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.

“College Students Develop Device to Save Skiers and Riders Trapped in Tree Wells” by Cooper Gegan via The Inertia

by admin | Jul 3, 2026 | Industry, News, Opinion, Outdoor, Resources, Snowboard

Avalanche beacons are a crucial part of backcountry skiing. However, even if the devices have saved many lives already, we haven’t yet reached the pinnacle (pun intended) of the technology’s potential. Students at OSU Cascades are working to change that, though. As...

“AI Agents Buy Sight Unseen. Salespeople Keep You Off the Wrong One” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor

by admin | Jun 29, 2026 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training

What an AI shopping agent actually does At Google’s I/O event, the company announced Universal Cart. Here is what it does, in plain terms. An AI agent is not a search box. It is a runner you send out. You tell it what you want, set a budget, and it goes shopping...

“Pharrell Just Made Surf the Coolest Thing in Paris. Surf Industry Leaders Weigh In.” by Tiffany Montgomery via SES Outdoor

by admin | Jun 26, 2026 | Apparel /Fashion, News, Opinion, Story Telling, Surf

Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton. Pharrell Just Made Surf the Coolest Thing in Paris. Surf Industry Leaders Weigh In. SESO asked Pat Tenore of Tenore, Ryan Hitzel of Roark, Evan Slater of Sun Bum, Candy Harris of Unlisted Brand Lab, Ryan Mangan of Quiksilver and...

“From Clicks to Bricks: Taking Full Advantage of In-Store Pickup” by Grant Gustafson via Total Retail

by admin | Jun 20, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, E-Commerce, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy

Paths to purchase have changed significantly over the past decades, with customer journeys nearly unrecognizable compared to those of the early 2000s. With the internet at their fingertips, shoppers are more informed, connected to brands, and able to discover new...

“Is Using Cash Cringe to Gen Z?” by YPulse via The Robin Report

by admin | Jun 18, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Get Paid, News, Opinion, Predictions

Has Gen Z really made using cash cringe? Recent headlines definitely make it sound that way. Cash App recently reported that over half of Gen Z only use cash as a “last resort,” and nearly a third say people who pay with cash are “out of touch.”...

“A SIT DOWN WITH DOUG WORKS (BRA Executive Director) at CARV EXPO” by Berto via Frank 151

by admin | Jun 16, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Industry, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Trade Shows

Trade shows are an integral part of the industry. Any industry. At their core, they are about brands meeting and greeting retailers in a structured environment. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? The problem, especially in this decade, has been the disconnect...