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.
“Is It Good Business to Allow Associates to Break or Bend Rules for Customers?” by Tom Ryan via Retail Dive plus 20 Retail Experts weigh in on this discussion
When retail employees go “above and beyond,” which often involves deviating from organizational rules, it has been shown to enhance customer loyalty for the store. New university research shows it can also lift engagement for the infracting employee....
“5 Ways to Keep Wallet Share With In-Store Traffic” by Tara Kelly via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Hinterhaus Productions Spring is here, lockdowns are a fading memory and the economic outlook is brighter. Although uncertainty abounds and wallets remain tight, we may be in for a softer landing than previously thought. You can celebrate...
“How eBay’s authentication process pulls in the most dedicated sneakerheads” by Katishi Maake via Retail Brew
eBay To date, eBay has authenticated more than 4 million shoes globally, and on average, there are 1.7 million listings on the site each day, the company said. Talk to any sneakerhead and they’ll tell you authenticity matters (and what they copped in the latest Jordan...
“Take This Simple Test To See How Engaging Your Store Is” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
A lot is written about customer engagement in retail. How retailers are trying to engage shoppers in their brick-and-mortar locations by making the store more like an online experience. And the more information IT departments can gather...
“REI swings to a loss despite record sales in 2022” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive Dive Brief: REI reached a record $3.9 billion in sales last year, the outdoor co-op retailer said in a financial disclosure Wednesday. The company, which aims to grow to 50 million members, added 1.3 million in 2022,...
“BC Owner on Business, Sales Trends and a Move Away from Covid Comparisons” by Kari Hamanaka via Shop Eat Surf
A quarter of the way into the year and key industry account BC Surf & Sport’s business is chugging along. If the multi-store operator is any barometer of how the overall industry is trending, 2023 could perhaps mean a normalization – and a new chapter –...
“Ten ways to improve sales performance in your retail store” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
1. Add-Ons are a Great Way to Boost SalesMany retailers find success by offering additional services or add-ons to their customers. For instance, if you own a clothing store, you can offer free alterations on purchased items, gift wrapping, or personal styling...
“89-Year-Old Man Crowned ‘World’s Oldest Surfer’” by Dashel Pierson via Surfer Magazine
Meet Seiichi Sano, the "oldest person to surf (male)." Photo: Guinness World Records Japan’s Seiichi Sano wins Guinness World Record…and makes it on Saturday Night Live. What’s more impressive: A Guinness World Record or a shoutout on Saturday Night Live? Well,...
“Tony Hawk helps Navajo Nation community build skatepark” via NBC News (YouTube video)
The Diné Skate Garden, located in Navajo Nation in New Mexico, was created by local organizers with assistance from Tony Hawk’s “The Skatepark Project,” which helps bring skate opportunities to underserved communities. NBC News’ Steve Patterson spoke to young skaters,...
“VF Corp. shakes up top leadership at Dickies, Altra and Smartwool” by Natalie Schwartz via Fashion Dive
VF Corp., which owns the Vans and North Face brands, is attempting to regain footing after its former CEO abruptly resigned. Daphne Howland/Fashion Dive Dive Brief: VF Corp. tapped Todd Dalhausser as the global brand president of Dickies and made other changes...
“Retail Tech Opens a New Chapter” by Sarah Holbrook via The Robin Report
As the vernal equinox flips the calendar to Spring, festivals and innovation summits have emerged from hibernation. At the South by Southwest festival in Austin Texas, retail was downgraded from previous headliner presentations to a minor topic, but it did reinforce...
“TikTok remains top social app for teens despite drop in favorability, study finds” by Jessica Deyo via Retail Dive
TikTok is an incredibly popular social media platform with members of Gen Z, who have begun to age into the apartment rental market. Drew Angerer via Getty Images Dive Brief: TikTok remains teens’ most favored social media platform so far in 2023, though its...
