Podcasts about retail crime

In this encore episode of The Voice of Retail from January 2025, I'm joined by Sergeant Craig Reynolds and Arezo Zarrabian, Senior Crime Analyst at the Vancouver Police Department, for an exclusive look inside Project Barcode—a pioneering effort to combat organized retail crime in Vancouver.Sparked by a staggering 260% increase in retail theft involving weapons, Project Barcode was launched in 2021 and has evolved into a city-wide operation. Combining targeted police action, strategic analytics, and cross-agency collaboration, the project has become a blueprint for combating retail crime across Canada—and beyond.Craig and Arezo take us behind the scenes of Barcode's design and deployment. With more than 1,400 arrests, 166 repeat offenders apprehended, and $1.4 million in goods and criminal assets recovered, Project Barcode is delivering measurable results. Arezo's data-driven insights guide every phase—from identifying hotspots by time and geography, to profiling offender patterns and predicting retail theft surges. One key innovation? Deploying officers based on real-time trends, such as peak theft hours or common entry points into the city.Yet the team doesn't just tackle frontline offenders. A major focus is upstream—targeting fences and organized resellers who drive demand for stolen goods. With the help of anti-fencing units and civil forfeiture laws, Project Barcode has disrupted the black-market supply chain while building stronger partnerships with the retail community.Craig and Arezo also share deeply human perspectives on the systemic issues behind the crimes: homelessness, addiction, lack of mental health support, and underfunded social services. They stress that many offenders are exploited and desperate—often stealing not out of greed, but obligation to pay off debts. They advocate for wraparound solutions that go beyond law enforcement, including judicial reform, community policing, and better data sharing.The episode closes with a look ahead: more coordination, smarter deployment, and a renewed call for nationwide efforts to recognize retail crime as a serious threat to public safety and economic stability.If you're a retailer, policymaker, or security professional, this is essential listening on how cities can combine compassion, innovation, and accountability to fight retail crime—and win. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

TakeawaysThe Coresight Research conference: NextGen 2025 is set for June 23.The event will focus on the integration of retail and real estate.AI is reshaping the beauty industry and retail strategies.Retailers are cautious about adopting AI technologies.Data plays a crucial role in understanding consumer behavior.Challenges like organized retail crime (ORC) need collaborative solutions.Food courts are becoming significant revenue sources for malls.The NextGen 2025 conference will feature diverse speakers from various sectors.Innovations in last-mile delivery are essential for retail success.Retail media and data monetization are key growth areas. Chapters00:00 This Week in Research: New Reports and Data02:30 Exploring the Coresight Research NextGen 2025 Conference Agenda and Key Themes03:23 The Importance of Retail and Real Estate Integration06:37 Challenges in Retail: Crime, Data and AI09:52 Innovations in Retail Real Estate and Last-Mile Delivery Register now for NextGen 2025: Retail, Real Estate & the New Consumer!

