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.
“How to Create One Connected System for your Retail Store” by RICS Software (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
As businesses grow, the importance of system integration grows with it. Without it, you lose time and money. System integration is connecting software applications allowing them to talk to each other and act as one coordinated platform. Top retailers have found ways...
“No Retention Without Reward: It’s Time to Revolutionize the Way Retail Workers Are Compensated” by Jake Levin via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Ryan J. Lane COVID-19 created a shakeup for retailers in all categories across the U.S., with brick-and-mortar operations undergoing some of the most significant operational changes they've ever faced. Sales associates have also felt the brunt...
“What should retailers do about angry reviews?” by Tom Ryan via Retail Wire
A university study finds that while the general assumption is that an abundance of helpful reviews — whether positive or negative — is ultimately more influential in driving purchases, anger in negative reviews is not helpful. Across six laboratory...
“Brainfloss: Steve Caballero” via Transworld Skateboarding
Push Play to view this remarkable video article Stevie Cab, over 40 years deep as a pro. But did you know he’s been making art the whole time as well? We wanted to shine a light on one of Cab’s many talents. From comic books and hot rod...
“Learn How to Increase Sales in Retail with These 8 Pro Tips” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Looking for resources on how to increase sales in retail during a pandemic? The key is to realize in many ways, brick-and-mortar retailers have a finite client base. After all, there are only so many people who will be willing to walk into your store with or without a...
“Sierra Kerr’s Air Game is Turning Heads – AND SHE’S ONLY 14 YEARS OLD” via Surfer Mag
If you’re wondering what the future of surfing will look like, turn your eyes upon the jaw-dropping compilation below and you’ll get a solid glimpse of the progression that lies ahead. Fourteen-year-old Sierra Kerr (offspring of Tour vet and airshow standout Josh...
“4 Ways to Power Touchless Retail with Text Messaging” by Podium (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
Companies from Amazon to Zoom are rethinking their customer experience in the post-COVID era. See how innovative retailers are responding with text-based messaging, touchless payments, and more. COVID-19 has completely transformed consumer behavior. 85% of...
“Local Olympian Hosts Women’s Skate Event, Raises Money for Survivors of Domestic Violence” by Katie Lane via NBC
TOKYO, JAPAN: Amelia Brodka of Poland competes during the Women’s Skateboarding Park Preliminary Heat on day twelve of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on August 04, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) La Paloma Theatre...
“NRF PREDICTS HIGHEST HOLIDAY RETAIL SALES ON RECORD” via Industry Resources
Holiday spending has the potential to shatter previous records, as the National Retail Federation today forecast that holiday sales during November and December will grow between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859...
“Why Your Selling And Training Methods Don’t Work…And The Simple Fix” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
It has been said that no one likes to wait. Yet stores that have a long line tend to attract even more people to wait because they feel it must be worth it.Few of us like it when someone has power over us. Think The doctor will see you now or You’ll...
City of Huntington Beach Becomes 100th West Coast Municipality to Pass a Resolution Opposing New Offshore Drilling by Surfrider Foundation via Shop Eat Surf
River Jetties Huntington Beach credit Mona Haddad with Surfrider Foundation” Huntington Beach, Calif., October 20, 2021— Today, the Surfrider Foundation and ocean advocates are celebrating a significant victory after the City of Huntington Beach became the...
“Retailers Must Find a Way to Keep Pace With Emerging Instagram, TikTok Trends” by Adrien Nussenbaum via Total Retail
In December 2020, a Scottish mailman named Nathan Evans uploaded a video to TikTok singing a 19th Century sea shanty called “Wellerman.” Within days, his rendition of a more-than-200-year-old song was shared worldwide, leading to countless online collaborations,...
“Why Retailers Should Display Christmas Merchandise Before Halloween” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Why do retailers put out Christmas merchandise before Halloween? Because customers buy it. It's that time of the year ... Time for the leaves to change and drop... Corn mazes to sprout up... Pumpkin spice lattes... and the perennial favorite of writers...
