Welcome to the Board Retailers Association (BRA) website. Below you will find helpful and relevant articles that we carefully curate for the benefit of our BRA Retail Members several times per week. Be sure to scroll through the most recent articles or use the Search/Lookup feature in the Menu above to find topics and keywords related to recent and not-so-recent articles that may help you lower costs, increase margins, or create more remarkable customer experiences. We deliberately made this our site landing page to demonstrate our commitment to “Protecting Retailers and a Lifestyle” for over 20 years (since 2003).
Be sure to visit the About Us, Retail Member Benefits and Join pages on this site to learn more about and benefit from our resourceful nonprofit trade association committed to helping board specialty, outdoor specialty, and lifestyle specialty retailers to survive, thrive, and keep “the special in specialty” for free.
“What Happened to Authentic Streetwear?” by Mikelya Fournier via The Robin Report
Everywhere you look, you see the same jogger outfits with predictable brand logos on display for the world to see. If you stop and ask the wearer about it, they’ll harp on the fact that they waited for hours in a digital waiting room just to have their chance to...
“Why Have Customers Become so Aggressive and Belligerent?” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
We’ve all seen videos of customers being abusive to airline personnel, in grocery stores, in banks, and … also, bad customer service examples are everywhere. Stories have been written about the abuse and there is an abundance of signs imploring people to not...
“WHAT’S GOING ON AT BROOKLYN’S BLUE PARK?” by MATT L. ROAR & CHARLOTTE TEGEN via JENKEM Mag
In 2011, I began teaching 6th grade at Lyons Community School, a small, progressive public school predominately serving local low-income families in the building overlooking Martinez Playground, known to skaters as Blue Park. Two years later, one Friday...
“Bettylou Sakura Johnson on Being the Youngest Woman on the Championship Tour” by Rebecca Parsons via The Inertia
Bettylou Sakura Johnson definitely has all the tools to compete at the highest level. Photo: Tony Heff//WSL Bettylou Sakura Johnson’s huge win at the Haleiwa Challenger before the New Year may seem like it came out of left field, but in a lot of ways, it was...
“Skate Shop Day is happening today – answers to FAQs to share with your customers & more”
What is Skate Shop Day? Skate Shop Day, like Record Store Day and Comic Book Store Day, is the day that the skateboard community celebrates our cultural hubs, the foundations of every skate scene, the places that bring skaters together and act as the glue for...
“Patagonia, REI, Public Lands threaten to boycott Outdoor Retailer trade show” by Cara Salpini via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: A group of major outdoor retailers — including Timberland, Patagonia, REI, The North Face and Public Lands — are threatening to boycott the Outdoor Retailer trade show if it's moved to Utah, according to a release put out by The Conservation Alliance.The...
“Used surfboards causing you headaches? The prescription to save time and earn more has arrived.” by the good people behind SimplSurf
Overview We’re seeing the largest boom in outdoor board sports in history. Retailers, you should be getting a bigger slice of that sweet pie. SimplSurf helps you do just that. By leveraging our free software tool, you can turns board consignment from a headache to...
“Consumers Embrace Digital Experiences In-Store: What You Need to Know” by Thomas Butta via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by zeljkosantrac The pandemic accelerated e-commerce by 10 years in a matter of months and ushered in new consumer behaviors, not the least of which was the trend of switching brands because of availability (in-store and online),...
“INTERVIEW WITH SIMA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VIPE DESAI.” by BTR staff via Building The Revolution blog plus #SaveTheDate and logos for Surf Shop Day
Vipe rocking his limited edition BTR Brews and Boards shirt he purchased from Spyder. Vipe Desai is a hair over 60 days in his new position as Executive Director at SIMA and is already making some serious change. Just last week Vipe announced that SIMA has officially...
“Retail Customer Service Training: 14 Ideas, Plus Examples” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
The goal of retail customer service training is to create an exceptional customer experience. So, what do you focus on when you teach your employees how to give customers exceptional experiences? Sometimes good customer service means something quick, cheap,...