“Uniqlo’s Parent Company Bets Big on Tiny RFID Chips” by WSJ Staff via Wall Street Journal
PHOTO: VICTOR J. BLUE/BLOOMBERG NEWS Next-generation self-checkout machines are part of a broader effort to improve the supply chain with radio technology, Fast Retailing CIO Takahiro Tambara says At Uniqlo’s Fifth Avenue store in New York, shoppers can checkout...
“Alexis Sablone Is Not Your Average Skateboarding Architect” by Bindu Bansinath via The Cut
For Alexis Sablone, skateboarding was never supposed to be the thing, which is not something you expect to say of a person who does their thing at the Olympic level. But Sablone is a multi-hyphenate who walks the walk, an artist and designer and architect with...
“How to Thrive in an Ever-Evolving Retail Landscape” by Lise Wilson via Total Retail plus intro to outstanding window graphics vendor who is providing a very special discount for BRA Retail Members
Credit: Getty Images by Hitoshi Yamada The retail industry has undergone a dramatic transformation in the face of factors such as Amazon.com's dominance and an uncertain post-pandemic landscape. To stay successful, retailers have had to adapt their stores rapidly —...
“Refresher on the PTE tax: What you need to know” by Marshall Varano of BRA Supporting Vendor Partner CohnReznick plus access to relevant and helpful CR / M1 collaborative on-demand webinar and special offer for BRA Retail Members
You can view this informative article in its original form by clicking on the original article. The pass-through entity (PTE) tax strategy is a work around to the limitation on the State and Local tax (SALT) deduction created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs...
“Spring Break Specialty Retail Report from Florida” by Kari Hamanaka via Shop Eat Surf
Quiet Storm in downtown Fort Lauderdale (top left), inside Island Water Sports (bottom left), and the board room at Nomad Surf Shop (right). Photo by SES. Florida specialty surf and skate shops will see one more big push of traffic flowing through their doors in the...
“Management One Retail Assessment and Audit exclusively available to BRA members during the month of March 2023, at no charge!” by Nico Cabral and Paul Erickson via Management One (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
Who is Management One? Management One is the leading provider of merchandise intelligence, planning, business insights, and education to thousands of independent retailers around the world. For nearly 35 years, M1 has leveraged its ability to collect, process, and...
“Snowboarding Could Be Banned at Another Resort” by Andrew McLemore via The Inertia
Mayflower would be missing out on an important part of snow culture. Photo: Jack Dawe How is this still a thing? At the moment, just a few major American ski resorts prohibit snowboarders: Mad River Glen in Vermont, and Deer Valley and Alta, both in Utah....
“How Will Price Increases Impact Consumer Purchase Behavior?” by Greg Carlucci via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by primeimages Over the last year, unprecedented inflation has caused dramatic shifts in consumer purchase behavior. According to Gartner research, 45 percent of consumers were extremely concerned about price increases heading into 2023....
“Would you like to get a better paycheck!” plus access to free webinar to show you how to pay yourself consistently and avoid burnout by Dan Jablons via Retail Smart Guys blog
How do you feel about your current paycheck? When I ask store owners about this topic, a common answer is: “I've never taken a paycheck. Never.” Others said they ARE paying themselves, but not consistently and not enough. And that’s just fine if this is just a hobby...
“How To Improve Your Retail Sales With Role Play” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
Nine powerful tips to improve this essential part of your sales training and grow your retail sales Are you looking for how to improve sales for your store? If you’re trying to grow your retail sales, role play is essential to your daily practice. Retailers who are...
“2024 Olympic Surfing at Teahupo’o: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” by Sam George via The Inertia
Just imagine putting an inexperienced young WSL or ISA Olympic hopeful into the kind of position that almost killed heavy water veteran Rodrigo Reinoso. Photo credit = Ted Grambeau Recent headlines concerning Kelly Slater’s Olympic aspirations has me...
“Retailers expect more tasks to be done by robots by 2025: report” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Courtesy of Simbe Robotics Dive Brief: Retailers foresee up to 70% of routine tasks to be wholly or partially automated by 2025, according to a 2023 Connected Retail Experience Study conducted by Incisiv in collaboration with Verizon Business. The use of...
