Burglars tunneled through multiple layers of concrete to break into Love Jewels, a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles, stealing an estimated $10–$20 million in merchandise, including watches, gold chains, and pendants. The heist, discovered Monday morning, involved suspects entering through a hole from the adjacent property and fleeing in a Chevy truck, with police now reviewing surveillance footage and collecting forensic evidence.
The death of subcontracted worker Leony Salcedo-Chevalier at Amazon’s JFK8 facility has sparked renewed scrutiny of the company’s workplace safety practices and triggered a spontaneous walkout by employees demanding systemic changes. The incident highlights deep-rooted worker frustrations over inadequate safety measures, inconsistent equipment standards, and a lack of progress from the Amazon Labor Union, despite its high-profile formation and merger with the Teamsters.
Chinese TikTok videos promoting direct purchases from Chinese factories at lower prices have gained traction in the U.S., encouraging consumers to bypass American retailers by highlighting that major brands like Nike and Lululemon source products from these manufacturers. Experts suggest this campaign aims to counter President Trump’s escalating tariffs on Chinese goods by positioning Chinese manufacturing as a more affordable and appealing alternative, amid intensifying U.S.-China trade tensions.
Ulta Beauty and Target have paused their store-in-store expansion after reaching 610 locations, citing a mutual decision to focus on optimizing existing sites. However, behind the scenes, tensions have reportedly grown due to widespread theft, staffing shortages, underperformance in loyalty sign-ups, and concerns that Ulta locations inside Target may be cannibalizing traffic from standalone Ulta stores.
Retail sales rose modestly in March after two months of decline, with total sales up 0.6% month over month and 4.75% year over year, partly driven by consumers stocking up ahead of anticipated tariff increases. Despite strong economic fundamentals, uncertainty surrounding new tariffs and weakening consumer sentiment led many to shift spending toward savings.
Tim Murfin Named Vice President, Asset Protection & Safety, Southeastern Grocers
Tim has spent his last nearly 11 years at Southeastern Grocers working his way up from Senior Manager to now Vice President. Prior to Southeastern, Tim served in various roles with Target for nearly 9 years and Winn-Dixie prior to that as a Regional Loss Prevention Manager.
Congratulations, Tim!
Man arrested after hours-long standoff at Meijer in Michigan City
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WNDU) - A man is in police custody after an hours-long standoff over the weekend at a Meijer store in Michigan City ended with the suspect shooting himself.
Police say they were called just after 9 p.m. Saturday to the Baymont Motel on Franklin Street on reports of children possibly being battered by a man in the room.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the mom of the children, who said she and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Nathaniel Gruntzel, were arguing because she found out he was currently wanted in the state of Wisconsin for the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
7-Eleven’s plan to open 1,300 new stores through 2030 comes about six months after sharing that it would open 600 stores over four years, including 500 between 2025 and 2027. The 2030 target shows that 7-Eleven intends to ramp up annual store openings, and it has already increased the number of store openings planned for the next three years from 500 to 550.
The 1,300 goal would represent about 10% of the 12,963 stores 7-Eleven had in North America in February. It’s also more stores than all but four of its c-store competitors have in their entire networks, according to the NACS top 100.
Man pleads guilty to Columbia restaurant robbery, sentenced to 10 years in prison
A man who was accused of robbing a south Columbia restaurant in August 2024 he pleaded guilty to two felonies and a misdemeanor.
Regis Dorsey, of Columbia, pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Previous reporting indicates that police were called on Aug. 18 to the 3900 block of South Providence Road and locked an employee of a restaurant in a walk-in freezer, while forcing another to give him $2,350 in cash. The restaurant’s name was not mentioned in court documents.
Stopping Violence Against Retail Employees: Something We Can All Agree On
ORC and shoplifting are no longer isolated problems—they are organized, costly, and increasingly violent. While experts debate the true financial toll, one fact remains clear: retail employees are at risk. Confrontations with offenders have become more frequent and dangerous. This white paper urges retailers to go beyond loss prevention, prioritizing employee well-being as part of a responsible and sustainable retail strategy.
Teens, bystander credited with catching shoplifting suspect at Hyrum gas station
HYRUM, Utah (KUTV) — A group of teens and a man jumped into action to stop a shoplifter in Hyrum. The Cache County Sheriff said a juvenile stole a box of cigars from the Chevron in Hyrum and ran away, but the group of teenagers along with a man at the gas station, chased and held him down until law enforcement could arrive.
A Chevron employee told 2News they noticed the juvenile acting suspicious. As soon they were occupied by something else, he ran behind the counter, grabbed the cigars, and took off.
Here’s what 7 major restaurants pay their CEOs — and their store-level workers
The fast food industry has long been criticized for low pay, but brands like Starbucks and Chipotle have sought to convince the public, and prospective employees, of the benefits that come with making cappuccinos and burritos.
Trade associations have argued that fast food, and restaurants in general, are better employers than critics claim.
These campaigns, however, are made in part to fight off activist efforts to raise wages and reform labor law.
Woman Arrested After Robbery at Santa Monica Target Store
A woman was arrested Sunday afternoon following an alleged robbery at a Target store in downtown Santa Monica, authorities said.
Santa Monica police responded at about 12:03 p.m. to reports of an Estes robbery at the store located at 420 Broadway.
According to police, a female suspect allegedly stole merchandise and scratched a store employee while attempting to flee the scene.
Officers located a woman matching the suspect’s description a short time later near the Downtown Santa Monica Metro Station. She was taken into custody without further incident.
Gatekeeper Systems is looking for an experienced Retail Asset Protection manager to investigate retail theft activity, record and manage theft related data and collaborate with retail customers asset protections teams.
Based on strong market demand for a fresh approach to security, Block by Block is working to establish a security division to deliver a higher level of professionalism and drive positive perceptions of public spaces. The vision for this service is a uniformed Security Ambassador working in public spaces such as commercial corridors, parks, transit systems, campuses and city centers to provide a visible symbol of safety.
Oklahoma City shoplifting suspects arrested after being locked inside store
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Two men were arrested after attempting to steal from a convenience store and being locked inside by a store clerk in Oklahoma City.
On Sunday, officers of the Oklahoma City Police Department were dispatched around 10:50 pm to the store near 106 N Western Ave in response to a report of shoplifters.
The call notes indicated that the clerk had locked two subjects inside the store as they attempted to steal items and were fighting him.
On Monday, April 7 at about 2 p.m., the Cranston Police Department received information from a partnering law enforcement agency regarding a group of people believed to be associated with a South American Organized Retail Theft Group.
In collaboration with regional and federal partners, this department actively shares intelligence related to organized criminal enterprises.
The notification indicated that a Ford Flex used during a March 23 retail theft incident had been detected in Connecticut...
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