“Apple unveils Tap to Pay on iPhone tool for merchants” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Courtesy of Apple Dive Brief: As more companies and consumers adopt contactless payments, Apple announced Tuesday plans to introduce Tap to Pay on iPhone. The feature will enable sellers to accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital...
“With a stunning first run, Chloe Kim wins another gold in the halfpipe.” by John Branch via The New York Times
Chloe Kim’s score from her first halfpipe run delivered her second consecutive gold medal in the event.Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times Kim was awarded with an untouchable score of 94. Queralt Castellet, of Spain, earned the silver medal, and Sena Tomita, of Japan,...
“Where is Physical Retail Heading? Navigating 3 Diverging Strategies” by Vered Levy-Ron via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Francesco Corticchia The way people shop in stores is changing. Concerns of safety still exist, and many people continue to practice social distancing. Furthermore, with the emergence of COVID-19 variants, in-store shopping behaviors are prone...
“Retail Best Practices: 12 Tips for the Creation of Exceptional” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
Online retailers are jealous. Many retail best practices don't work online. They can't do what brick-and-mortar retailers can do. They can’t create an emotional connection to an object. A shopper can’t pick up an item and see how it feels around...
“IOC approves proposal to include skateboarding, surfing and rock climbing at 2028 LA Olympics” by David Wharton via LA Times
An LA 2028 sign is seen in front of the Olympic cauldron at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.(Richard Vogel / Associated Press) BEIJING — The International Olympic Committee has approved a proposal to include surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing among...
“Tech-Driven In-Store Experiences Are an Essential Investment for Every Retailer” by Bobby Marhamat via Total Retail
Credit: iStock.com by pixdeluxe Retail organizations must view the in-store experience as an essential investment, ranking in importance alongside cash registers, security cameras, and product inventory. In fact, Ernst & Young (EY) argues that the...
“JENK TV: BUILDING A BOX FROM NYC STREET TRASH” by Ian Michna & Alex Raspa via JENKEM MAG
Welcome to the third episode of Jenk TV! We grew up watching MTV and Adult Swim shows Beavis and Butthead, The Tom Green Show, and Tim and Eric, so we thought skateboarding could use a dose of that goofball editing. One thing that’s great about New...
“Download your free guide, 5 Types of Retail Loyalty Programs That Make Money and Retain Customers” via RetailWire Resources
5 Types of Retail Loyalty Programs: How to Make Money and Retain Customers Download the Free Guide Customer loyalty has never been more important for independent retailers. Throughout the last two years, effective loyalty programs helped many businesses stay in touch...
“Practices to Protect Your Store – Cyberattacks becoming retailers’ biggest threat says OSI” by Brady Hicks via Inside Outdoor Magazine (+ learn more about and connect to BRA Supporting Vendor Partner Outdoor Sports Insurance)
You’ve got your outdoor retail business. Years of passion and planning have finally paid off, and the physical – and potentially cyber – doors are now open. Your success depends not only on your ability to offer products that meet customer expectations but to connect...
“The best way to grow skateboard sales, PERIOD” plus link to register for this week’s 2nd Annual Skateboard Education Summit via THE US Skateboard Education Association
The 2nd Annual Skateboard Education Summit 1 February, 10 am - 2 pm PST (Livestream) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP7P0eYldgo ✨Register Now For Free✨ This free online summit will: Bring together skate shop owners, educators, program operators,...
“4 Things Retailers Can Do to Strengthen Customer Relationships in 2022” by Melissa Tatortis via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by metamorworks As marketers prepare for the evolution of how they use consumer data in their campaigns, there's a massive opportunity to improve customer relationships using more secure and accurate identity alternatives. While there's much doom...
“Should retailers add RFID to their marketing toolbox?” by Tom Ryan via Retail Wire
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is once again being viewed as a solution for item-level inventory tracking, but its side benefits in marketing, analytics and research are also gaining attention. Potential applications in the past included...
“Fashion Nova first company required to pay FTC for blocking bad reviews” by Kim Lyons via The Verge
Fashion Nova, a California fast-fashion retailer, will pay a $4.2 million settlement to the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that it blocked negative product reviews from being posted on its website. The agency says this is its first case to...