“‘Surfer Susie’ Is the Most Stoked 74-Year-Old Surfer on the Planet” by Rebecca Parsons via The Inertia
Surfer Susie in her element. Photo: Courtesy of Susie Terry You’d be hard pressed to find someone more stoked on surfing than Susie Terry. Born and raised in Ventura, Calif., Susie (now known as “Surfer Susie”) was first intrigued by the idea of riding waves...
“THE 27TH ANNUAL TAMPA PRO is underway plus link to view the Finals as well as the 2020 Pro Contest” via SPoTtampa.com
Skatepark of Tampa (BRA Distinguished Retail Member)* is back with the the most historic contest in skateboarding. Whether you'll be coming to SPoT to experience the stoke first hand, or keeping it virtual and tuning in to the world's...
“How Retailers Can Teach Empathy for De-Escalation” by Derek Belch via Total Retail
Retailers and consumers alike had just started to feel hopeful about a post-pandemic future a mere few weeks ago. However, with the COVID-19 Delta variant quickly becoming a concern, retailers across the country have made the move to reinstate mask mandates...
“Pandemic-related delays force retailers to tweak holiday messages” by Arriana McLymore and Siddharth Cavalevia via Reuters.com
NEW YORK, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Season’s greetings from your favorite retailer come with a 2021-style postscript. That gift you want to get for your loved one? It may be out of stock. And the hot toy? It may not arrive in time for Christmas. Americans collectively are...
“DC Shoes is proud to present, ‘THIS TOO SHALL PASS’, a short documentary about mental health issues in the skateboarding community.” – be sure to share this important video with your customers
https://youtu.be/K_uYb17XfVY Push play to view this important video Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always. DC Shoes is proud to present, "THIS TOO SHALL PASS", a short documentary about mental health issues in the skateboarding...
“To Meet Customers’ In-Store Expectations, Retailers Must Master ‘Phygital’ Experiences” by Jaime Betancourt via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by bernard bodo Distance makes the heart grow fonder, sure. But it can also create romanticized expectations that are near impossible to meet. While there's certainly a lot to miss about physical shopping, it's possible some consumers have built...
“Key Industry Surf Shops Impacted by Oil Spill” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf
Workers cleaning oil that washed ashore on Corona Del Mar State Beach Wednesday - Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard The oil spill in Orange County that has closed beaches in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point is not only a crisis for the...
“Just How Much Does Music Change the Way We View Surfing?” by Juan Hernandez via The Inertia
That headline was a rhetorical question. Of course music impacts our viewing of surf videos. A lot. In fact, music doesn’t just have an effect on how we view surfing, a guy like Quentin Tarantino would argue music completely controls how...
“A LOOK AT SOME OF SKATEBOARDING’S GREATEST DISPLAYS OF FILMING” by Justin The Intern via Jenkem Mag
To some skaters out there, filming might seem like a pretty simple task. First, you have to buy a half-decent camera with a fisheye, and then all you really have to do is keep the skater in the frame and make sure the colors aren’t too blown out. Easy, right? Maybe,...
“A ship anchor hooking the pipeline may have caused the California oil spill, preliminary report says” by Madeline Holcombe, Eric Levenson, Amir Vera and Cheri Mossburg via CNN plus relevant letter from SIMA President
(CNN) An anchor hooking an oil pipeline may have caused the Southern California spill that spewed more than 100,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a notice to operation owner...
“Mobile retail aspires to attain food truck-like popularity” by Tom Ryan via Retail Wire
Mobile retail is at the early experimental phase of development, but operators are looking to achieve the same level of acceptance as food trucks have achieved in the restaurant space. The Lovesac Company, the home furnishing brand known for its adaptable Sactionals...
“When Retailers Mistake Their Most Important Asset As A Cost” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
For years we’ve heard that employee expenses are driving retail profit margins down; as a result, labor hours were cut. That meant shoppers were more likely not to see anyone working in a store, that they most likely would have to wait for assistance, and...
