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...

“Will Customers Shop Somewhere Else If Retailers Charge For Returns?” by George Anderson plus 40 Retail Experts Weigh In via Retail Dive

by admin | Jun 1, 2023 | Apparel /Fashion, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, Debate, E-Commerce, Retail Strategy, Returns

New research suggests that retailers should think twice before charging customers for returning online purchases. Eighty-seven percent of shoppers in a survey of 9,286 adults in the U.S. by PowerReviews said they “would be at least a little likely to stop...

“Halt! 10 Ways of Mastering the Art of Getting Your Retail Employees to Listen” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | May 16, 2023 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Service, Educational Opportunity, HR, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training

Honing your listening skills can significantly impact the success of your store.As a trained conductor, I’ve learned the importance of attentive listening, focusing on each individual part and questioning whether what I hear aligns with what’s written on...