Foodstuffs North Island's facial recognition trial might have the tick of approval overall, but there's still work to do. The Privacy Commission's ruled the trial was compliant with the Privacy Act and was successful in reducing harmful behaviour. But Commissioner Michael Webster told Mike Hosking they're recommending Foodstuffs keep systems updated and review impacts of skin tone on identification accuracy. Webster says there are still concerns over technical bias issues due to the software coming from overseas. It's also made recommendations for other interested businesses. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Commissioner has stepped in and canned a controversial directive telling officers not to investigate retail crimes below certain monetary thresholds. Retail Crime Group chair Sunny Kaushal spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to discuss the biggest topics of the week so far. They discussed the shoplifting directive issued to Police – will officers still be attending retail crime incidents if the value of the theft is less than $500? And why is Labour against the use of private hospitals to lower the public surgery backlog? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister expects the Commissioner to continue to tackle retail crime. Police staff have been directed to not further investigate theft below $200, petrol drive-offs below $150, shoplifting under $500, and online fraud below $1000 dollars. But Mark Mitchell is promising retailers officers will always turn up when they have the resources. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls explains why Mark Mitchell needed to clear this up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is attempting to clarify the meaning of a memo to staff on lower-value retail crime cases. The nation-wide directive told staff not to investigate shoplifting worth less than $500 dollars - and less significant petrol, online and retail theft. Mark Mitchell says that's not explicitly what the memo intended. He's promised police will respond to crime, and says the directive should have been worded better. "And it could have been much clearer in the way it was written - it did create some confusion, I totally understand and get that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) So, Not All of Them Then?/Winston Will Keep Winstoning/The Lessons Parents Should TeachSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Don't sweat the small stuff.” That's the message cops have been given about shoplifting. And the powers-that-be can say as much as they like about their memo to staff about only bothering with shoplifting worth more than $500 not being worded as well as it could have been, but the message is very clear. You steal stuff worth less than $500 and you're going to get off scot-free. If I was a retailer, I'd be really brassed off. I'd be brassed off with the cops and I'd be brassed off with the Police Minister, who is no longer doing interviews about retail crime, apparently. This is the guy who made a career out of sending off media releases every time there was a ram raid. This is the guy who promised the crims would be scared of him and his coalition government, because the free ride for crims was about to end. This is the Mark Mitchell who said this two years ago, when he was in Opposition: “While retail crime incidents have more than doubled since 2018, fewer offenders are being held accountable for their actions. Despite an enormous spike in retail offending under Labour, the number of convictions for this type of offending have decreased. “Staggeringly, this drop in convictions coincides with skyrocketing incidents of retail crime. Offenders are simply not being held to account by a Labour government which has been nothing except soft on crime.” So if I was a retailer, I'd be angry. I'd also be very worried. In fact, even if I worked in retail —not necessarily owned a shop, but worked in a shop on the daily— I'd be worried. Because I'd know that even if I saw someone nicking stuff and I called them out on it, they'd just tell me to go to hell. “What're you gonna do? Call the cops?” Sunny Kaushal, who used to run the Dairy & Business Owners Group and now chairs the Government's advisory group on retail crime, says other countries have taken this approach and it's gone very badly. Quite rightly, he says that it “emboldens” criminals. Makes them even more brazen, because they know nothing's going to happen. Which is why —if I was someone who likes to go into shops and help myself to stuff— I'd be very happy. Because the police writing this stuff down and it getting out means retail criminals have a licence to do what they want. They can go into your local supermarket and walk out the door with $490 worth of groceries. You picture $490 worth of groceries in a trolley at Pak n Save and someone walking out the door without paying, knowing the police won't be coming anytime soon. Pretty much flipping the bird at anyone who tries to stop them. Now I'm realistic and I know, just like you do, that the chance of the police turning up is less likely than it used to be. And yes, they've probably always had a cut-off point where they decide something's too small fry to investigate. Which is fine, but, making it an explicit instruction or suggestion not to investigate unless the stuff nicked is worth more than $500, is a major cock-up by the police. And I don't know if there's any coming back from it. Because, even if the Police Minister showed some fortitude and told the police to ditch this approach to retail crime, we know that even then the likelihood of the police getting involved in this lower-level retail crime would be pretty low. Because they just don't have the resources. Which tells me that, despite tough talking from politicians, the battle against retail crime is a losing battle. And if it's not a losing battle, it's a battle we've already lost. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. You cannot go into an election promising to get tough on crime, win the election and vow to draw a line in the sand, declare war on the crims, and then issue a directive that police won't turn up to minor crime. To paraphrase supermodel Linda Evangelista, who famously said she wouldn't get out of bed for less than $10,000, it appears our coppers won't get out of their Skodas for less than $500. A memo has surfaced directing police staff not to investigate crimes under a certain value, such as shoplifting goods under $500. As you can imagine, there have been howls of outrage from retailers and dairy owners, and police are now scrambling to explain themselves. Ann-Marie Johnson, Retail NZ manager, was on Early Edition this morning. She says that retailers do have a realistic expectation of police. “Retailers know that police aren't going to show up to every small, very minor case of shoplifting, but we certainly want to know that they're taking these crimes seriously and that where they can, they will be following up and arresting. Often they're repeat offenders, so we know who they are, and police know who they are, so we want to particularly focus on those people.” Well, exactly. I remember ages ago I left my window open. I used to live in a villa that was on the street, and I left the window open in summer and some opportunistic heffer managed to heave herself through the window and scoop up what she could see in my bedroom and disappear. And I rang the police, not because I expected them to turn up, but because I needed the case number for my insurance claim, but somebody turned up about 3 or 4 days later and dusted for fingerprints on the windowsill. And because of that, they were able to match it to a nest of Vipers in West Auckland, a group of women who had committed all sorts of petty thefts and burglaries and crimes, and so it was worth holding off on the house cleaning and not doing the window sill so the police could dust for