“A Rock Star’s Next Act: Making Montana a Skateboarding Oasis” by Jim Robbins via The New York Times
Photographs by Todd Heisler BROWNING, Mont. — This is not the Montana where the wealthy are building ski-in and ski-out mansions or refurbishing a trout stream on a new ranch. Browning is the capital of the Blackfeet Nation, where the rolling, grass-covered...
“SQUARE AND TIKTOK PARTNER TO HELP BUSINESSES EXPAND THEIR REACH ONLINE” via Industry Resource
Square and TikTok announced a new integration that will make it easy for sellers of all types and sizes to reach new customers and grow their sales online. Square x TikTok enables sellers to send fans directly from TikTok videos, ads, and shopping tabs...
“Analysts throw cold water on the great DTC pivot” by Ben Unglesbee via Retail Dive
image courtesy of Daphne Howland/Retail Dive Dive Brief: As brands large and small try to capture more margin by selling directly to consumers, analysts with BMO Capital Markets question whether the strategy is truly more profitable.In a recent report, the analysts...
“5 Steps to Get Your Website in Shape for a Competitive Q4” by Jason Rosenbaum via Total Retail
Photo Credit: Getty Images With the holidays right around the corner, retail brands will be looking for ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace. They’ll have to look hard, because they’ll be facing unprecedented competition. Over the past year, many B-to-B-to-C...
“How To Fix The Fatal Mistake That’s Losing You Retail Customers” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Online retailers and discounters have taken their toll on many brick-and-mortar stores. Macy's, JC Penney, and Kohl’s have each closed locations, and Lord & Taylor closed all physical store locations. You might be worried that you are next, especially if you are...
“A Look Back: Dogtown and Z Boys” (mini documentary about the documentary) by Glen E. Friedman via Thrasher Mag
Dogtown and The Z Boys found an audience outside of the traditional skateboard community. Tony Alva, Peggy Oki, Stacy Peralta and more from the OG Zephyr scene break down why it worked and what was missing. Big Thanks to Glen E Friedman and Vans....
“Why raising minimum wage is no longer enough to draw in retail workers – Workers are not responding to these cues as they traditionally have. Why? Most retailers are using an outdated hiring playbook” by David Ritter and Conor Gaffney via Retail Dive
Editor's note: The following is a guest post from David Ritter, a managing director, and Conor Gaffney, an associate in the consumer and retail group, at global professional services firm Alvarez and Marsal. They can be reached...
“Will overstocking get retailers through the holidays?” by Tom Ryan via Retail Wire
Big box retailers are pulling forward orders earlier than normal and aggressively investing in core items as supply chain bottlenecks threaten to lead to empty shelves over the holiday season. In many cases, inventories are up double-digit percentage points compared...
“New Social Commerce Tools Can Boost Businesses This Holiday Season” by Thibaud Clément via Total Retail
A breadth of new social commerce tools and features will make shopping online this holiday season look very different from years past. Throughout the past year, e-commerce has seen an enormous boom fueled by physical retail limitations and closures caused by the...
“Watch Now: ‘The Curious Tales of Italo Ferreira – THE EPIC BIOPIC ABOUT THE 2019 WORLD CHAMP AND OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IS FINALLY HERE’ by Surfer Mag
https://youtu.be/FjreKua08o0 Trailer: The Curious Tales of Italo Ferreira (push play) Roughly 18 years ago, in a small fishing town located along the northeastern curve of Brazil, current World Champ and 2021 Olympic Gold Medalist Italo Ferreira first learned how to...
“SKATEBOARDING IS FASHION – NYFW, The Olympics, Pants, and ZZ Top” by Anthony Pappalardo of Artless Industria®
Last week, I attended a panel discussion celebrating the release of Kyle Beachy’s new title The Most Fun Thing: Dispatches from a Skateboard Life at the McNally Jackson Seaport book store in Manhattan. The panelists included Beachy, Jessica Edwards, Noah Johnson,...
