Reaction to Persistent Theft at Wal-Mart

 Have now seen several examples of this,  reaching epidemic levels

Will persistent theft compel Walmart to raise prices or close stores?

32 EXPERT COMMENTS  by George Anderson   in RetailWire

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon yesterday told CNBC that his company has a growing theft problem

Mr. McMillon said that theft has reached levels that are “higher than what’s historically been” the case for the retailer. “If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close,” he said.

Walmart’s CEO said the company has put safety and security measures in place to address theft. He said that “local law enforcement being staffed and being a good partner” is part of the response needed to curtail the frequency with which goods are illegally walked out of stores.

In response to a question about laws that make it more difficult to prosecute shoplifters, Mr. McMillon said that laws and practices vary by location and that the retailer would benefit from greater “policy consistency and clarity” so that it would be able to make  capital investments where they make the most sense in thwarting thieves.

Walmart’s McMillon also offered a nuanced explanation of how inflation is affecting consumers in the CNBC interview.

“It’s probably helpful to break that [inflation] down into different categories. Fresh food is more volatile, it fluctuates more, so today’s beef prices are down and chicken prices are still high. Produce prices are relatively low relative to what they were before,” he said. “Dry grocery, processed foods and consumables are where the inflation is most stubborn. Double digit inflation rates have been around for a while and it looks to us like they’re going to be with us for a while. So that’s a primary area of focus for us — trying to come up with creative ways with our suppliers to get prices down. Customers choose private brands in those environments more often.”

Inflation, he said, was less of a problem in general merchandise categories such as apparel, sporting goods and toys where “prices have come down more aggressively.” Mr. McMillon said.

“We’re still inflated but we’re not inflated nearly as much as we are in the other categories,” he said. “So when you think about what’s happening, families are choosing when they buy their big basket of things that they need all the time to look for value. Many of them are coming to us for those big food and consumables baskets, and then they’re being selective on general merchandise.”  ... ' 

Preventing Theft By Drones

Brief,  intriguing piece in Coindesk, a blockchain App of the tracking type.   Seems a very simple solution regarding altitude and IOT.    No indication anything is currently being created.

IBM Patents Blockchain to Stop Drones From Stealing Packages in Coindesk

Amazon, DHL and FedEx are building drones that deliver packages to your door. IBM, however, envisions a future where drones steal them instead. 

The computing giant won a patent on Nov. 12 for “Preventing anonymous theft by drones” with an Internet of Things (IoT) altimeter that triggers upon liftoff, tracking the package’s altitude and uploading the data to a blockchain platform.

The patent seeks to get ahead of two modern realities: people buy goods online, and people fly their own personal drones. That could be a problem, it says, if the trends combine to devious ends. 

“The confluence of the increase in drone use and the increase in online shopping provides a situation in which a drone may be used with nefarious intent to anonymously take a package that is left on a doorstep after delivery,” the patent description reads.

IBM’s solution is to outfit packages with an IoT sensor that only triggers if it detects a change in altitude “exceeding the threshold … expected when the object is lifted away by a drone.” Once it does, the sensor periodically updates the blockchain, and the intended recipient, with the package’s altitude. 

To be clear, there’s no indication that IBM actually plans to build an operational device. And if it does, it may well swap out a blockchain for some other “secure database,” according to the patent  ... " 

AI Cameras for Theft

Again likely to be adopted commonly, if at least for liability.  We saw it in European future stores a decade ago.

Walmart uses AI camera tech to track checkout theft at 1,000 stores
It might help cut losses, but it raises privacy questions.

Jon Fingas, @jonfingas in Engadget

Walmart's early use of AI at its stores isn't just for the sake of convenience. The retailer has confirmed to Business Insider that it's using camera-based computer vision tech to deter theft and losses at its checkouts (including self-checkouts) in over 1,000 stores. The simply titled Missed Scan Detection program notifies attendants if an item moves past a scanner without an actual scan, giving staff a chance to step in. Most of the incidents are unintentional, such as forgetful shoppers or fatigued cashiers, but Walmart is clearly hoping this will deter thieves hoping to make off with unscanned items.  ... "