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.

“Retail’s AI Taskmaster: Technology Turns Associates into Digital Servants” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Mar 26, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, m-commerce, Resources, Retail Strategy, Social Media

I shared a story last month about a visit to Saks where associates were too engrossed in their smartphones to look up at shoppers. A friend commented they had the same experience and when they asked the manager, they were told, “Oh, they’re clienteling.” First, I...

“SVP Spotlight – How can Earthpack help you to take action to reduce your carbon footprint beyond Earth Day with shop-branded recycled and reusable shopping bags and other sustainable packaging needs?” + request your free sample kit by Doug Works via BRA

by admin | Mar 26, 2025 | Associate Members, Brick & Mortar, Private Label, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sustainability

Most of you embrace and celebrate Earth Day, but what do you do to reduce your carbon footprint beyond Earth Day? Who can help you with shop-branded recycled and reusable shopping bags and other sustainable packaging needs? Founded by Dave Bock in 1989 in Irvine,...

“Tariffs Aren’t Your Problem: The Truth About Retail Pricing” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Mar 18, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Clearance Sales / Discounting, Governmental Affairs, News, Opinion, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Sales Training

I don’t care what side of politics you are on, the new administration in its first month in office unleashed waves of uncertainty surrounding the continued funding of federal grants, the work of federal employees and tariffs.  With many retailers already...

“The Retail Buyer’s Dilemma” by Mark Cohen via The Robin Report

by admin | Mar 12, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy

I’m going to use a loosely analogous reference here to a classic game theory thought experiment known as the Prisoner’s Dilemma. In a nutshell, the Dilemma demonstrates that, in a set of adversarial or confrontational circumstances, everyone involved benefits from a...

“2025 Retail Real Estate Outlook” by Buxton via National Retail Federation (NRF) Newsletter

by admin | Feb 26, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, News, Predictions, Resources, Retail Strategy

In our latest Retail Real Estate Outlook, discover how retailers are adapting to a market where vacancy rates are at historic lows, while store closures continue to outpace openings. Learn which markets are emerging as retail hotspots and what strategies leading...

“50 Actions Retail Employees Can Do When They’re Not Busy” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog

by admin | Feb 16, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training, Staffing

What to do when your retail employees are standing around during those quiet store moments?Sure, you’re fine with them taking a quick breather after dealing with a demanding customer or wrapping up a task. We all need that. But there’s still that line...