“How to Increase Retail Sales in 2022 With Virtual Queuing” by Steve Covate via Total Retail
Photo Credit: Getty Images If the last two years have taught retailers anything, it might be that workforce trends can be just as unpredictable as consumer trends. The industry has always faced challenges in hiring and retaining talent, but the current labor shortage...
“The Evolution of Skate Videos, From VHS to TikTok – The medium might have changed over the past 50 years, but interest is still riding high.” by Guillaume Patigny via Vice News
This article originally appeared on VICE Belgium. When it comes to skateboarding, the only thing more important than actually going skating is making sure that you have footage of you doing it. You can tell people you’ve pulled off this, or jumped that, but...
“Five Takeaways for Retailers from CES 2022” by Arick Wierson via The Robin report
Well, that was interesting. When CES 2022 came to a close, one day ahead of schedule; attendees were dismissed early as “an additional safety measure” for minimizing the risks of Covid-19. (Apparently the brain trust at the Consumer Technology...
“‘You Can’t Feel A Fact: The Analytical Sales Personality Style’ plus ‘Why Training On the Salesfloor Doesn’t Work (video)'” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
When I was looking for a lawn spreader, I asked the sales clerk, “Why should I buy this one?” He quickly answered, “Because it makes sense.” At that moment he confirmed my suspicions that he had an Analytical personality style. I've previously shared my thoughts...
“World Surf League Announces Its Finals Event Will Return to Lower Trestles” by staff writers via The Inertia
If it ain’t broke. Photos: WSL Well, it went so swimmingly, why not do it again? Following a World Surf League finals event in September that saw a fantastic mix of swell and conditions, the League announced today that its championship tournament...
“TEST YOUR INNER SKATE NERD WITH THIS NEW TRIVIA CARD GAME” by Alexis Castro via JENKEM MAG
photo: gordon eckler Skateboarders’ brains contain tons of factoids that matter very little in the “real world,” like who the first person to skate up a handrail was, or who invented the salad grind. We love to tease each other about who knows more about short-lived...
“December retail sales were strong, no matter what the clickbait headlines said” by Steve Dennis via Retail Wire
Photo: RetailWire Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion, is a summary of Steve Dennis’ recent Forbes article. Steve is President & Founder of SageBerry Consulting and a senior Forbes Contributor. He is the author of Remarkable Retail: How...
“A Brief History of Snowboarding – Rebellious youth. Olympic glory. How a goofy American pastime conquered winter” by Max Ufberg via Smithsonian Magazine
Snowboarder Shannon Dunn competes for Team USA in the 1998 Winter Olympics, where she won the bronze medal in half-pipe. Alexander Hassenstein / Bongarts via Getty Images Long before the term “snowboarding” existed—and at least 80 years before it was an Olympic...
“Managing Sales Behaviors to Improve Sales Performance” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
What are sales behaviors? They are a series of actions comprised in a sales process, the way salespeople act and talk with shoppers. It is not as some have said your thought process; it is something specific other sales associates can see or hear you do. For...
“Outdoor Retailer Releases Education Schedule and Floor Plan For Snow Show” by Outdoor Retailer via Shop Eat Surf (plus free hotel room scholarship opportunity for BRA Retail Members)
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California – Outdoor Retailer Snow Show returns to Denver this month with a full schedule of in-person education and a redesigned floor plan structured around The Resource Center, a new information hub to access industry insight directly from...
“Content That Converts” (helpful downloadable report) via Total Retail
How retailers can grow e-commerce sales in a heightened competitive environment Over the past year, retailers have had to evolve their businesses to account for growing consumer demand for e-commerce. And for many consumers, the shift to online shopping is likely to...
“Volcom Unveils U.S. Olympic Snowboard Uniforms” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf
Men's Brighton pullover jacket and the USST Hotlapper pant. Courtesy of Volcom Click on the following link to view additional official uniform photos from Volcom and related words via Shop Eat Surf: Volcom Unveils U.S. Olympic Snowboard Uniforms Be sure to visit...
