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.

“History of Surfing: Houses of the Holy – Matt Warshaw explains the history of our beloved cultural watering hole, and where he thinks the future of the surf shop is headed” by Davis Jones via Surfer Mag (originally published Oct. 2017)

by admin | Apr 29, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Community, Industry, News, Retail History, Surf

Hobie Alter’s Dana Point compound. Dale Velzy’s Manhattan Beach showroom. Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith’s San Diego storefront. Jack O’Neill’s San Francisco shack. In the 1950s, California’s first surf shops had personalities as...

“3 Things Retailers Need to Do to Capitalize on Increased Foot Traffic” by Alex Quackenbush via Total Retail

by admin | Apr 28, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Opinion, Public Health, Retail Strategy

Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus by Dragon Images Consumers are back in stores at rates we haven’t seen since the pandemic started. While e-commerce continues to boom, long delivery delays and out-of-stock products have propelled shoppers back to their in-person...

“Is It Good Business to Allow Associates to Break or Bend Rules for Customers?” by Tom Ryan via Retail Dive plus 20 Retail Experts weigh in on this discussion

by admin | Apr 26, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, HR, Private Label, Retail Strategy

When retail employees go “above and beyond,” which often involves deviating from organizational rules, it has been shown to enhance customer loyalty for the store. New university research shows it can also lift engagement for the infracting employee....

“5 Ways to Keep Wallet Share With In-Store Traffic” by Tara Kelly via Total Retail

by admin | Apr 25, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies

Credit: Getty Images by Hinterhaus Productions Spring is here, lockdowns are a fading memory and the economic outlook is brighter. Although uncertainty abounds and wallets remain tight, we may be in for a softer landing than previously thought. You can celebrate...

“How eBay’s authentication process pulls in the most dedicated sneakerheads” by Katishi Maake via Retail Brew

by admin | Apr 24, 2023 | Community, Industry, News, Shoe Market

eBay To date, eBay has authenticated more than 4 million shoes globally, and on average, there are 1.7 million listings on the site each day, the company said. Talk to any sneakerhead and they’ll tell you authenticity matters (and what they copped in the latest Jordan...