fingerprints. Of course they can't turn up to every crime. I know that, but it's not a good look. Police Minister Mark Mitchell says he is happy to talk, but he doesn't want to get ahead “of the police executive who are going to clarify their position”. I can only imagine the “please explain” face on the Minister when he made a call to the newish-Commissioner. It's one thing for us all to know that if our wallet is nicked because we stupidly left it on a bus stop seat, we know the police aren't going to converge on the scene of the crime, all blues and two in their numbers. It is quite another thing to know that a directive has been sent applying nationally standardised threshold values when assessing theft and fraud. Losing $500 worth of groceries and goods can have a huge impact on a small business' weekly turnover, and I sure as hell do not want to see losers walking out of supermarkets with $500 worth of groceries, getting a free pass. You don't elect a centre right government for that sort of carry on. That was the very thing that galvanised a significant number of voters to vote centre right. You may not be able to get to every petty thief in the country, you know that. I know that the retailers know that, and the crims sure as hell know that, but the messaging from police has to be that they're going to jolly well try. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers are seeking clarity on a Police directive on shoplifting. RNZ reports police staff have been told to not investigate allegations of theft below $500. Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV. Chair of the Ministry of Justice's Retail Crime Advisory Group Sunny Kaushal told Mike Hosking retailers are concerned. He says similar policies have already failed in America and the UK, where gangs of shoplifters exploit them to make illegal gains without consequences. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 27th of May, are police deliberately not investigating retail crimes if the value is under $500? We have a big recycling problem in this country, but we also have some good old Kiwi ingenuity when it comes to old and bruised kiwifruit. Health whiz Dr Libby Weaver is back in studio to talk iron, and whether Mike is as healthy as he thinks he is. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I totally understand that retailers want an urgent meeting with the Police Minister. This is over the revelation that police aren't bothering to investigate shoplifting below $500 bucks anymore. They're clearly worried, because what's happened is there's been a revelation from a memo that was sent to police staff a couple of months ago, saying that from now on, across all districts, cops will no longer investigate theft and fraud below a certain value. General theft - anything below $200, not investigating. Petrol drive-offs - anything below $150, not investigating. Shoplifting - anything below $500, not investigating. Fraud - as in paywave fraud, online fraud, scams, anything below $1000 and then all other fraud - anything below $500, cops aren't turning up. And that is, by the way, regardless of whether you have lines of inquiry. So even if you know who nicked the stuff, even if you can tell them where the stuff is, they're not going to investigate. Now, it's totally understandable for retailers to want an urgent meeting on this, because this has probably come as something of a shock. But also, this is the reality, isn't it? There are not enough police to deal with all the crime in the country. We know that. It's not really even a total surprise when you think about how many stories you've heard about people who go to the police, tell the police exactly where the bike is, where the police can go and find it because it's been nicked, and the police won't go and get it. But, this is gonna be a problem, isn't it? When the thieves start finding out about this stuff - cause they may be criminals, but they're not always stupid - they know what they can get away with scot-free. And that is why so many of them just ended up brazenly pushing those loaded trolleys out of the supermarkets for a while there, cause they knew nothing was gonna happen to them. I suspect the same thing is gonna happen once they figure out what the thresholds are here. And if this is the reality that we now live in, then I think the only solution to this is for the Government to get out of the way of retailers helping themselves. They need to let the supermarkets use that facial recognition technology they want to use, so they can stop people from coming in and committing the crime. They need to pass the citizen's arrests law to allow the retailers and the security guards themselves to stop the criminals getting away with this stuff. Because frankly, if the cops can't help - and clearly there aren't enough of them to help - then the retailers need the tools to be able to help themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police say they can't get to all retail crime - after revelations revealed they won't investigate some lower-level crimes. RNZ reports staff have been directed to not investigate shoplifting below $500 dollars and online fraud below $1000 dollars. Police say they may not take a further look into crime below the threshold - and lacking evidence. Superintendent Blair Macdonald says his team get 90,000 reports every month - and explained they try to judge where officers can prevent the most amount of harm to the public. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is reassuring retailers officers will still turn up to reports of shoplifting. RNZ reports staff have been directed to not investigate retail crime below $500 and online fraud below $1000. Police may not take further action if the reports don't have enough evidence, such as CCTV. However, Mark Mitchell told Kerre Woodham every crime deserves a response. He says he wants to be clear that people can't go out and shoplift anything under the value of $500 – there will be a police response, especially if the offender is able to be identified. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail NZ is calling for an urgent meeting with the police minister. RNZ reports staff have been directed to not investigate shoplifting below $500 and online fraud below $1000. Police say they may not take look further into crime below the threshold and lacking evidence. Retail NZ Advocacy Manager Ann-Marie Johnson told Ryan Bridge they know officers aren't going to turn up at every small incident. She says they just want to know Police are taking these crimes seriously and arresting where they can. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organized retail crime (ORC) is not a victimless crime — it can have a devastating impact on the real people behind retailers. Summer Stephan, San Diego County District Attorney, joins us to discuss the fight against organized retail crime. We explore laws and initiatives to combat the insidious issue, plus what local businesses can do to protect themselves and their employees. (00:00:54) Introductions(00:01:41) Stephan's Law Background (00:03:41) The Human Price Of Organized Retail Crime (00:09:10) The Reality Of Retail Crime (00:13:13) Initiatives To Combat Organized Retail Crime (00:22:01) The Role Of Local Businesses In Confronting Crime (00:24:47) The Evolution Of Organized Retail Crime The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association.Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.Resources:• Learn more about NRF Protect• Register for NRF Nexus at nrf.com/nexus and use code RGR20 for 20% off• Get ready for Retail's Big Show in NYC• Become an NRF member and join the world's largest retail trade association• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.comRelated:• Retailers battle nearly $100 billion in shrink • NRF's FIght Retail Crime Day wins Reed Award for Best Lobby Day • 3 ways to fight retail crimeProduced by Crate Media.

