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 Do I Hire Seasonal Employees for the Holidays at My Retail Store?” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Nov 1, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Holiday, HR, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training, Staffing

Hire now, hire more people than you think you need, and make it easy to say yes. Put the hourly rate in the ad, let applicants apply from their phone, interview on past behavior, hand every hire a signed six-week schedule, and give one person the job of training them...

“Retail Stores Are Driving Customers Away” by Jasmine Glasheen via The Robin Report

by admin | Oct 28, 2026 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, Community, Customer Experience, News, Opinion, Retail Strategy, Sales Training

Going to the store is a quick trip for most consumers. For the 15 to 20 percent of the population who are neurodivergent, it can be an entirely different experience. From fluorescent lighting and loud music to confusing layouts and forced social interactions, many...

“What Do I Say When a Customer Says “I’ll Look Around”?” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor

by admin | Oct 18, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training

When a customer says “we’ll have to look around,” give them back three reasons they already gave you, then stop talking. That’s the whole technique, and the stopping is the part most salespeople can’t do. Say you’re closing a...

“The Great Value Reallocation” by Carrie Barclay via The Robin Report

by admin | Oct 15, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Clearance Sales / Discounting, Consumer Behavior, Customer Service, News, Opinion, Predictions, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy

In my work with retail leadership teams and in conversations with board members, I keep hearing versions of the same concern. The consumer is behaving differently, but too many companies are responding as though this is simply another affordability cycle. It is not....

“How Do You Design a Store Window With No Budget?” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Oct 9, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy

You don’t need a budget. You need a deadline, a theme, and what’s already in your stockroom. I watched teams of store designers prove it at the IRDC convention’s Iron Merchant competition – one hour, a white mannequin, a roll of toilet paper,...

“Retail Is a Permission Game” by Rich Honiball via The Robin Report

by admin | Oct 6, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy

There is a competitor retailers rarely put on the competitive map. It isn’t Walmart, Amazon, Temu, or the retailer across the street. It isn’t even another brand. It is nothing. Don’t buy another sweater. Keep the television another year. Skip the furniture upgrade....