Below you will find helpful and relevant articles that we carefully curate for the benefit of our B.R.A. Retail Members almost every day. Be sure to scroll through the most recent article or use the Search/Lookup feature to find topics and keywords related to articles that may help you to lower costs, increase margins or create more remarkable customer experiences.

“NRF forecasts 4.4% retail sales growth this year despite rising uncertainty” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive

by admin | Apr 5, 2026 | Consumer Behavior, News, Opinion, Predictions

NRF Chief Economist Mark Mathews speaking Wednesday at the group’s annual State of Retail and the Consumer virtual event. Screenshot: National Retail Federation/YouTube The group acknowledged a softening labor market, persistent inflation and fallout from geopolitical...

“A Skateboarder’s Ted Talk: Modifying Men’s Mental Health” by Blair Alley via Transworld Skateboarding

by admin | Mar 30, 2026 | Community, Industry, Mental Health, Skateboard

Former pro John Gardner and fifteen minutes that is well worth your time. Key Points John Gardner, ex-pro skater, shifted focus to men’s mental health advocacy and therapy. His TEDx talk urges reimagining therapy “shoulder to shoulder,” not just traditional settings....

“Dick’s pulls back on Foot Locker closures amid store pilot success” by Cara Salpini via Retail Dive

by admin | Mar 25, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, News

A Foot Locker store in Chicago. The retailer was acquired by Dick’s Sporting Goods last year. Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive Dive Brief: Dick’s is planning to close fewer Foot Locker stores than it initially anticipated as it sees success with a “Fast Break” store pilot at...

“Retail’s AI Wake-Up Call: How Retailers Can Reclaim the Customer Journey” by Adam Brotman via Total Retail

by admin | Mar 22, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, News, Resources, Retail Technologies

Credit: Getty Images by WANAN YOSSINGKUM For decades, retailers have invested heavily in owning the customer relationship. Loyalty programs, first-party data, and personalization engines were all designed to ensure brands, not intermediaries, understand their...

“New Court Evidence Shows Amazon Working with Rivals to Quietly Raise Online Prices” by Jeanel Alvarado via Retail Boss

by admin | Mar 19, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, E-Commerce, News, Retail Crime

Court filings reveal that when Amazon and a rival “price match,” someone in the chain agrees to raise the price so both can safely match at a more expensive levels. California Attorney General Rob Bonta just exposed something most shoppers suspected but couldn’t...