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.

“Why “Anything Else?” Is Costing You 10% of Every Sale” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | May 2, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Sales Training

Your associate looks up at the register and says: “Anything else?”The customer says no. The sale closes. And roughly 10% of that transaction walks out the door with them.Not because the customer did not want more. Because your associate handed them the...

“Retailers could close more than 40K stores in the next 5 years” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive

by admin | Apr 27, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Clearance Sales / Discounting, Commercial Real Estate, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, E-Commerce, News

An Eddie Bauer store in March 2026 that is slated to shutter this year. Closures over the next five years could weigh on already struggling malls. Daphne Howland/Retail Dive Tariffs and immigration policies are weighing on the industry and could drive even more...

“Unlocking AI Tools for Independent Retailers” (including on-demand link to view) by Tiffany Montgomery via SES Outdoor

by admin | Apr 14, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, Industry, News, Resources

Shop Eat Surf Outdoor has assembled a panel of independent retailers who will share their personal journeys, their learning curves, and the specific ways they are integrating AI to make their businesses more efficient Register now for Unlocking AI Tools for...

“BRA X Retail Smart Guys: Three Tweaks to Improve Cashlow Webinar” featuring Dan Jablons via BRA YouTube Channel plus new Smart Retailer Scholarship opportunity

by admin | Apr 11, 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...

“The Most Valuable Place Left Is One That Doesn’t Know You” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Apr 8, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Resources, Sales Training

It will be a place that has no idea who you are. There is a particular freedom in being unknown. No purchase history following you through the door. No algorithm anticipating your next move. No recommendations based on what people like you tend to buy. Just you,...

“How retailers can leverage their private label marketing advantage over national brands” by Erin Cabrey via Retail Boss

by admin | Apr 2, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Private Label, Resources, Retail Strategy

Private label sales continue to grow, reaching a record $283 billion last year, with sales and unit volume growth outpacing those of national brands. While retailers are often selling private label products that are similar to, or even dupes of,...