A new report from Retail NZ has revealed the state of retail crime in New Zealand - 99% of the membership of Retail NZ has experienced some form of crime or antisocial behaviour in 2023/24, that's up from 93% the year prior. I remember thinking that's a lot, National want to be working on that because they were very strong in opposition and in the election campaign saying they were going to get tough on retail crime – it seems to have got worse. It ranges from credit card fraud, shoplifting, threatening behaviour, criminal damage, or physical assault. Retail NZ's membership recorded 140,746 incidents of retail crime over that period. What I find really interesting from the report is that almost 40% of those retail crimes were not reported to police. There were a range of reasons why respondents didn't report to police. Apparently it was because of low value items not being worth the effort, the retailer discovered the offence too late, or they dealt with it directly. There were also concerns that what was the point? What was the point of telling the police? Nothing's going to happen. I would love to know from retailers at what point do you give up caring? 40% of retail crimes are not reported to police. That's a hell of a lot. When do you reach the stage of simply shrugging your shoulders and saying, what are you going to do about it? Have you become so inured to retail crime, to abusive language, to people just putting something in their pocket or putting something in their bag and walking out, you're like, well another day? I remember Chris Quinn from Foodstuffs when we were talking about people walking out with trolleys full of groceries. And I said, well, why don't you put in the measures that people have told me about overseas, where you scan your receipt and then the gates open, and your trolley and you, can walk out. If you don't have a receipt, the gates don't open – make it jolly hard to walk out with a trolley full of groceries. He said, I just don't think the public could put up with that. Yeah, we would, wouldn't we? I thought that was a really defeatist attitude. He said, you know, the majority shouldn't be punished for the minor, obviously, but I mean that is the way society works. We have rules and legislation to cater to the numpties and the low lifes and the stupid and the criminal. I personally don't mind putting my receipt to a scanner and having the gates open if it means that some arrogant arse is prevented from walking out with a trolley full of groceries and sticking two fingers to us all. I really don't mind. It would be minimal in terms of hassle, in terms of hold up. The same would be true of many retail security measures. It makes more sense to have security measures in shops and supermarkets than it does at the airport. Me taking my boots off does not help us find the Malaysian Airlines plane that crashed. It makes more sense to me to be held up slightly at the supermarket, ever so slightly if it means that people aren't getting away with it. They seem to take great delight in it, and that's what annoys me. We've got to have a zero tolerance policy to this sort of retail crime. And that means you and I have to be part of the solution. It's not just retailers, it's not just police that are going to make a difference. It's when you and I are willing to accept a little bit of inconvenience to tell the toerags and the freeloaders and the criminals that up with this we will no longer put. Draw a line in the sand and for once let the good guys prevail. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Monday on Newstalk ZB) Solving the Scourge of Social Media/Not a Crime/Not a Scandal/Not PeterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A West Auckland butcher says a lot of shoplifting is too small to bother reporting. A Retail NZ survey has found 40 percent of retail crime goes unreported. Butcher Reuben Sharples says for small amounts it's not worth the hassle to get CCTV footage together to send police. He says they only report on bigger robberies, which get a bigger police response. "We've had break-ins, we've had thousands...around Christmas time, I had 4,000 turkeys stolen." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