“Ocean Pacific Apparel Founder Jim Jenks Dies, Helped Birth Modern Surf Industry” by Kari Hamanaka via Shop Eat Surf
Clockwise from top left: Jim Jenks in the Op days; Jim with his last truck; the famous Op corduroy shorts. Photos courtesy of Junior Jenks and the Surfing Walk of Fame. Jim Jenks, the former surf shop worker who turned Ocean Pacific into an industry-defining...
“Is Sporting Goods a Clear Pandemic Winner?” by Tom Ryan & 22 retail experts weigh in on the discussion via Retail Wire
Photo: Dick's Sporting Goods Sporting goods is increasingly solidifying its position among the “pandemic winners,” with sales for the three major publicly held chains, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports and Hibbett Sports, remaining well-above pre-pandemic levels....
“Balancing Inventory: Making Friends With Retail Pricing and Clearance Sales” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
What is the difference between a clearance and a sale? A sale is often a specific brand promotion or even a storewide discount. Why do stores have clearance sales? To help get some of their money back when an item doesn't sell in a profitable timeframe. Clearance or...
“Why Retailers Must Embrace the ‘Phygital’ Experience” by Lisa Schneider and Ashley McMillin via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by ipopba The whirlwind of the pandemic and the fluctuating economy over the last few years has left retailers quickly adapting to the new demands of today’s consumers. Now that the dust has settled a bit, retailers continue to look for new ways...
“Caity Simmers, João Chianca Win MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal” by Joe Carberry via The Inertia
Caity, at just 17, captured her first Championship Tour victory. Photo: Damien Poullenot//World Surf League “We’re seeing a generational shift here in Portugal.” Well, duh. That was overwhelmingly the overused phrase from the broadcast during the MEO...
“How consumers are celebrating a record-breaking St. Patrick’s Day – Lucky for retailers, people aren’t just wearing green — they’re spending it too” by Lea Grgich via National Retail Federation Blog
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, consumers are donning green clothes and buying green food dye in preparation for the lucky holiday — and more people are celebrating than ever before. This year, 61% of consumers plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, up...
“DISCUSSING ABDS, FILMING ETIQUETTE, AND NICHE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS” by Davis Campbell via Jenkem Mag
If you’re a skate nerd in 2023 it seems there’s no better place to be than on Instagram. For every niche you can dream of, there is a fellow skater out there compiling all known photos and clips of that specific skater, trick, or spot for your viewing pleasure. You...
“How to Engage Shoppers in Your Store: Say Goodbye to “How Can I Help You?”” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
Have you ever been in a retail store where the employees all seem like they'd rather be anywhere else but there? Maybe they're standing around chatting with each other or on their phones, or maybe they just have that vibe that conveys they don't want to be bothered...
“Don’t Ignore Email and SMS: Consumers Surely Haven’t” by Greg Zakowicz via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images Looking for a marketing edge? Of course you are, but little did you know that the elusive edge may be closer than you realize. Omnisend’s recently released yearly email and SMS marketing benchmark report analyzed more than 17 billion...
“US livestream commerce expected to surpass $31B in 2023: report” by Tatiana Walk-Morris via Retail Dive
Retrieved from Piqsels. Dive Brief: The livestream e-commerce market will reach $31.7 billion by the end of this year, nearly triple its size in 2021, according to a report by Coresight Research and Bambuser. The report projects that the market will reach $67.8...
“Dick’s Sporting Goods to Shutter Field & Stream Brand” by Joe Keenan via Total Retail
Dick's Sporting Goods is shifting focus away from its Field & Stream stores toward its House of Sport concept, a significantly larger — and more profitable — version of the familiar Dick's Sporting Goods store. Dick’s opened its first Field & Stream in...
“3 Ways to EVOLVE Your Social Media Webinar Replay” plus invitation for “3-Day Social Media Confusion To Confidence Challenge”, “Reels Means Deals Replay” & more by Crystal Vilkaitis of Crystal Media (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner)
Marketing is constantly evolving. If you are not keeping up, you're falling behind. But real change doesn't happen overnight. Last week, Crystal Media CEO and social media expert, Crystal Vilkaitis, presented an outstanding webinar called "3 Ways to Evolve Your Social...
