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.
“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...
“Report shows Outdoor Industry has work to do on its online ADA compliance” by OSI (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
Image of Jon Comer, pioneer of adaptive skateboarding (courtesy of ESPN) Outdoor Sports Insurance evaluated industry sites for compliance EDEN PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA (Last Monday marked the 31st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)....
“Opinion: Surfing’s Olympic Debut Deserved World-Class Surf” by Alexander Haro via The Inertia
Medina making the most out of sub-par conditions. Photo: Pablo Jimenez/ISA Well, surfing’s Olympic debut is in the books. It’s done and dusted. Duke Kahanamoku’s dream came to fruition. The best surfers in the world competed for Olympic medals in front of a...
“What the delta variant already means for retail” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
Rapid development and distribution of vaccines promised to halt the pandemic, but new surges brought on by viral mutations threaten progress. A change in mask-wearing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday — urging even vaccinated people...
“American Carissa Moore is the FIRST Olympic women’s surfing champ plus Brazil’s Italo Ferreira wins first surfing gold medal in Olympic history in Tokyo | Tokyo Olympics” via NBC Sports
American Carissa Moore is the FIRST Olympic women's surfing champ | Tokyo Olympics | NBC Sports https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZTY6BfrXbM Four-time World Surf League champion Carissa Moore defeated South Africa's Bianca Buitendag to take home the first women's...
“SKATEBOARDING IS A SPORT, SO NOW WHAT? – I Watched the Olympics and It Wasn’t What I Expected.” by Anthony Pappalardo via Artless Industrial
After being announced in 2016 and delayed a year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, skateboarding made its official Olympic debut on Saturday, July 24, 2021. During the ramp-up, my skate-centric social media channels fell into three buckets: 1. Supportive 2....
“How To Get Employee Sales Training To Stick” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Customers go online to buy - frequently replacement purchases - but go to stores to discover. That moment of discovery needs to be crafted, trained, and rewarded because customers respond to a human trusted advisor more deeply than to any webpage. These days...
“Teenagers Win All 3 Medals In Women’s Street Skateboarding Event” by Leila Fadel via NPR
Momiji Nishiya of Team Japan celebrates during the Women's Street Final on day three of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Monday at Ariake Urban Sports Park. Patrick Smith/Getty Images TOKYO — Thirteen-year-old Momiji Nishiya dazzled during the Olympic women's...
“A Son of Tokyo Wins Skateboarding’s First Gold” by John Branch via The New York Times plus highlight video of the finals courtesy of NBC Sports
Yuto Horigome of Japan landed three tricks in a row to claim his gold medal. Credit...Alexandra Garcia/The New York Times Yuto Horigome won gold in the men’s street competition only eight miles from where he grew up, and after Nyjah Huston fell four times in a row....
“Kellen James and Jamie Palmore (KJP) | Hickman” via Transworld Skateboarding
Kellen James (owner of Arts and Rec Skate Shop) and Jamie Palmore come together for the first (and hopefully not the only) installment of the KJP (KJ + JP = KJP) series. First spot: Hickman. https://youtu.be/iTABfHbIc-M Guest appearances by:Jimmy Cao, Kyong Kim, Joe...
“NRF: Back-to-School Shopping to Reach Record Levels in 2021” by Melissa Campanelli via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Max Riesgo Consumers plan to spend record amounts for both school and college supplies as families and students plan to return to in-person classrooms this fall, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail...
“10 Customer Service Techniques to Help You Grow Sales” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Customer service techniques should be at the top of your list when you consider how to increase sales in retail. While getting customers into your store comes first, their experience in the store is what makes the sale. Attracting visitors to your store through...
“Facebook rides into Tokyo Games with new skateboarding campaign” by Kendra Clark via The Drum
Just four days before the official kick-off of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Facebook has launched a new global ad campaign that showcases stories of how Facebook communities and technologies have helped bring together passionate skateboarders and skateboarding fans from...
