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.

“How The North Face, Vans and Timberland are trying to transform their businesses in 2026” by Julia Waldow via Modern Retail

by Doug Works | Jan 12, 2026 | Industry, News, Opinion, Outdoor, Predictions, Skateboard, Story Telling

The North Face Apparel and outdoors giant VF Corp is revealing more details of its growth playbooks for three of its core brands: The North Face, Vans and Timberland. The company, which recently reported a 2% rise in revenue for its second fiscal quarter,...

“How to Develop Retail Managers From Within” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Jan 5, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, HR, Opinion, Resources, Sales Training

Your store manager is buried. They’re unpacking boxes at 6 AM, fixing the display that nobody else can seem to get right, covering a call-out on the register, and trying to squeeze in interviews for the third assistant manager who quit this year. Meanwhile,...

“Let’s talk about winter UV rays.” by Maggie Raymond via BRA Blog

by admin | Jan 2, 2026 | Customer Experience, Educational Opportunity, News, Opinion, Product Reviews

When the temperatures drop and the snow starts to fall, most people pack away their beach towels and their sunscreen, assuming the sun’s harmful rays have also gone into hibernation. UV radiation is a year-round threat, and for winter action sports enthusiasts,...

“How Retailers Can Mobilize for Peak Season: A Holiday Readiness Checklist” by Joel Mathew via Total Retail

by admin | Dec 17, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Holiday, Opinion, Resources

Credit: Getty Images by Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury With holiday 2025 in full swing, retailers must ensure their technology and operations can support rising demand and higher consumer expectations. This comes at a time when mobile technology is emerging as the critical...

“Why small businesses must go narrow (extremely narrow) to survive – The path to success runs through radical specialization” by Faisel Hoque via Fast Company

by admin | Dec 15, 2025 | Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy

A few blocks from my home sits a small Japanese grocery store that has been in the neighborhood for years. It’s the kind of place that once felt irreplaceable—carefully sourced ingredients, shelves stocked with items I couldn’t find in mainstream supermarkets, and an...

“An Ode to Simply Waiting For Waves” by Brian Sousa via The Inertia

by admin | Dec 9, 2025 | Community, Opinion, Surf Expo

Because it’s always worth the wait. Photo: Jarno Colijn//Unsplash f you added up the seconds that a good surfer actually spent riding the waves, it would amount to only the smallest fraction of an entire life.” -Ellis Avery, “The Surfer’s Secret to...