VTEX: https://vtex.com---In this episode, I sit down with Lindsay Haselhurst, Chief Operating Officer at Currys, to unpack what it really takes to lead transformation at scale in one of the UK's largest retailers. From navigating Brexit and pandemic-era supply chain chaos to pioneering innovation in re-commerce, 3D printing, and customer-centric operations, Lindsay shares a masterclass in operational excellence and people-first leadership. We dive into how Currys is building a culture of high performance and continuous improvement, why Right First Time is more than just a KPI, and how profit and purpose can (and must) go hand in hand. If you love a good leadership lesson, this episode is unmissable.Lindsay will be speaking at Shoptalk Europe, our partner for this Europe's Retail Evolution series, and you can get discounted tickets on the links below:

An invaluable tool to prevent retail crime or an invasion of privacy that can be used to track you without your consent? Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith wants to allow the use of facial recognition technology in the fight against retail crime, despite acknowledging 'tensions' with people's right to privacy. Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young explains how this technology gathers data to prevent retail crime - as well as the risks that come with this method. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Read Hayes, criminologist and director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, explains how location technology is helping businesses understand and tackle retail crime.

In this episode of the Retail Crime Intelligence Podcast, Sean Sportun, Chair of Toronto Crime Stoppers, sits down with Jon Briegel, Senior Retail Partnerships Manager at Auror, to discuss the rising threat of organized retail crime (ORC) in Canada. They explore why collaboration, data, and public awareness are essential to combating ORC.Sean shares his insights from the front lines, highlighting how organized theft is driving up shrink and putting communities and employees at risk. He and Jon also discuss the link between property crime and violent crime and the changes needed in retail operations to tackle this growing issue.In this episode, you'll learn about:The challenges retailers face when combating ORC in CanadaThe role of data in identifying and solving retail crime problems  How community education can help disrupt the stolen goods supply chainJump into the conversation:(00:00) Introducing Sean Sportun(02:03) The growing issue of retail crime in Canada (09:45) Why law enforcement alone can't solve ORC(13:12) Buyer beware: health and legal risks of stolen goods(14:59) Combatting ORC through data, analytics, and collaborationResources:Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-briegel-b7922040/ Sean's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansportun/Understand the latest organized retail crime trends: https://www.auror.co/retail-crime-insights-report Learn more about organized retail crime: https://www.auror.co/organized-retail-crimeToronto Crime Stopper's website: https://www.222tips.com/

In the latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, we dive into a wide range of topics, from international trade tensions to the evolving role of social media in the culinary world. We kick off the episode with the announcement that Canada will be the country of honour at the SIAL Food Innovation Show, reflecting on the importance of celebrating Canadian food and innovation during shifting global dynamics.We then turn our attention to the pork industry in Canada, discussing recent geopolitical issues that have led to uncertainty, including tensions with China and auto tariffs from the United States. Sylvain shares insights from his recent talk at the Ontario Pork Convention, where industry stakeholders expressed concerns over market volatility and the potential impact of reduced Chinese pork imports. He discusses how pork producers hope to leverage domestic barbecue season to boost sales, given the rising costs of beef and poultry.Michael and Sylvain also reflect on the political landscape in Canada as an election approaches, discussing how the changing dynamics between the Liberals and Conservatives could impact the agriculture and food sectors. They touch on recent poll swings and analyze the political strategies shaping the campaigns, particularly how geopolitical leadership and dealing with major global players like Trump and China have become central issues.The conversation shifts to business strategy as they discuss Unilever's management challenges with the Ben & Jerry brand, examining how corporate culture clashes between activism and profitability affect the company's public image. The hosts debate whether it was ever a good idea for Unilever to acquire such a distinctively activist brand and speculate on how the unfolding lawsuits might play out.We also discuss the Loblaw body cam pilot project, aimed at enhancing security amid rising organized retail crime. Michael explains the strategic reasons behind implementing body cams, emphasizing the dual purpose of evidence collection and deterrence. Sylvain shares his perspective on the ethical considerations and how other retailers might respond if the initiative proves successful.Finally, the episode's highlight features a captivating interview with Chef Tuệ Nguyễn, celebrated chef, cultural storyteller, and viral content creator. Tuệ, the visionary behind ĐiĐi in Los Angeles and the cookbook Ði Ăn, shares her journey from Vietnam to LA, building her culinary brand and amassing over 1.3 million followers. She discusses authenticity and creativity at the heart of her success and how social media has played a crucial role in driving her restaurant's popularity.This episode delivers a balanced blend of current food industry insights, retail crime analysis, and an inspiring chef's story, making it a must-listen for food enthusiasts and industry professionals.RC Showhttps://www.rcshow.com/https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/di-an-the-salty-sour-sweet-and-spicy-flavors-of-vietnamese-cooking-with-twaydabae-a-cookbook/9781668003800.html The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Tune in to this insightful episode of Retail Therapy as Andy White, CEO of AusPayNet, discusses the growing challenge of online fraud and digital scams.  With over 25 years of international experience, Andy dives deep into the state of retail crime in the digital realm, sharing valuable insights on how retailers, from large to small, can protect themselves from phishing, card fraud, and email compromise. Key topics covered: How Australian retailers are being targeted Practical advice to safeguard against fraud AusPayNet's efforts in tackling phone spoofing and digital crime Future trends in online fraud Whether you're a retailer or consumer, this episode is packed with valuable advice to help you navigate the digital landscape more safely. Listen now to hear Andy's expert insights.