“Gui Khury outshines Tony Hawk, lands 1080 to win X Games gold” via ESPN and USA Today
https://youtu.be/kQO-k41FJJ8 Push play to view the 1080 degree spinning that earned 12 year old Gui Khury X-Games Gold ESPN Article: Twenty-two years after Tony Hawk became the first skateboarder to land a 900 on a vert ramp at the X Games, Gui Khury made history of...
“Why Contactless Payments Are the Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retail” by Bobby Marhamat via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by dowell The future always promises uncertainty. That said, all indications are that contactless payments are ingrained in brick-and-mortar retail for the long haul. Without massive unforeseen disruption, the COVID-assisted trend towards...
“#PassTheHandle is this Sunday, July 18th!” via WSIA Newsletter
The purpose of #PassTheHandle is to introduce new people to towed water sports. Participants leave feeling energized and eager to get back out on the water.The #PassTheHandle project is a national awareness-driven initiative created by legendary wakeboarders...
“Outdoor Sports Insurance Highlights the Necessity for Board Retailers to Consider Network Security” via OSI (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
For years, Network Security Insurance (commonly referred to as Cyber Liability Coverage) waswidely regarded as a boutique coverage needed only by large corporations who store andprocess large volumes of consumer credit card information. In the later part of the last...
“Vans Skateboarding Welcomes Zion Wright” via Press Release on Shop Eat Surf
Zion Wright earned himself a ticket to Tokyo. Courtesy of Vans Click on the following link to view the newsworthy press release from Vans via Shop Eat Surf: Vans Skateboarding Welcomes Zion Wright Be sure to visit the Shop Eat Surf website to view valuable...
“Child tax credits an ‘underappreciated’ stimulus that could boost retail: Cowen” by Ben Unglesbee via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: This month, some 39 million households will begin receiving tax credit payments for each child under 18, a new relief program Cowen analysts called an "underappreciated catalyst for consumer spend" in a report this week. The program, part of...
“8 tips and tricks to improve your retail store marketing – If you’re struggling for ideas to improve your retail store marketing, we’ve got you covered. Here are some strategies that help you generate more leads.” via Podium (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
The world we live in is consumer driven and constantly changing. Enticing customers to your retail store with traditional marketing methods (or even online) is growing harder every year. Not only do 51% of Americans prefer to shop online, COVID-19 has moved many...
“Retailers, Take These 9 Actions In Summer For Successful Winter Holiday Sales” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
Christmas in July...or August. We’ve all heard the phrase but planning for successful holidays is more important. It’s summer and a lot of retailers need to be thinking about what they will do differently for the upcoming holidays. The good news is Covid is on...
“Is Retail a Career?” by Arick Wierson via The Robin Report
As a four trillion dollar slice of the economy, retail is one of the largest employment sectors in the U.S. Prior to the pandemic, it provided direct and indirect employment to some 52 million workers, second only to the healthcare sector. Many of these jobs – as...
“Back-to-school shopping to rise 9% in 2021: KPMG” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: Back-to-school is just around the corner, and a recent KPMG survey of 1,000 consumers found that shoppers plan to spend $268 per child this year, an uptick from $247 per student in 2020. That's an estimated increase of 9% for back-to-school spend this...
“Trek and Locally Hit the Road Together” by Mike Massey via Locally.com
Consumer Behavior is Changing One of the most inescapable business themes of the past decade is the evolution of consumer shopping behavior. Nearly every business news story about consumers involves the application of new technology to everyday life. Whether it is...
“Digging Deeper Into Skate and Surf Participation Growth” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf (Executive Edition)
Please click on the following link to view this Shop Eat Surf News Article: Digging Deeper Into Skate and Surf Participation Growth Please note that this article is a Shop Eat Surf Executive Edition article so you will need to sign up and pay for access before...
“Skateboarding as an Olympic sport has even some on Team USA feeling conflicted” by Phil McCausland via NBC News
Members of the first U.S. Olympic skateboarding team arrive on their boards for a news conference in downtown Los Angeles on June 21, 2021.Richard Vogel / AP “I think as a community, people were attracted to skateboarding because it was not part of something like the...
