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 | Sep 30, 2026 | News, Opinion, Outdoor, Resources, Retail Strategy, Reviews, Skateboard, Social Media, Surf, Trade Shows
Photo courtesy of Surf Expo Surf Expo September 2026 Continued 50th Anniversary Year With Strong Retail Attendance, Debut Creator Program and Expanding Dive Category ORLANDO, Fla. – September 29, 2026 — Surf Expo, the premier watersports and coastal...
by admin | Sep 27, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
No. Shoppers want to be left alone by an associate who opens with “Can I help you find anything?” They welcome one who earns their trust in order: a greeting, a personal connection, then one question about what brought them in. Skip those steps and you get...
by admin | Sep 21, 2026 | Industry, News, Opinion, Surf, Surf Expo, Trade Shows
From left: Barrett Rhymes of AFTCO and Marsh Wear Clothing; We ran into Brixton having a team dinner in Orlando; Marlen owners Doris Gonzalez and Ricardo Villanueva are longtime industry reps and have now started their own brand. Photos by SESO. Surf Expo’s September...
by admin | Sep 15, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Industry, News, Opinion, Surf, Surf Expo
Every few months someone in the surf industry asks the same question: “How do we grow surfing?” The answers usually revolve around social media strategy, influencer marketing, YouTube analytics, paid advertising, or the latest content campaign. What rarely gets...
by admin | Sep 12, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Opinion, Resources, Sales Training
Theft is the reason usually given. Labor is the reason that keeps surfacing underneath it. And in the most-watched case of 2026, no reason was given at all. Four companies have closed their fitting rooms in the last three years. Their stated reasons do not match, and...
by admin | Sep 12, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Holiday, Internet, m-commerce, News, Opinion, Predictions, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies
This upcoming holiday shopping season is already shaping up to be unpredictable. Inflation, geopolitics and fickle consumer sentiment are conspiring against retailers’ best-laid plans. But here’s one prediction that requires no crystal ball: this will be known as the...
by admin | Sep 8, 2026 | Resources, Retail Strategy, Shipping
When you think about how to optimize your shipping operations, the freight you receive from vendors might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, you have more control over your inbound shipping than you may realize, and when you have the right resources...
by admin | Sep 3, 2026 | Industry, News, Opinion, Resources, SUP, Surf, Surf Expo, Trade Shows
Katin is one of the many brands returning to Surf Expo this month. File photo courtesy of Surf Expo. From a new creator program built with Popfly to Lightspeed’s title sponsorship of the Industry Party and fashion shows, plus new education programming from...
by admin | Aug 26, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, E-Commerce, News, Retail Crime
The NRF attributes a slowdown in shoplifting to retailers’ investments in “technologies, training and measures to harden stores.” Some have resorted to locking up merchandise. Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive Phone and gift card scams, plus supply chain vulnerabilities like...
by admin | Aug 23, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
Why is turnover so high in your stores? Why are your managers exhausted by closing time? And how do you get the same selling behavior in location 1 and location 200? Your team is your customer experience. In a punishing labor market, the retailers who win are the ones...