“Zoi Sadowski-Synott and Travis Rice Win the ‘Gnarliest Natural Selection Event Ever’” by via The Inertia
Elena Hight with a tricky exit off a knuckle of terrain that suits her style perfectly. Photo: Tom Monterosso//Natural Selection The white dust has now settled on “Boulder Park,” a gnarled chunk of terrain in the Canadian Wilderness outside Revelstoke that...
“More specialty retailers are launching their own marketplaces” by Maria Monteros via Modern Retail
Ivy Liu Specialty retailers are the latest group to jump on the online marketplace train. Arts and crafts retailer Michaels recently announced the launch of its online marketplace, which would give shoppers access to 750,000 curated new products from...
“Sales Training – 5 of The Stupidest Questions to Ask Retail Shoppers” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
1. How are you today? Admit it, you don’t care; the shopper knows you don’t care. This leads the customer to parrot a specific answer, “Fine, and you?” To which the retail employee responds with another expected answer, “Fine,” or they launch into another unthinking...
“Should retailers open stores in malls or look outside for better results?” by Tom Ryan plus 20 experts weigh in on the discussion via Retail Wire
Bath & Body Works, among several chains reorienting their footprint away from malls, added 95 off-mall North American stores in 2022 and plans to open approximately 90 more in 2023. Forty-five of the stores Bath & Body Works closed in 2022 were...
“Kelly Slater Says He’ll Retire After the Olympics… If He Makes Them” by Alexander Haro via The Inertia
If Kelly Slater makes the 2024 Olympics at Teahupo’o, he says he’ll hang up the jersey. Photo: WSL Kelly Slater is pretty famous for retiring. Or not retiring, I guess. Famous for almost retiring? Famous for saying he might retire? Anyway, people talk about...
“Beyond the Resume: 3 Hidden Characteristics of Valuable Employees” by Mike Szczesny via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Luis Alvarez The question of employee engagement has never been more pressing. Coming out of the pandemic, there has been a shift in employee expectations about both pay and working conditions. With potential economic headwinds — e.g., debt...
“Skiers And Snowboarders, Men And Women Have Rare Chance To Compete Together In Dew Tour Superpipe Jam” by Michelle Bruton via Forbes plus video of big air and entire competition courtesy of Dew Tour
Ayumu Hirano competes in the Dew Tour High Air & Best Trick Jam at Copper Mountain MIKE YOSHIDA If you overhear someone today commenting on the “rivalry” between skiers and snowboarders, chances are they were around in the ’70s when snowboarders began to join the...
“LOUIE BARLETTA ON LEAVING ENJOI AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS” by Ian Michna via Jenkem Mag
It’s been a while since a move shocked the skate industry, but just the other day, the announcement of Louie Barletta leaving enjoi hit a lot of 2000s skate babies in the gut. After years of being one of the key and influential figures of the company, Louie...
“14 Ideas for Effective Retail Customer Service Training” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
Retail customer service training aims to create an exceptional customer experience. So, what goals do you focus on when you teach your employees how to give customers exceptional experiences? Sometimes good customer service means something quick, cheap, and...
“IN MEMORIAM: THOMAS F. TAYLOR (1966-2023)” by Cullen Poythress via Transworld Skateboarding
Thomas in the pages of TWS. Photo: King Thomas with Grant in the backyard bowl. Photo: @jt_lushbag In the light of the great past masters of our kind, none so embodied the spirit of the craft quite like Thomas Taylor. In our lifetime of friendship and hell raising,...
“3 Reasons Why Retailers Must Use TikTok to Grow Their Business” by Louie Bischoff via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Mario Tama I grew up with a self-employed retail family. Our "family trips" to other cities always involved going to a trade show or to see a new vendor. As a child, I felt slighted and disappointed that these "family trips" were really focused...
