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.

“Examining Surfing’s Culture of Cool and the Point at Which We Abandon It” by Brian Souza via The Inertia

by admin | Mar 2, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, News, Surf

Surfing just has that “cool factor.” Photo: Kenny Morris//World Surf League “Cool is spent. Cool is empty. Cool is ex post facto. When advertisers and pundits hoard a word, you know it’s time to retire from it…I want to suggest, therefore, that we begin to avoid...

“2025 Retail Real Estate Outlook” by Buxton via National Retail Federation (NRF) Newsletter

by admin | Feb 26, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, News, Predictions, Resources, Retail Strategy

In our latest Retail Real Estate Outlook, discover how retailers are adapting to a market where vacancy rates are at historic lows, while store closures continue to outpace openings. Learn which markets are emerging as retail hotspots and what strategies leading...

“Supercharge Your Brick-and-Mortar Business with These 4 AI Solutions” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Feb 24, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, Resources, Retail Technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword—it’s becoming an essential tool for brick-and-mortar success. I recently wrote about the dangers of some of the tools being deployed to frontline staff creating Retail’s AI Taskmasters. This...

“Death of the 99 Cent Pricing Policy” by Warren Shoulberg via The Robin Report

by admin | Feb 22, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Point of Sale, Resources, Retail Economy

Wanamaker’s Department Stores is generally credited with being the first retailer to price its products ending in 99 cents rather than rounding it up to the next dollar. Legend or reality, we do know the practice has become the foundation of most retailers’...

“50 Actions Retail Employees Can Do When They’re Not Busy” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog

by admin | Feb 16, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training, Staffing

What to do when your retail employees are standing around during those quiet store moments?Sure, you’re fine with them taking a quick breather after dealing with a demanding customer or wrapping up a task. We all need that. But there’s still that line...

“5 Reasons To Shop at Your Local Skateshop” by Blair Alley via Transworld Skateboarding

by admin | Feb 14, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Event Planning, Holiday, Industry, News, Retail Strategy, Skate Art, Skateboard

As Skate Shop Day approaches, here are five reasons to support your local skate shop. Supporting your local skate shop is one of the most important things you must do as a skateboarder. Artist Henry Jones has a beautiful breakdown of his top five reasons...