“Rusty Preisendorfer Explains Why Your Surfboards Shouldn’t Be Bulletproof” by Rusty Preisendorfer via The Inertia
If your surfboard doesn’t dent up a little bit, it’s not a good thing. Photo: Rusty Surfboards/Instagram Editor’s Note: This feature was made possible by our friends at Rusty Surfboards. Like a fine pair of shoes, new boards need to dent up a bit....
“18 Retail Trends That will Shape 2022 and Beyond” by Werner Geyser via Influencer Marketing Hub
Clearly, the most significant factor affecting retail trends in 2021, continuing from 2020 and undoubtedly continuing through to 2022, has been the global emergence of COVID. We have examined the effects in detail, including a massive post looking at COVID-19...
“Shopping on Social Media Seen Hitting $1.2 Trillion by 2025” by Martine Paris via Bloomberg
Parcels inside a shipping container at the UPS Worldport facility in Louisville, Kentucky.Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg Shopping on social networks such as Facebook, TikTok and WeChat is going to grow three times faster than sales from traditional...
“East Coast Surfing Hall Of Fame Inducts Class Of 2022” via Surfing Heritage and Culture Center (SHACC) newsletter
Photo: Mez/ESM The East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame inducted its esteemed class of 2021 yesterday in a ceremony at Surf Expo in Florida. A star-studded class featuring world champs, matriarchs, shapers and media moguls. Congratulations to all those who’s names are now...
“4 Ways to Manage Your Company’s Online Reputation Without Ads” by Dave Lehman via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Eva-Katalin As you might expect, advertisements don’t win over customers anymore. Why? Consumers are annoyed with ads. And so are marketers — 20 percent to 40 percent of clicks on paid ads are fraudulent. For these...
“Will 2022 be the Year of the Dark Horse in Retail?” by Arick Wierson via The Robin Report
My father grew up on a farm in central Iowa in the 1930s and 40s, and although life in the post-Depression heartland was pretty harsh, among his fondest memories from his childhood are those of his many horses, each one of them different shades of black. As a...
“How To Set A New Direction For Retail 2022” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
The start of a New Year is a good time to assess retail trends and where you’ve been and where you want to go. Otherwise, it can be just the same problems, different day. You have to believe there has to be more to running a retail store than a paycheck. Thank your...
“Watch: How a Snowboard is Made at the Never Summer Factory” by Lucky Lopez via Snowboard Mag
You may want to share the following video with your snowboarding customers: https://youtu.be/JzLR_b2uDHE Since its inception, Never Summer has made all of their snowboards out of their Denver, Colorado HQ. Attached to the offices and showroom is the factory, which is...
“Customers want you but choose Amazon, WHY?” by Dan Pankratz via Exchange Collective blog
70% of Americans Prefer to Shop Local You hear it all the time, “I love your store,” or “I want to support local,” and “I am over Amazon.” But it is no secret that millions of customers are going to Amazon’s market place to shop and buy. But in a survey of 1,500...
“Director Jacob Rosenberg Discusses His Early Work and the Impact of Skate Videos” by Anthony Pappalardo via ONE37pm
Portrait by Brett Simon Video content is the driver of modern skateboarding, but for being so integral, it’s a relatively young medium that’s still evolving. During the 1980s, Stacy Peralta saw the potential and power of video, creating a string of influential...
“Lake Tahoe Breaks Record for Snowfall in December, Closing Resorts and Roads” by Staff writer via The Inertia
Yeah, it’s deep. Photo: Palisades Tahoe It’s safe to say that Lake Tahoe, Calif. is off to a good start for winter. Maybe too good. The region smashed its record snow total for December, receiving a recorded 193.7 inches, topping the previous record of...
“JENKEM PRESENTS: THE 5TH ANNUAL SKATEBOARDING SUPERLATIVES” by James Lee via JENKEM MAG
The world may have exploded twice over in last year but we weren’t really paying attention because 2021 was a historic year for skateboarding. Not only was it the first time that our hobby/sport/whatever was showcased on a worldwide scale, but it was also the year...
