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 | Aug 20, 2026 | Associate Members, Brick & Mortar, News, Opinion, Product Reviews
A Sun Care Brand With Strong Shelf Appeal, Smart Repeat Sales Potential, And A Story Customers Connect With Not every sunscreen belongs in every store. Big-box SPF may work in a supermarket aisle, but independent surf, skate, wake, SUP, and outdoor retailers know...
by admin | Aug 17, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
Brick-and-mortar stores struggle without sales training because the purchase decision is made on the sales floor, and most associates were never taught how to influence it. In first-time mystery shops across our client base, associates score an average of 36%. They...
by admin | Aug 8, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, Community, Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Customer Service, News
It’s summer-escape time, and we’ve all run into the addictive, slow-burn love stories typically found on epic, multi-episodic romantic streamers. You’re rooting for the intractable lead character who just needs a persistent love-washing treatment to reveal his or her...
by admin | Aug 1, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Holiday, News, Predictions, Retail Economy
While online shopping is still holding its own, its share of spending among both K-12 and college households is slipping year by year. Yearly BTS spending for college students cracks $100B for the 1st time Back-to-school spending is on track to smash records this...
by admin | Jul 27, 2026 | Apparel /Fashion, News, Opinion, Story Telling, Surf
Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton. Pharrell Just Made Surf the Coolest Thing in Paris. Surf Industry Leaders Weigh In. SESO asked Pat Tenore of Tenore, Ryan Hitzel of Roark, Evan Slater of Sun Bum, Candy Harris of Unlisted Brand Lab, Ryan Mangan of Quiksilver and...
by admin | Jul 24, 2026 | Industry, News, Opinion, Outdoor, Resources, Snowboard
Avalanche beacons are a crucial part of backcountry skiing. However, even if the devices have saved many lives already, we haven’t yet reached the pinnacle (pun intended) of the technology’s potential. Students at OSU Cascades are working to change that, though. As...
by admin | Jul 20, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
What an AI shopping agent actually does At Google’s I/O event, the company announced Universal Cart. Here is what it does, in plain terms. An AI agent is not a search box. It is a runner you send out. You tell it what you want, set a budget, and it goes shopping...
by admin | Jul 9, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Merchandising, Opinion, Resources, Story Telling
Brazil’s biggest retailer built an AI avatar from scratch and put her on the cover of Vogue Brasil.Her name is Lu. She started as a mascot for Magazine Luiza, grew into 30 million followers, and has since worked with Adidas, Samsung, and McDonald’s. Magalu...
by admin | Jul 2, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Industry, News, Resources, Skateboard, Surf, Trade Shows
More brands on the floor and more buyers in the room as the West Coast’s only surf, action sports, outdoor adventure, and coastal lifestyle trade show builds on its San Diego debut. ALPHARETTA, GA — June 4, 2026 — CARV Expo wrapped its second edition at the San Diego...
by admin | Jun 25, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, E-Commerce, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy
Paths to purchase have changed significantly over the past decades, with customer journeys nearly unrecognizable compared to those of the early 2000s. With the internet at their fingertips, shoppers are more informed, connected to brands, and able to discover new...