“Carissa Moore and Gabriel Medina Are Officially the 2021 World Champions – RECAPPING A HISTORIC DAY OF COMPETITIVE SURFING” by staff writer at Surfer Mag
After a historic day of competitive surfing at Lower Trestles yesterday, Carissa Moore and Gabriel Medina are officially your 2021 World Champions. The Rip Curl WSL Finals offered a new format to decide the final World No. 1s–and thanks to pumping conditions, it kept...
“15 Ways to Increase Retailers’ Profit Margins” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Retailers’ profit margins have been more relevant than ever lately ... It all started with curbside pickup, the only way many stores could sell their products during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, some experts are suggesting retailers add similar programs: “You should...
“Shoppers returning to their earlier pandemic behaviors, research finds” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
kajakiki via Getty Images Dive Brief: Consumers are retrenching in the face of the delta variant of the coronavirus, with 20% "highly optimistic" about a return to normal, down from a third at the beginning of the summer, according to Numerator...
“September Surf Expo Health and Safety Guidelines and link to SES Interview with Roy Turner about the Show plus retailer registration, BRA specific events and Surf Expo highlight videos” via the awesome people behind Surf Expo
Surf Expo is the largest and longest running watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow in the world. Since 1976, retailers from around the globe have relied on Surf Expo to identify new trends, new brands, and to get business done. Don’t miss your chance to be a part...
“Ending prices that end in 99 cents” by Al McLain and 29 Retail Experts via Retail Wire
Retailers might want to rethink doing away with prices that end with “.99” if they believe the results of new research from researchers at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. The study found that setting prices “just below” round numbers...
“How to Motivate a Retail Employee” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
How to motivate retail employees … It’s a subject retailers routinely ask about. My answer is always the same: You don’t. That might sound strange coming from a motivational speaker, so let me explain. You can try to motivate a retail employee with...
“ANCIENT SKATE SPOTS FOR YOUR NEXT SESSION” by Justin The Intern via Jenkem Mag
What if I told you there are some spots that are centuries-old (maybe even millennia-old) that have never seen a truck touch the marble on which they’re built? Stairs that were graced by the feet of Greek gods that have yet to be kickflipped…Today, many of these...
“Why Inventory Management Matters” by RICS Software (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
It’s not easy to keep inventory in line. You analyze sales trends to make decisions. You review margins, sell-thru, and return on investment to evaluate profitability. You create buy plans, propose reorders and cancellations, and you suggest markdowns. All this just...
“Resolve Retail Customer Complaints in 4 Easy Steps” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
It's never easy dealing with a retail customer service issue. Sometimes it may seem like someone is looking to find trouble, but complaining customers are most often just looking for a solution to a frustrating problem. If you provide excellent customer service, go...
“Tony Hawk releases limited $500 skateboard with his BLOOD infused into paint… and it SELLS OUT within 20 MINUTES” by Justin Enriquez via DailyMail.com
Blood, sweat, and tears: Tony Hawk released a $500 skateboard deck with his actual blood infused into the paint in collaboration with sponsor Liquid Death Mountain Water He is the greatest skateboarder of all-time and has done it all from being the first to ever land...
“Skateboarding Is In The Olympics; Now PhD Neftalie Williams Is Bringing It To The Ivy League” by Michelle Bruton via Forbes
Dr. Neftalie Williams lecturing in his skateboarding course at USC alongside legendary skateboarder ... [+]NEFTALIE WILLIAMS There’s no question that as skateboarding has soared into the Olympics this summer in Tokyo, it has reached new heights. But to Dr....
“Selema Masekela Is Right: Action Sports Still Have a Long Way to Go” by Joe Carberry via The Inertia
Selema Masekela, the voice. Photo: Jeremy Deputat/Red Bull Content Pool Selema Masekela is a generational voice. Not just because he’s articulate. Because he’s put time in. He started answering phones at Transworld as an intern in the nineties. He...