Retail crime is on the rise, impacting businesses, employees, and communities—but what can be done to combat it? Joining the conversation is Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, who has been at the forefront of advocating for safer retail environments. With a deep understanding of policy, regulation, and industry challenges, Helen is working to address the growing crisis of retail crime in the UK. In this episode, Helen shares insights into: The alarming rise in retail violence and theft across the UK The financial and emotional toll on businesses and employees What's driving the increase in retail crime Effective strategies and technologies to combat crime How retailers and authorities can collaborate for better protection The push for stronger retail protection laws in the UK Whether global collaboration is the key to tackling retail crime A must-listen for retailers, policymakers, and anyone invested in safer shopping environments.

Retailers say Gardaí need to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour. A survey by Excel Recruitment found shops want to see more urgency in tackling rising crime levels, including bringing in Anti-Social Behaviour Orders or ASBOs, and increasing funding for CCTV schemes. CSO figures for July to September last year show robberies from shops are up 10 per cent nationally on 2023 levels, while here in Clare, shop theft was the second most common type of offence, though figures remained relatively static in 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year, with 164 instances recorded. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Flora Crowe, of Crowe's Gala in Sixmilebridge and Patrick Bourke Photo(C): Animaflora from Getty Images Pro via canva

A silver-lining in otherwise bleak retail crime numbers. Data gathered by retail crime reporting software Auror shows the number of events with weapons in 2024 was 10% higher than 2023. It shows threatening and violent behaviour similarly increased. But Auror Chief Executive Phil Thomson says New Zealand's still doing better than some other countries. He told Mike Hosking the unfortunate part is that this is happening across every retail store, and it's the frontline retail workers being threatened. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is Mike Matta, Co-founder and CEO of Solink. Solink is a cloud video security and analytics platform that works with your existing cameras, access controls, and operational technologies like POS and labor management, helping you modernize and improve security and operations without costly upgrades. Mike joins today's show to discuss how AI-driven video data is helping retailers mitigate risk, improve loss prevention strategies, and drive operational efficiencies. Today's episode is part of a special series on driving video security in retail through data sponsored by Solink. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

There are efforts for a bigger crackdown on retail crime here and across the country. Attorney General William Tong is co-leading a 38-state and territory bipartisan coalition urging Congress to take action against the increase of these crimes. Attorney General William Tong gave us the details of this action and an idea of how big the problem is. Image Credit: Eric Urbanowicz

