risk Management Truly Looks Like from the C-suite
• But what’s the CFO think?
• Customer & Employee Safety: Process vs. Policy
• REAL Strategies to Make Law Enforcement Care + Community Goodwill
• What’s AFTER gift card fraud? It’s here: Tap-to-Pay + Relay Fraud – Here’s what you need to know
• Real AI Use Cases that You Can Use (Now)
• Unexpected ROI from your Existing Technology Systems
• Retailers with Actual, Working Technology Ecosystems (& How it works)
• Executive Panel: Just 3 Questions
• Is Your Vendor a Vendor, Solutions Provider or Strategic Partner?
• Leading Through Conflict: Executive Strategies for Tough Conversations, presented by Lynne Franklin, leadership & communication expert, TEDx Talk with more than 7.5 million views

Interested in attending APEX?  Download event info here.

Or register here.

Do you have a different take? Or more to add?  Send me an email here.

Macy’s CEO warns customers of a harsh change in stores

The Street

Albuquerque business owner faces murder charge for shooting fleeing shoplifter

An Albuquerque business owner is facing a murder charge after police said he shot a fleeing shoplifter.

According to the Albuquerque Police Department, the owner of Moe’s Smoke Shop shot a shoplifter who was reversing his car away from the store. “A lot of commotion.

We went ahead and came to the windows by my work, we looked out, we saw a guy running out, that fled in a white Toyota Camry.

Then we saw the owner of the smoke shop also out there,” said an employee at a nearby business who wanted to remain anonymous.

 KRQE News

Employers, Don’t Overlook Your Annual Workplace Violence Prevention Obligations

 Advocacy

Tech-Driven Strategies: Enhancing Retail Safety & Reducing Loss? 

Missed the LPF webinar Tech-Driven Strategies: Enhancing Retail Safety & Reducing Loss? Industry leaders Mike Lamb, Craig Greenberg, and Dara Riordan shared how Purchek® and FaceFirst work together to prevent theft, protect employees, and deliver real-time insights.

From stopping pushout theft with no confrontation to identifying repeat offenders before incidents occur, this webinar highlights how smarter tech leads to safer stores.

Retail Theft Charges Filed Against 2: Warrington Crime Report

Warrington Township Police arrested a woman at Walmart for stealing $611 in merchandise and providing false ID, and separately took a man into custody for a prior $542 theft at Target, where he had initially used another person’s ID to avoid detection.

Both suspects were processed and released.

Patch

Arkansas AG announces arrest of Little Rock woman for organized retail crime

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced an arrest due to an investigation by his office.

Griffin said 32-year-old Sasha Rena Ziegler of Little Rock surrendered in Little Rock court on Wednesday to an arrest warrant. He continued that she is facing charges of two counts of felony theft.

KARK 4 News

CVS to close 270 stores in 2025 as part of effort to ‘realign' retail footprint

Hundreds of CVS pharmacies are set to close in 2025, the national drug store chain confirmed Thursday to NBC Chicago, as part of an ongoing effort to "realign" the company's retail footprint.

According to a statement, CVS plans to close 270 stores nationwide in 2025.

NBC Chicago

The Senior Manager will oversee global compliance operations while leveraging innovative strategies to optimize cross-border trade, minimize costs, and provide value to both Crate and Barrel and our customers. This role demands expertise in trade policy, customs compliance, and financial recovery through advanced knowledge of government programs and trade regulations. This role offers the opportunity to shape efficiencies that will drive our supply chain success and operational excellence.

Wrongly accused of shoplifting, community leader pushes for policy reform

The founder of Minnie’s Food Pantry was falsely accused of shoplifting at a Dillard’s store in Fairview, Texas. After being cleared, she publicly cut up her store credit card in protest and called for policy reforms to prevent similar incidents.

The incident has sparked broader conversations about bias, accountability, and the need for retail policy changes.

CBS News

Returns Are the New Revenue: Why Smart Retailers Are Betting on the Boomerang

For a long time, retailers have seen returns and the logistics needed to deal with them as a burden—a necessary inconvenience for handling excess stock.

Managing these logistics, known as reverse logistics or the reverse supply chain, requires different skills because most manufacturers design their infrastructure only to distribute products one way: out into the market. 

Observer