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Walmart Prepares for a Future Where AI Shops for Consumers

Walmart is preparing for a future where AI-powered shopping bots—not humans—make purchasing decisions, fundamentally changing how retailers market, price, and sell products. These autonomous agents could bypass traditional ads and emotional branding, requiring retailers to optimize for machine readers and algorithms instead. As Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal move into agentic commerce, Walmart is staking its claim as an early leader, developing its own AI agents and setting the pace for a retail revolution driven by technology, not consumer clicks.

PYMNTS

Tariff Turmoil Hits Security Industry: Rising Costs, Tough Choices, and the Urgent Need for Transparency

Tariff volatility is creating major pricing uncertainty across the security industry, with manufacturers, distributors, and integrators all feeling the pressure from unpredictable international trade policies. As costs rise—sometimes dramatically—companies like Motorola Solutions and Sielox are issuing multiple price increases, passing the burden down the supply chain to customers. The key for integrators is transparent, proactive communication, as shown by Stone Security’s clear messaging on price hikes; while the industry may be resilient, it's far from immune to the financial turbulence of fluctuating tariffs. 

Security Business Magazine

Trump takes on Walmart over tariff price hikes, setting up potential showdown with retail industry

Walmart is at the center of a tariff showdown, as former President Donald Trump publicly demands the retail giant “eat the tariffs” instead of passing costs to consumers. Walmart has warned that rising tariffs are too large to fully absorb, and shoppers may begin seeing price hikes as early as this month. With Walmart setting the tone, other retailers may soon follow suit, signaling a broader wave of retail price increases as trade tensions and economic uncertainty escalate.

NBC News

Cost-saving strategies you’ll want to implement in 2025

The 2025 supply chain landscape is being shaped by rising tariffs, fluctuating costs, and unpredictable consumer demand, prompting companies to rethink how they stay profitable under pressure. With import costs climbing and inventory strategies shifting, many businesses face tough decisions—some are stockpiling, while others are pausing imports and losing sales. To remain agile, companies are turning to cost mitigation tools like revenue recovery systems, invoice financing, automated EDI, and data-driven demand forecasting, while also exploring strategies like nearshoring and product recategorization to reduce tariff impact and protect margins.

Supply Chain Dive

As US downtowns shed office workers, officials shop retail solutions

Cities across the U.S. are rethinking how to revitalize their downtowns in a post-pandemic world, turning to retail as the new anchor for economic growth. With office vacancies still high and commuter foot traffic slow to rebound, places like San Francisco, Denver, and Birmingham are offering free rent, reimagining empty offices, and supporting small businesses to fill the gaps. Officials at the ICSC conference in Las Vegas emphasized that fostering vibrant ground-floor retail is now a key strategy to attract residents, generate tax revenue, and eventually rebuild demand for office space.

CoStar

Financial Fraud Experts Warn Against Wechat

Wechat isn’t just a messaging app—it’s a laundering machine hiding in plain sight.

From pig butchering scams in Southeast Asia to bulk cash smuggling in Charlotte, several investigations uncovered how WeChat enables covert global laundering through QR code transfers, encrypted chats, and deep ties to underground banking networks.

Why does it matter?
Because it’s being used to move billions in fraud and drug money—and most investigators can’t even subpoena it.

The break down:
• How scam victims are processed like a pipeline
• Why WeChat Pay is ideal for shell transfers
• What makes it nearly invisible to regulators

Want the full story, infographic & flowchart?
Read the original post here.

Editor's Note:

Make sure to follow the "Fraud Defense Network LLC" for more updates.

And hey, while you're in there - throw TalkLPnews group a follow too, huh?

Are You Missing the Bigger Picture?

Think Purchek® Technology is just about stopping pushouts? Think again. Gatekeeper Systems’ Purchek® solution, paired with Theft Investigative Services and Cart Analytics, offers retailers powerful insights that go far beyond loss prevention. Discover how you can use real-time data to refine merchandising, optimize staffing, manage emergency exits, and improve the customer experience—all while fostering collaboration across departments.

Unlock the true potential of your store with our latest blog: Five Overlooked Ways Gatekeeper’s Insights Can Transform Your Store

High grocery prices? Grocery stores blame the thieves

If you continue to shell out more and more for groceries, one major grocery retailer says: blame the thieves.

Stop & Shop, which runs more than 300 markets across the Northeast, has penned a letter to Congress saying retailers like them are operating on ‘razor-thin’ margins and are “struggling with the vast impact of organized retail crime.”

The company is urging Congress to pass the “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act,” which has now been reintroduced.

KTLA 5

Signet Helps Break Up Identity Theft Scheme

Federal authorities charged three men with felony identity theft, after Signet Jewelers’ fraud department reported suspected cases to the authorities.

According to a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the three suspects applied for store credit cards with stolen identities, then used them to purchase merchandise with no intention of paying the bills.

All in all, the suspects fraudulently obtained over $100,000 worth of merchandise from jewelers and other retailers.

JCK Online

EXCLUSIVE: Police bust organized theft ring, donate seized goods to women’s shelter

Get Insights From Your Surveillance

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Mobile push notifications and real-time alerts powered by March Networks Smart Rules and the Command Mobile Plus app ensure that video surveillance information can be seen by authorized personnel from anywhere, anytime.

NC Bill Would Expand Workplace Violence Prevention Act

North Carolina’s Senate Bill (SB) 484, sponsored by Senators Timothy Moffitt, Warren Daniel, and Danny Britt, would amend the Workplace Violence Prevention Act by allowing employers to seek restraining orders against “mass picketing” that blocks access to businesses and public roads. 

Ogletree Deakins

Federal consumer watchdog drops lawsuit against Walmart

The CFPB sued the mass retailer and Branch Messenger at the end of last year, claiming the companies illegally opened accounts for Spark drivers and then deposited their pay into them without consent.

The CFPB dropped its lawsuit with prejudice, according to court filings. 

HR Dive

Serial retail thieves stole $45K of products from Ulta Beauty stores

Two suspects were arrested in connection to a series of thefts at Bay Area Ulta Beauty stores.

The 2 suspects are part of a trio that is linked to 35 thefts of Ulta stores across the Bay Area, totaling more than $45,000.

As of Monday, the third suspect remains at large.

KRON4

Sr. Manager, LP Technology - Ross Stores

The Sr. Manager, Loss Prevention Technology, is responsible for overseeing, developing, and driving the implementation of Loss Prevention Technology across the organization. This is accomplished by managing associates and contractors that implement technology to reduce shortage and support safe and secure environments, including CCTV, Access Control and alarm systems in both new and existing Distribution Centers. The Sr. Manager, LP Technology, is also responsible for driving collaboration and communication with internal and external partners and managing relationships with vendors to drive a high standard of service.

VIDEO: 4 suspects wanted, 1 injured in Whitehaven store shooting

WREG

Two accused of looting Rolla grocery store hit by tornado

Two men are behind bars after they allegedly stole from a Rolla business damaged in the aftermath of Friday evening’s tornadoes.

The Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Ryan Stagner, 47, and Michael McClearn Sr., 60, each with one felony count of stealing ($750 or more).

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, officers arrested Stagner and McClearn around midnight Sunday after observing suspicious activity near a tornado-stricken area.

FOX 2