The trick, and we fail it virtually every time, is not to get bogged down in the minutiae. There aren't prizes for coming up with dumb scenarios to try and catch the idea out. Amending the law to allow greater use of locals to grab a scumbag and hold them till the coppers arise is a good, and welcome, idea. If the Government is making tangible and positive progress anywhere, it's on the crime front. More people are in jail, more people are being rounded up, more of us feel safe, the police feel better about doing their job, or being allowed to do their job, and the citizens arrest news is merely adding to that progress. Coming up with scenarios about criminals bringing bigger weapons to robberies won't happen, the same way we haven't seen the gangs give the bird to the coppers over patches. At the Prime Minister's press conference this week with Paul Goldsmith, Mark Mitchell, and Commissioner Richard Chambers, they were asked about there being more gang members, with the inference being the law is failing. Yes, said Richard Chambers, there are more members because we are putting more groups on the register. And arrests aren't going up commensurately because gangs aren't flouting the law and retail thugs won't flout this one either. Thugs are cowards and opportunists. They try it on because they know they can. The moment they know a guard in a supermarket can jump on top of them they won't bother, the same way they tried to get work when the traffic light system came in for Jobseeker. Bottom feeders are essentially lazy. If it's easy, they'll abuse it or nick it. If you crack down the game's up and they will give up. This sort of thing should be welcomed. This is what we wanted. Memories can't be so short that we have forgotten the madness that filled our streets just a year or so back. The ram raids, the gangs, the blocked roads with their intimidation, the non-existent police to round them up, the endless criminals on ankle bracelets reoffending - we hated that! We got furious at that. A year and a bit later the change has happened, and the statistics have turned. Let's not get bogged down in a petty game of "but what if".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association is the latest group hesitant about moves to change citizen arrest laws. The Government's introducing legislation loosening general public arrest rules, including permitting citizen's arrests at any time of the day in response to retail crime. But association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking while it's not forcing people to take the law into their hands, it's still incredibly risky. Cahill says people make decisions without the full facts in front of them, and while someone may think they're dealing with a teenage offender, things can escalate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Justice Minister says it's not possible to have a police office on every corner, as he announces plans to beef up citizen's arrests. The Government is aiming to legislate proposals from a retail crime advisory group - letting businesses detain, restrain and use reasonable force against people stealing. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has some concerns about these new changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government hopes criminals will be deterred as it proposes loosening restrictions on citizen's arrests. It would mean businesses could arrest and detain people stealing at any hour, and use reasonable force. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says this doesn't mean people can't tackle others or force them to the ground - but they will be able to directly intervene. "The definition of reasonable force is something that the courts will work their way through - but yes, holding on to somebody's arm and stopping them from getting away is reasonable." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Opposition is wary innocent people may come off worse if more citizen's arrests are permitted. The Government is due to announce a refresh in the way it handles retail crime this afternoon, following a 12% rise in rates last year. A loosening of citizen arrest rules is expected, which currently only allow arrests between 9pm and 6am, and for crimes with a maximum punishment of at least three years in prison. Labour's Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen says New Zealand has already seen examples where people have been injured or lost their life, because a weapon was involved. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking the police can't be everywhere all the time, and they want to make sure that business owners and customers are protected. He says they want to ensure people have the right to defend themselves and their property without criminalising themselves. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Police Minister is declaring his support for a loosening of citizen's arrest laws. The Government is set to announce a retail crime strategy re-jig based on an advisory group's recommendations, which include making it easier for people to arrest others. Currently they can only occur at night between 9pm and 6am, for crimes with a maximum punishment of at least three years in prison. Stuart Nash told Mike Hosking hard working Kiwis have their hands tied while crime is being committed, and it's crazy that they can't do anything. However, he says they have to be proportionate, and can't become an excuse for beating others up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dealing with retail crime could be about to get easier. Incoming new Government measures are expected to address the possibility of citizen's arrests and make it clearer how people can protect their properties. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking a government advisory group has been working very hard on recommendations and next steps, which will be confirmed later today. It comes as new data shows overall retail crime increased 12%, however ram raids halved last year, and violent crime dropped 2%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two people were due to appear before Listowel District Court this morning in relation to alleged organised shop-lifting gang activity. A man and woman, both in their 20s, were arrested in Tralee yesterday, after gardaí searched three houses. The searches were part of Operation Táirge, which aims to detect and prevent organised retail crime. Jerry spoke to Superintendent David Callaghan.

A recent shoplifting allegation put the spotlight on crime-fighting platform Auror, but concerns about the app have been bubbling away for some time Auror is designed to help police and retailers fight back against repeat - and often violent - shoplifters. But a recent incident has raised concerns about privacy for everyday Kiwis.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

People smuggling is seeing a crackdown in the UK after roughly 37,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats last year. The new criminal offence will see tough consequences for individuals involved in any part of the journey, including preparation. In retail news, retailers are saying shoplifting has become out of control in Britain. UK Correspondent Gail Downey said, "thieves have become so bold they even clear whole shelves in full view of customers and staff, and you might see some of these videos on social media of people doing that," according to the British Retail Consortium. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Shoplifting Epidemic: How to Stop It! | Retail Crime is Out of Control.  Shoplifting in the UK has reached epidemic levels, with retail crime skyrocketing and violent shoplifters acting without fear of consequences. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), thefts rose by 3.7 million incidents, costing UK retailers a staggering £2 billion. Meanwhile, attacks on shopworkers have surged by 50%, with over 2,000 daily incidents.

In this episode, meet Sgt. Craig Reynolds & Arezo Zarrabian, a Senior Crime Analyst from the Vancouver Police Department. Together, they take us behind the scenes for a comprehensive discussion of both the criminal justice system & an update reflecting the work of their innovative and data-driven task force, Project Barcode, investigating and fighting violent retail crime on the streets of Vancouver. https://vpd.ca/news/2024/06/06/vpd-targets-downtown-eastside-fencing-operations/ Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

San Diego firefighters on the ground and in the air quickly put out a brush fire in the Crest area, east of El Cajon, yesterday afternoon. Several local organizations like Albertsons, Vons, and the San Diego Humane Society are pitching to raise money for victims of the LA wildfires. Probation was denied for a local mother of three who ran a multi-million dollar retail crime ring targeting Ulta Beauty.   What You Need To Know To Start Your Friday. 

