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.

“Defensive Selling Isn’t Customer Service: Insights for Retail Managers” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Jul 23, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Clearance Sales / Discounting, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Resources, Retail Strategy

Defensive selling is a sales approach typically driven by a sales associate’s anxiety and the assumption that a customer will only make a purchase if the salesperson is proactive to perceived customer objections. Salespeople feel it is customer service, but...

“Retailers’ Attempts To Dissuade Returns May Impact Brand Loyalty” by Alicia Thorpe via Retail Wire

by admin | Jul 18, 2023 | Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, Debate, News, Omnichannel, Returns

The tension between retailers and shoppers is growing, and it’s because of returns. Shippo, a leading shipping platform for growing e-commerce businesses, has come out with a 2023 Benchmarks Report that “takes a comprehensive look at how mid-market...

“Customer Effort Score: What it is and How to Use it” by Reilly Nolan via Total Retail

by admin | Jul 3, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, News

Broadly speaking, a customer effort score measures how easy or difficult it is for a customer to resolve a given issue with a company’s customer service team. Have you ever waited your turn to speak to a customer service representative, only to be transferred to...

“As Retailers Use New Tactics to Drive Loyalty, Here’s How to Tell What’s Working (and What’s Not)” by Mike Debnar via Total Retail

by admin | Jun 26, 2023 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, Data Driven Performance, News, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies

Several companies are experimenting with new initiatives to improve customer loyalty, including Amazon.com paying customers to pick up purchases and retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, Anthropologie, and Gap ramping up discounts. Others, like Jenni Kayne and...

“Harnessing the Power of AI for Retail Merchandising” by Reshma Iyer via Total Retail

by admin | Jun 16, 2023 | Customer Experience, E-Commerce, Merchandising, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies

Credit: Getty Images by oatawa A retailer’s ability to create a seamless and relevant experience for their customers ultimately can be the difference between gaining loyalty or falling behind competitors. Today’s customers are looking for faster connections to the...

“Dick’s Sporting Goods to Expand House of Sport Format” by Joe Keenan via Total Retail

by admin | May 25, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy

After opening its first three DICK’S House of Sport stores in Rochester, New York; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Minnetonka, Minnesota, DICK’S Sporting Goods plans to add more than 12 new locations in the next two years. DICK’S House...