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 admin | Jun 9, 2025 | News, Trade Shows
The last elaborate booth for the ASR (Action Sports Retailer) show in San Diego was packed up in August 2010. Those 15 years of slapping hands, bumping shoulders and surfing my way through crowds of longtime friends, bitter business competitors, beautiful young...
by admin | Jun 7, 2025 | E-Commerce, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Tariffs
Consumers are waking up to a new economic reality: things cost more. From hot sake to tinted moisturizer to vehicles, the everyday evidence is piling up. For brand leaders, especially in retail, this isn’t just about inflation. It’s about trust — and how it’s...
by admin | Jun 5, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Service, HR, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training, Staffing
If you’re looking for the top skills to be a good shop assistant or assistant store manager, you’ve come to the right post. One of the biggest stories I’ve not heard talked about is that retail didn’t lose so many associates or managers as shift leads and...
by admin | Jun 3, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, News, Resources, Retail Strategy
Retailers often think that the next boost in their business is going to come from finding the next amazing line of merchandise, or discovering a new marketing tool (the next Facebook?). Sometimes they believe it will happen because they hire a killer...
by admin | Jun 1, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, E-Commerce, News, Opinion, Predictions, Retail Economy
In the last 15 years, the value of in-store sales fell just once, amid 2020’s pandemic lockdowns, according to a report from Colliers Monday. Daphne Howland/Retail Dive Brick-and-mortar stores drive the vast majority of core retail sales, and that won’t change any...
by admin | May 30, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, E-Commerce, Event Planning, Holiday, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy
The survey shows growing demand for personalised, experience-based gifts, with higher spending and online shopping leading. / Credit: Prostock-studio via Shutterstock Americans are set to spend a record $24bn on Father’s Day in 2025, according to new data from the...
by admin | May 28, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Community, News, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies, Surf
Hi, I’m Cheyne Cottrell, General Manager and Co-Owner of Island Water Sports. My family has been riding the waves of the surf retail industry since 1977. This is my short story of how we navigated decades of challenges and expanded into new opportunities. I’ve also...
by admin | May 26, 2025 | HR, News, Opinion, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Tariffs
Credit: Getty Images by Flamingo Images In retail, speed is no longer optional. Customer expectations shift fast, and technology evolves even faster. Strategic priorities can flip overnight in response to market volatility, operational challenges, or competitive...
by admin | May 22, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Opinion, Retail Strategy
You’ve heard it walking through stores: “Welcome in.” A phrase that sounds meaningful but isn’t. It’s retail’s equivalent of a shrug – forgettable and damaging to customer experience. I first noticed it in Manhattan during...
by admin | May 20, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Governmental Affairs, News, Predictions, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Tariffs
Credit: Getty Images by MoMo Productions Retail is experiencing a spending surge as consumers shop ahead of the looming tariff enactment dates. While this provides a welcome sales boost, retailers need to prepare for potential spending slowdowns that will occur should...