“Dick’s Sporting Goods heads for the big outdoors with Moosejaw deal” by George Anderson via Retail Wire
Dick’s Sporting Goods is acquiring Moosejaw from Walmart. The sporting goods giant made the deal to advance its ambitions in the multibillion-dollar outdoor retail market. According to The NPD Group, dollar sales in the outdoor specialty market grew seven percent...
“The Retail Party’s Not Over…It Just Has a Different Menu” by Warren Shoulberg via The Robin Report
A funny thing happened on the way to the next recession: the consumer said, “No thanks.” With surprisingly strong retail sales numbers for January, shoppers are continuing to act like it’s business as usual when it comes to buying things. Driven by high employment...
“Shopping for Relevance: How Retailers Can Increase Sales” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
With the rise of online shopping, retailers have to work harder than ever to attract and retain customers. Contrary to the old saw, shoppers only care about price; what shoppers are really looking for is relevance. Shoppers often find relevance in...
“January Retail Sales See Biggest Jump in Nearly 2 Years” by Maria Albiges via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by Oatawa U.S. retail sales increased by 3 percent in January, far exceeding expectations for the month, according to the Commerce Department. This is the largest increase since March 2021. The Commerce Department said Wednesday it...
“Louis Vuitton picks Pharrell Williams to lead men’s designs” by Annabelle Liang via BBC News
French fashion brand Louis Vuitton has named Grammy-winning producer, rapper, singer and songwriter Pharrell Williams as its new menswear creative director. The label described Williams as "a visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art, and to...
“Instagram sunsets live shopping as commerce retreat continues” by Peter Adams via Retail Dive
Image Retrieved from Instagram Instagram is sunsetting live shopping on March 16, according to a post on its website. The move is the latest in a series of commerce-related pullbacks from the Meta Platforms app and follows the removal of the Shop tab from its...
“Top 10 tips when preparing for a transaction” by Sharon Bromberg and Daniel Teoh of of BRA Supporting Vendor Partner CohnReznick plus access to relevant and helpful CR / M1 collaborative on-demand webinar
In our experience as diligence providers and financial advisors seated on each side of the deal, there are too many times we see owners leaving money on the table because they haven’t spent the time and effort necessary to put policies, procedures, and proper...
“Pat Fava, Egan Wint Win Red Bull Heavy Metal In Detroit” by Staff via The Inertia
Red Bull Heavy Metal at its best. Photo: RB Red Bull continued its revival of the decades-old Heavy Metal over the weekend. The event was brought back to life in 2022 after a 19-year hiatus, and on Saturday they transformed Detroit’s Hart...
“How To Visual Merchandise And Create Killer Retail Display Windows” by Bob Phibbs via Retail Doctor Blog plus intro to outstanding window graphics vendor who is providing a very special discount for BRA Retail Members
Visual Merchandising is something many retailers feel challenged by. What to put in the store window? What to put with it? How much to put in the window? These are great questions to ask yourself. After all, your window is your brand. It's a physical...
“Climate Solutions Advocacy: A Powerful Climate Action for Small Business Owners in Board Specialty Retail” by Laurel Eastman of Citizens Climate Lobby
Did you know that as small business owners in the board specialty retail industry, we have a unique opportunity to be leaders in the fight against climate change? Running a small business is a serious amount of work, so I’ll jump right to the good news. The most...
“Skate Shop Day happens in one week plus 2022 recap, link to SSD graphics & letter from Chris Nieratko (SSD Founder and owner of NJ Skate Shop)” reposted by Board Retailers Association
What is Skate Shop Day? Skate Shop 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 skateboarding as a whole. Skate Shop Day is meant to get...
“The Future of Retail Productivity” by Mikelya Fournier via The Robin Report
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, productivity across retail has not increased in nearly 30 years. In our digital marketplace, more data than ever is being acquired through multiple platforms emerging to keep up with unpredictable consumer behavior. This...
“9 Tips for Boosting Loyalty Program Success – How To Acquire, Retain, and Engage Your Customers” by ebbo via Napco Research
A confluence of factors, both internal and external, have led consumers to be less loyal to retailers and brands. Internally, the pressure on merchants to raise prices, lower product quality, or take a public stance on a divisive social issue, for example, are top...