“Managing Sales Behaviors to Improve Sales Performance” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
What are sales behaviors? They are a series of actions comprised in a sales process, the way salespeople act and talk with shoppers. It is not as some have said your thought process; it is something specific other sales associates can see or hear you do. For...
“That Fun TikTok Video? It’s Actually an Ad.” by Sapna Maheshwari via The New York Times
Anna Layza is one of many TikTok users making money by advertising products in their videos. Ms. Layza posted an ad that involved wearing a unicorn onesie and retrieving a box of cookies at Target. Credit...Todd Anderson for The New York Times Brands are flocking to...
“Help Wanted” by Pam Danziger via The Robin Report
In advance of the holiday season, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported retailers will hire between 500,000 and 665,000 seasonal workers in November and December. At least some of retail’s 8.5 percent to 10.5 percent projected growth for holiday sales is...
“Retailers: Here’s How to Manage Your December Cash Flow” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
When it comes to cash flow at the end of a year for most retailers, it is very easy to be overwhelmed. During a pandemic with supply chain disruptions, the threat of shutdowns, and limited occupancy it's easy to miss the basics of December financial management....
“Four Retail Lessons from the Hospitality Sector” by Robin via The Robin Report
It’s no coincidence that people have a love affair with cooking shows, and I’m certainly no exception. Whether I’m scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, FuboTV, or even the Travel Channel, a wide variety of chefs are ready to take viewers on a journey from individual...
“We Reviewed The Best Women’s Wetsuits for 2022” by Rebecca Parsons via The Inertia
Interested in staying warm? Look no further. Kelin Victoria Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Inertia. Find out more about us and explore some of our archives here. Wetsuits are both the biggest blessing and curse of surfing. They keep us...
“GROUND GLASS: MARK SUCIU” by James Thompson via Jenkem Mag
2021 SOTY = Mark Suciu https://youtu.be/aVpvvB66_Xk Everyone loves to say contests and awards don’t carry any weight in skateboarding, but every year, skaters seem to give a lot of weight to Thrasher’s Skater of the Year award. “SOTY Season” gives us a lot...
“Gen Zers relied on buy now, pay later during the holidays. It’s time to pay up.” by Maria Monteros via Retail Dive
ViewApart via Getty Images What may be a beneficial feature to retailers poses risks to young consumers who've increasingly flocked to installment services. The busiest days of the holiday shopping season may be over, but some young consumers have yet to pay their...
“12 Secrets of a Successful 2021 Holiday Season for Retail Managers” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Taking on retail manager responsibilities is a big job at any time but especially during the holidays. Making an awful lot of people happy at the holidays doesn't happen unless you have already put the effort in with your own team. When I was in college, I worked...
“Are skateboarders really solving the world’s problems, one trick at a time?” by David Wharton via Los Angeles Times
Members of the Aunt Skatie crew gather at the South Pasadena Skate Park on Nov. 14.(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) The women keep their distance. At first. Dressed in T-shirts and sneakers, skateboards in hand, they stand by a chain-link fence, talking,...
“Bettylou Sakura Johnson Bests Carissa Moore to Win Haleiwa Challenger, 2022 CT Rookie Class is Set” by Will Sileo via The Inertia
Bettylou Wins Haleiwa Photo: Tony Heff/WSL No better way to start your rookie season than by beating the best of the best. And 16-year-old North Shore local Bettylou Sakura Johnson did just that yesterday in the finals of the Haleiwa Challenger, overcoming...
“SIMA Announces Vipe Desai as New Executive Director” press release via Shop Eat Surf
PRESS RELEASES | Published Dec 7, 2021 - Reposted with permission from Vipe Desai of SIMA Orange County, CA (December 7, 2021) – The Board of Directors of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) are excited to announce the appointment of industry...
“With omicron landing in the US, do retailers actually need the vaccine mandate?” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
andreswd via Getty Images The National Retail Federation won a stay against the government's plan to have big companies immunize or test their employees. That squanders a chance to thwart the pandemic, experts say. As the omicron variant of COVID-19 made headlines...