“What If We Told You That You Could Protect Your New Surfboard Against Breaks And Dings…” via STAB Magazine
Well, you can. And it starts at just $10 a month. Posted by: STAB What's worse: breaking your new board first session, or watching every person you love getting mauled by a voracious pack of lions? Answer: the lions, but only just. New Board Anxiety is a serious...
“HOW ROOKIE SKATEBOARDS SHAPED WOMEN’S SKATEBOARDING” by JESSIE VAN ROECHOUDT & QUELL SKATEBOARDING via Jenkem Mag
Rookie Skateboards, a downtown Manhattan brand founded by Catharine Lyons and Elska von Hatzfeldt in the mid ’90s, has pioneered so much we see out of skating and streetwear today.While it’s not common to this day, it was even more of an anomaly to have a...
“The Realities of Core Retail at a Time of Huge Demand” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf
Tim Kirkpatrick, the owner of Wavelines Surf Snow Skate in San Diego - Photo by SES Click on the following link to view this interesting Shop Eat Surf Article: The Realities of Core Retail at a Time of Huge Demand Be sure to visit the Shop Eat Surf website to view...
“Why BOPIS and BORIS Will Be the Cornerstone of Retail in 2021” by Dean Frew via Total Retail
The retail industry is a highly competitive, challenging and constantly evolving environment. Customer shopping behaviors are increasingly hard to predict, and retailers must constantly innovate or risk becoming redundant. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has heavily...
“Did you miss the live collaborative BRA X Management One webinar session this week? Not to worry, we recorded it for you!” (view it as well as the previous quarterly M1 webinar on-demand plus access downloadable retail tools here)
Yesterday, Board Retailers Association hosted the second of many relevant and helpful quarterly webinars on a variety of topics in collaboration with BRA Supporting Vendor Partner Management One. “Embracing the New Metrics in Retail: How To Ride the Wave of...
“Retail Sales Training: Ask This Question To Handle Objections” by Bob Phibbs (The Retail Doctor)
When looking to handle objections, you have to ask one more question to really get to the heart of the matter. You’ve heard me say the worst thing you can say when trying to sell something at the end of a sale is Anything Else? That’s because you are...
“RIP: Greg Noll” via Surfing Heritage & Cultural Center (SHACC)
After a life very well lived, Greg Noll, big-wave pioneer, filmmaker, industry leader and inspiration to many, has passed away. “It is with a heavy heart the Noll family announces the death of our patriarch, Greg Noll. Greg died of natural causes on Monday June 28th,...
“‘We’re no longer a photo-sharing app,’ says head of Instagram” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Dive Brief: As multiple social media platforms adapt to shifting user habits, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, recently announced that the app is pivoting away from being primarily a photo-sharing app. Instead, the platform will enhance its features in four...
“Class Is In Session: Examining the Evolution of Surf Schools” by Sam George via The Inertia
It ain’t easy being a newbie. Photo: Tim Marshall//Unsplash Editor’s Note: Welcome to Surf History 101, where we look at innovations in the world of surfing and beyond that changed the pursuit forever. In this edition, Sam George examines the surf...
“Blind & Adaptive Skaters Take Over a Skate Park for the Weekend – A group filled with Ambition, Perseverance, and Grit” by Kelly Anne Walborn
Over the weekend of June 19, 2021, a group of 7 blind skaters and 1 adaptive skater joined forces at Modern Skate Park in Royal Oak, Michigan. Dreaming of getting this group together for several years now blind skater Nick Mullins finally made it happen and...
“5 ‘Tiny, Noticeable Things’ Guaranteed to Build Customer Loyalty” by Adrian Webster via Total Retail
If you're looking to build customer loyalty, there's no simpler nor effective way of doing it then by fully utilizing what I call TNTs. TNTs are "tiny, noticeable things." They're all the little things that we don’t need to do, but when we do do them, they can have a...
“Surging Sales Continue in Surf and Skate Shops” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf
Strong sales in the core channel are showing no signs of slowdown as shoppers continue to embrace local retailers and the surf and skate lifestyle. According to the ActionWatch Retail Panel, year-to-date sales are up 89% vs. the same period in 2020. Click on the...