There were 8000 arrests of suspected shoplifters in the past year. Vincent Jennings, Chief Executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, gives his reaction.

Two industry groups are joining forces to demand more help from the government and police to fight retail crime saying too much emphasis is put on businesses protecting themselves. The Motor Trade Association and the Dairy and Business Owners Group have formed the Alliance; Safer Shops. It's pushing for greater protection for service stations, dairies and liquor stores saying they are under constant threat of crime and violence, which can leave hard working kiwis physically injured and mentally scarred. Dairy and Business Owners Group Vice Chair Ash Parmar spoke to Lisa Owen.

Organized retail crime is an issue that plagues retailers — and offenders are only getting more sophisticated. Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md., and Angela Hofmann, head of government relations for JCPenney, explain what organized retail crime really means and how it's evolved over the years. Plus, we discuss the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and how it's counteracting this insidious trend.  (00:00:00) Introductions (00:01:25) What Is Organized Retail Crime?  (00:06:02) The Evolution Of Organized Retail Crime  (00:09:30) Introducing The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act  (00:12:46) Social Media Awareness Of ORC  The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association. Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. Resources: • ivey.house.gov • jcpenney.com • Get ready for Retail's Big Show in NYC • Become an NRF member and join the world's largest retail trade association • Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy • Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com Related: • Join the movement to combat retail crime  • Thank You, Retail Crime Fighters

Organized retail crime is an issue that plagues retailers — and offenders are only getting more sophisticated. Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md., and Angela Hofmann, head of government relations for JCPenney, explain what organized retail crime really means and how it's evolved over the years. Plus, we discuss the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and how it's counteracting this insidious trend. (00:00:00) Introductions(00:01:25) What Is Organized Retail Crime? (00:06:02) The Evolution Of Organized Retail Crime (00:09:30) Introducing The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (00:12:46) Social Media Awareness Of ORC The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association.Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.Resources:• ivey.house.gov• jcpenney.com• Get ready for Retail's Big Show in NYC• Become an NRF member and join the world's largest retail trade association• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.comRelated:• Join the movement to combat retail crime • Thank You, Retail Crime Fighters

Episode Chapters:Introduction (00:00 - 0:46)Shoppers and Display Cases (0:47 - 7:35)Coffee and Heart Health (7:36 - 11:12)Strangest Hotel Room Leftovers (11:13 - 17:39)Craziest Hotel Experiences (17:40 - [End of Episode])SummaryIn this episode of the Jason and Mindy podcast, the hosts discuss the challenges faced in retail due to organized crime, their personal relationship with coffee, and share unusual hotel experiences. They reflect on the impact of theft on shopping habits and the convenience of online shopping, while also exploring the nuances of coffee consumption and the odd items left behind by hotel guests.Linkshttps://www.lowtreestudios.comVisit our Store: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/lowtreestudioshttps://rumble.com/c/c-6686850https://www.youtube.com/@jasonandmindypodcastDetails:TWO-THIRDS OF SHOPPERS AVOID LOCKED DISPLAY CASES _ According to the survey, only 32 percent of shoppers will bother to ask a store employee to unlock a display case. Retailers, including major chains like Target, have increasingly resorted to locking up inventory due to concerns over organized retail crime, despite some experts suggesting that the extent of this issue is exaggerated.COFFEE MAY PROTECT AGAINST HEART DISEASE AND DIABETES _ What is your relationship with coffee? A recent study suggests that moderate coffee consumption could lower your risk of developing heart conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Researchers collected data from over 500,000 British adults and found that those who drank about three cups of coffee or consumed 200-300 mg of caffeine per day had a significantly lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases.HOTEL DO-TELL:Hotels.com has revealed some of the oddest items left behind by guests at its partner hotels over the past year. The website's “Hotel Room Innsights Report”, based on data from more than 400 hotels worldwide, also lists the most-common items left behind, including phone chargers, dirty laundry, power adapters, makeup, and toiletries. Oh – and false teeth, of course. Some of the most unusual items forgotten by visitors include:• a Rolex watch• another watch worth $6 million• a Hermes Birkin bag• keys and documents for a luxury car• a car tire• an engagement ring• a tooth• 2 full-leg casts• stacks of cash• a pet lizardAnd because you've GOT to hear these, here are some of the most unusual room-service requests over the past year:✓ an Evian water-filled tub for a child's bath✓ a customized allergen menu for a pet✓ burnt toast✓ a caviar hot dog✓ fresh goat milk✓ 4 pounds of bananas✓ a high-five from a team member “to ensure their room service request was read.”