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.
by Doug Works | Jan 14, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, News, Outdoor, Predictions, Retail Technologies, Staffing, Trade Shows
Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, and John Furner, incoming Walmart CEO, speak at NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show in New York City on Sunday. Courtesy of NRF Big Show 2026 – Jason Dixson Photography Executives at NRF’s Big Show were quick to say AI can...
by Doug Works | Jan 12, 2026 | Industry, News, Opinion, Outdoor, Predictions, Skateboard, Story Telling
The North Face Apparel and outdoors giant VF Corp is revealing more details of its growth playbooks for three of its core brands: The North Face, Vans and Timberland. The company, which recently reported a 2% rise in revenue for its second fiscal quarter,...
by admin | Jan 10, 2026 | News, Olympics, Surf
“Jaws” helped shape the global perception of great white sharks, but it shaped it all wrong. Photo: Unsplash California just had its first shark attack of 2026. As USA Today reports, a Northern California surfer experienced a traumatic shark encounter...
by admin | Jan 8, 2026 | Accounting and Business Services, Brick & Mortar, Data Driven Performance, Resources, Retail Strategy, Staffing
screenshot of Doug Works, Executive Director of BRA, and Dan Jablons, President of Retail Smart Guys Did you know that there are three small tweaks (just a 2% change) that you can make to significantly increase your bottom line? Watch this relevant and helpful webinar...
by admin | Jan 5, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, HR, Opinion, Resources, Sales Training
Your store manager is buried. They’re unpacking boxes at 6 AM, fixing the display that nobody else can seem to get right, covering a call-out on the register, and trying to squeeze in interviews for the third assistant manager who quit this year. Meanwhile,...
by admin | Jan 2, 2026 | Customer Experience, Educational Opportunity, News, Opinion, Product Reviews
When the temperatures drop and the snow starts to fall, most people pack away their beach towels and their sunscreen, assuming the sun’s harmful rays have also gone into hibernation. UV radiation is a year-round threat, and for winter action sports enthusiasts,...
by admin | Dec 24, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, E-Commerce, Gift Cards, News, Retail Economy
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is in full swing, and plenty of consumers have gift cards on their shopping list. Gift cards rank as the second-most popular gift this holiday season and total spending on gift cards is expected to reach $29 billion this...
by admin | Dec 22, 2025 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, Customer Experience, Industry, News, Retail Strategy
Courtesy of Pacsun 2025 marks a major milestone for the Y2K-favorite brand Pacsun: It’s the first time in 18 years that it’s increasing its store count, rather than decreasing it, the company told Modern Retail. Pacsun, which is now at just over 300 stores, opened...
by admin | Dec 17, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Holiday, Opinion, Resources
Credit: Getty Images by Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury With holiday 2025 in full swing, retailers must ensure their technology and operations can support rising demand and higher consumer expectations. This comes at a time when mobile technology is emerging as the critical...
by admin | Dec 15, 2025 | Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy
A few blocks from my home sits a small Japanese grocery store that has been in the neighborhood for years. It’s the kind of place that once felt irreplaceable—carefully sourced ingredients, shelves stocked with items I couldn’t find in mainstream supermarkets, and an...
