Armed robber shot by police identified
Anchorage, Alaska, police have named the man who was shot and killed by officers following an armed robbery at a Home Depot store. In a Wednesday afternoon release from the Anchorage Police Department, the man was identified as 23-year-old Benjamin Zekovic. He was shot during an altercation with police behind the East Anchorage Home Depot store Tuesday evening, according to APD. Zekovic was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, where he later died. The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on a mandatory four-day administrative leave. Their names will be released following the required absence. Zekovic’s next of kin have been notified. The incident and fatal shooting remain under investigation. [For more: KTVA11 News]
Shoplifting confrontation caught on camera [Video]
Ardmore, Oklahoma, police are looking for a suspected shoplifter who allegedly had her 8-year-old daughter steal for her. When she was confronted, the suspect left her children and mother behind, hitting a store owner with her car as she drove off. The whole thing is caught on camera. A cashier at Bargain Lady Clothing said she spotted little girl stealing clothes on Saturday at the direction of her mother.
“She should’ve already been arrested,” Business Owner Mary Littleton said. “And there is been no response whatsoever. We are not happy with this.” The suspect’s mother said she hasn’t seen her daughter since the incident. The woman has a criminal history that includes theft. “It wasn’t even the shoplifting,” Littleton said. “It was the point that she was using her daughter to shoplift. She was teaching a minor how to be a thief.” Littleton and her staff said they don’t necessarily want the woman to go to jail. They just want to see her get help, and make sure the children are safe. “I just saw the fear in their eyes,” cashier Samantha Larsen said. “How nervous they are, and they shouldn’t have to feel like That being an 8-year-old child.” “Shame on her. Shame on her. She needs a wake up call,” Littleton said. [For more: NewsOn6]
Sears to sell appliances on Amazon, sending shares soaring
Sears said on Thursday that it will start selling its full line of Kenmore-branded appliances on Amazon, in an attempt by the struggling retailer to bolster sales. Shares of Sears jumped 22% in pre-market trading. This marks the broadest distribution of Kenmore appliances outside of Sears stores and its own websites, the company said. “We continuously look for opportunities to enhance the reach of our iconic brands to more customers and create additional value from our assets,” said Sears CEO Eddie Lampert. Sears has been trying to stay in business after years of declining sales and big losses. It has been closing stores, slashing costs, selling off real estate and parting ways with some of its brands. Sears sold its Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million earlier this year, and had been exploring its options for its Kenmore appliance and Diehard car part brands. However, its partnership with Amazon looks like an attempt to hold onto the brand while trying to reignite sales and reach new customers. “This collaboration is the first of its kind for Kenmore, broadening its accessibility to the next generation of American families outside of Sears branded retail channels,” said Tom Park, president of the Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard brands at Sears.
The Kenmore line of smart appliances have also been linked up to Amazon Alexa, the retailer said. Customers can ask Alexa to change the temperature on their air conditioner, for instance, without getting up from the couch. Kenmore’s smart air conditioners, starting at $380, are already on sale on Amazon and are eligible for Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping. Sears was once the biggest retailer in America and its famous catalogs were found in homes across the country. However, it has not fared well amid competition from retailers like Walmart and Amazon. Its physical footprint in the US has shrunk from 3,400 stores a decade ago to just 1,400 stores. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. [For more: Forbes]
Detectives seek man caught on camera suspected of shoplifting Dyson vacuum [Video]
Placer County, California, Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man in a video who is suspected of leaving the Auburn Target store with a $600 Dyson vacuum that he didn’t pay for. The man loaded it into his cart and walked out the door, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect drove away in a dark-colored Ford Ranger pickup truck. Anybody with information on the suspect is asked to call detectives at (530) 889-7873. [For more: The Sacramento Bee]
Walmart is developing a robot that identifies unhappy shoppers
Walmart is developing facial recognition technology to detect frustrated or unhappy shoppers. The technology uses video cameras at store checkout lines that monitor customers’ facial expressions and movements to try and identify varying levels of dissatisfaction, according to a patent filing. If the system detects an unhappy customer, it will ping employees in other parts of the store and order them to report to a checkout register, in the hopes of alleviating shoppers’ distress. Walmart is hoping that the technology will enable stores to respond more efficiently to customer service issues before shoppers have a chance to complain.
Walmart will not only use the data to address immediate staffing needs. It will also use the technology to analyze trends in shoppers’ purchase behavior over time, according to the patent filing. To analyze purchasing behavior, the system links customers’ facial expressions or “biometric data” as its called in the patent filing to their transaction data… meaning how much they are spending and what they are buying. Walmart says this will help stores detect changes in a customers’ purchase habits due to dissatisfaction. “Significant drops or complete absence of customers spending … may be identified,” according to the patent filing. Walmart has previously tested facial recognition technology, but later abandoned the program because it was ineffective. In 2015, the company tested the technology in an unspecified number of stores to try and detect shoplifters and prevent theft. [For more: Business Insider]
Counterfeit consumer goods online pose risk to shoppers’ health
New research from MarkMonitor®, reveals counterfeit goods still pose a significant risk to consumers. More than one-quarter of respondents (27%) said they had unwittingly purchased non-genuine consumer goods online. This included every day items, such as make-up (32%), skincare (25%), supplements (22%) and, worryingly, medication (16%). Respondents found these non-genuine goods were found through a variety of online channels, including online marketplaces (39%), search engines (34%), mobile apps (22%) and social ads (20%). Respondents were also asked which of these channels they trusted to deliver goods that met their expectations all or most of the time. Brand websites were most trusted (89%), followed by online marketplaces (74%), online pharmacies (67%) and mobile apps (67%).
The research was conducted on behalf of MarkMonitor by independent market research firm Vitreous World. The aim was to examine online buying behaviour related to consumer goods, including make-up, toiletries, medicines, vitamins and supplements, purchased outside of supermarket shopping. “The threat of counterfeiters is ever-present, affecting both brands and consumers. For brands it’s all about the loss of revenue, reputation and customer trust. However, when it comes to non-genuine consumer goods such as cosmetics, skincare, sun care and medicines, the consequences for shoppers are far greater, affecting their health and well-being. As a result, it is up to brands to ensure they have a solid online brand protection policy in place to deal with the counterfeit threat and keep their customers safe from harm,” says Anil Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer of MarkMonitor. This sentiment was also reflected in the research, with 34% of respondents stating they believed it was a brand’s responsibility to protect them from counterfeiters. This is reinforced by the fact that almost four in every 10 consumers that unwittingly bought a fake product complained directly to the brand. In addition, with 80% of consumers relying on online reviews before making buying decisions, ensuring customer satisfaction is crucial. The survey also found that there is little desire to willingly purchase counterfeits. The majority of consumers (83%) stated they would not buy non-genuine consumer products, such as make-up, skincare and medicines. Respondents were surveyed online across 10 countries, including the UK, US< China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Interviews were conducted online and were completed between 4-10 May 2017. To read the full report, please visit: the MarkMonitor website, [For more: PR Newswire]
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