“BRA Book Review – ‘The Tao of Skateboarding: Rolling Through Life: A Skateboard Philosophy, Volume 1’ by A.E. Gold” by BRA Executive Director Doug Works
Book description: A modern interpretation of the original Tao Te Ching. The meter has been preserved to its original intent, while the subject matter is about skateboarders and non-skateboarders instead of merchants and farmers. May this bring peace, empathy,...
“Exciting New Rx Benefits Added To BRA LIG Association Health Program” via BRA Supporting Vendor Partner LIG Solutions
To the members of Board Retailers Association: We have exciting news to share with you! As you may have heard Board Retailers Association has partnered with LIG Solutions to bring our members comprehensive and affordable health coverage solutions that are designed for...
“How to Retain Workers in the ‘Next Normal'” by Greg Dyer via Total Retail
The dust from the pandemic is finally settling, but a new storm is gathering for employers. U.S. quit rates are higher than ever, with an eye-popping 95 percent of workers saying they're considering changing jobs. If 2020 was full of talk about how to...
“Best Cross Selling and Upselling in Retail Tips (including instructional video)” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Cross selling and upselling in retail are the foundation of raising the average ticket. Cross selling in retail is the art of suggesting additional, complementary products to someone who has already decided on a purchase. Here's one of my examples of upselling....
BRA Book Review of “The Radical Undersea Journey of Mr. Dude by Vipe Desai” by BRA Executive Director Doug Works
A surfer at heart, Mr. Dude is someone who – like so many of us, unfortunately – never put a whole lot of thought into the ways that his decisions and behaviors affected the environment around him. He used plastic straws, he guzzled one bottled water after another,...
“WE ASKED A SPORTS GAMBLING EXPERT ABOUT BETTING ON OLYMPIC SKATEBOARDING” by Ian Michna via Jenkem Mag
No matter how you feel about skating being in the Olympics, there’s no denying that it’s been an exciting time for skateboarding. Competitive skating may be stale, but one factor that has added some spice into the mix is that sportsbooks have opened up betting for...
“5 Cash Flow Tips For Retailers In August” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor newsletter
Whether you call it your bankroll, your finances, or how much money you have in your pocket, cash flow is its movement in and out of your business. Every retail store owner knows that cash is the heart of their operation but oftentimes you have ongoing expenses that...
“Cater to Your Customers — Locally” by Catherine Schetting Salfino via The Robin Report
There’s an old adage: You get what you get, and you don’t get upset. Clearly, that doesn’t apply to retail. For some time now, the axiom has been customers want what they want, when they want it. And Covid-19 accelerated that. Apparel shoppers want choices, and they...
“Retailers are rethinking mask policies in the wake of new CDC guidance—and it could get complicated”
A “Mask Required” sign at the entrance to a Kroger Co. grocery store in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.Scott Dalton | Bloomberg | Getty Images KEY POINTS Retailers are again contemplating whether or not to reinstate mask mandates in stores for shoppers...
“Retailers Adapting Digital Marketing Strategies for Customer Acquisition, Retention” by Joe Keenan via Total Retail
More time spent at home thanks to remote work, cancelled events and activities, and other pandemic-related factors resulted in consumers bringing more attention to digital shopping. Creating a consistent experience across all channels is what will keep consumers'...
“WE SNUCK A WRITER INTO TO THE TOKYO OLYMPICS” by Ron Mexico via Jenkem Mag
Before the world went to shit, we had plans to be in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. Flights and Airbnbs were booked, and then, of course, lockdowns hit shortly after and there was no way we were going to get press access with how tight restrictions were across all...
“The MLB Player Who Skateboards” video via the Berrics
JON JAY: THE MLB CENTER FIELDER WHO SKATEBOARDS https://youtu.be/8avae9C50s4 JON JAY: THE MLB CENTER FIELDER WHO SKATEBOARDS Major League Baseball center fielder Jon Jay is a skateboarder. Just let that sink in. Learn about how he started, and how skating...