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.
“Bad Customer Service Examples: 50 Things Retail Employees Shouldn’t Do” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
Excellent customer service is dependent on your sales associates. Likewise, a bad customer service experience depends on your associates delivering poor customer service in your retail store. It doesn't matter if you are one of those brick-and-mortar retailers trying...
“Why E-Commerce Needs Brick-and-Mortar Retail” by Lukas Martinelli via Total Retail
As e-commerce has exploded in popularity, the question of how brick-and-mortar retailers would fare in the future has been widely debated. The notion of a “retail apocalypse” reached a crescendo during the pandemic as year-over-year e-commerce grew two to five...
“Core Issue: Let’s Start Calling ‘Epoxy’ Surfboards by Their Proper Name” by Sam George via The Inertia
Under the talented feet of Kelly Slater, the advantages of a board constructed primarily of expanded polystyrene foam become abundantly clear. Photo: Todd Glaser Editor’s Note: Welcome to our new series, “By Design” with Sam George that examines the genius, and...
“Happy Holiday Shopping” by Andrew Mantis via The Robin Report
It’s no secret the holiday season is a key sales period for retail, travel, and many other industries, so much so that these sales can make or break a business, large or small. With high inflation and fears of consumers pulling back, there are a lot of unknowns this...
“Open To Buy: Merchandise Doesn’t Get Better With Age” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
Holding on to old merchandise can kill your profit margins. That's why it is so important to learn about open-to-buy when running a retail store. Many retailers have had to deal with an excess of merchandise due to lower demand, it is still your money sitting there...
“The future of Class C malls: Renovation, services help revive vacant plazas” by Melissa Daniels via Modern Retail
Ivy Liu This story is part of The Great Mall Overhaul, a joint Modern Retail and Glossy editorial series looking into all the ways the businesses underpinning malls have been upended. For years, a 25,000-square foot space that once housed a Big Deal Outlet...
“Holiday Shopping Habits Unwrapped: What’s Impacting Consumer Spending? As holiday shopping begins to accelerate, here are four trends retailers can expect to carry through the season” by Tom Niedbalski via Total Retail
Credit: iStock.com by Coolpicture The holiday shopping season is upon us and retailers are keen to understand what will drive consumer spending this year. With global supply chain issues and inflation on the rise, consumers are changing their spending...
“5 Reasons Why Surfers Are Just the Worst” by Alexander Haro via The Inertia
A surfer, contemplating why he too is just the worst. Photo: Unsplash I love to surf. I love surf culture. I love surfers. I love the little things that make surfing and surf culture what it is. And those little things, a lot of the time, are absolutely...
“USA Skateboarding Announces Eric Koston as Team Captain” via Press release from USA Skateboarding
Eric Koston and Johnny Schillereff. Courtesy of USA Skateboarding PRESS RELEASES | Published Nov 9, 2022 USA Skateboarding, the National Governing Body for Skateboarding in the United States, today announced it has named Eric Koston, one of the sport’s most...
“How To Decorate Your Retail Store For The Holidays” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor
Decorating a store goes to the heart of what makes great retailing. During these times, it will be the deciding factor to WOW wary shoppers. Various seasonal times and holidays can inspire retailers to create magic for their customers. The return of colored...
“The X Games Has New Owners. Here’s What It Means for Fans of Action Sports.” by Frederick Dreier via Outside Magazine
Lead Photo: Tamara Susa / ESPN Images We interviewed Steve Fliser, the new CEO of the X Games, about his vision for the annual summer and winter extreme sports competitions The X Games have helped define action sports for an entire generation of Americans,...
“If You Have Fears Of Recession 2022 for Retail, Take Hope” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
You can’t open your browser without someone somewhere scaring you about an upcoming cataclysmic recession. A bit of education. Recessions last between two and 18 months, with an average of 10 months. By definition, we are already in one with two consecutive quarters...
How to Effectively Communicate the Big Ideas That Set Your Business Apart From Other Brands This Holiday Season by Christena Garduno via Total Retail
Credit: iStock.com by Kseniya Ovchinnikova With unprecedented global economic challenges, retailers should dedicate their efforts and resources to what they can control during the upcoming holiday season. In the previous year, the retail sector achieved a 16 percent...
“No, Black Friday isn’t here quite yet” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive A few retailers held splashy sales early in October. But so far discounting is down from last year despite reports of high inventories and wary consumers. A flurry of pre-Halloween blockbuster sales made a lot of observers wonder if the...
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ILLEGAL CIV? by ALEXIS CASTRO & IAN MICHNA via JENKEM MAG
By now, you probably have seen the commotion going down on Instagram surrounding Illegal Civ’s latest video, Hell Week. Illegal Civ has been gearing up to release their next full-length video and recently dropped a promo vlog and an official trailer on the brand’s...
NRF Predicts Healthy Holiday Sales as Consumers Navigate Economic Headwinds by Daniel Inman via National Retail Federation
WASHINGTON – Holiday spending is expected to be healthy even with recent inflationary challenges, as the National Retail Federation today forecast that holiday retail sales during November and December will grow between 6% and 8% over 2021 to between $942.6 billion...
“Small retailers again struggling to pay rent” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive plus BRA intro to someone who can create leverage for you and save you money on your next lease renewal
Dive Brief: Rent delinquency among smaller retailers took a turn for the worse in October, with 43% saying they couldn’t cover their October rent in full this month, up 12% from last month, according to a report from small business referral network...
“5 Cash Flow Tips For Independent Retailers In October” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
The holiday season is about to begin, and every retailer is glad for it because cash flow will seem to get better. Let's temper that a bit because Christmas 2022 is on a Sunday, which removes one of those important sales-generating days because people may...
“Modern Machines: A Brief History of the Mid-Length Surfboard” by Sam George via The Inertia
Mr. February, a mid-length, and the highline. Photo: Screenshot Editor’s Note: Welcome to our new series, “By Design” with Sam George that examines the genius, and sometimes the mystery, of surfing’s storied design history. Sam has been writing about...
“Retailers Are Bringing Digital Precision to Their Physical Stores Via Smart Camera Technology” by Andrew Dallman via Total Retail
The internet provides retailers endless amounts of precise, real-time information and insights into the shopper’s journey. What are they searching for? What are they clicking on? At what point do they fall out of the sales pipeline? In a brick-and-mortar store,...
“Adidas drops the other shoe on Ye” by George Anderson via Retail Wire
Adidas yesterday ended its partnership with Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, following a series of antisemitic remarks he has made recently in multiple forums. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they...
“UPS and FedEx rate increases are coming. Here’s how shippers can prepare.” by Max Garland via Retail Dive plus link to learn more about BRA Discount Shipping Program
Lana Provost, a UPS package handler, loads packages into a truck at the UPS Centennial Ground Hub on December 6, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. UPS and FedEx have announced their delivery rates will soon increase by 6.9% on average. Jon Cherry/Getty Images via...
“BRA LIG Solutions Member Health Insurance Coverage Overview Webinar is now available to view on-demand right here” by Doug Works via BRA YouTube Channel
This informative presentation delivered by Tim McNichols of BRA Supporting Vendor Partner LIG Solutions (on October 4, 2022) lasted less than 40 minutes and discussed the following: WHAT KIND OF COVERAGE IS INCLUDED IN THE BOARD RETAILERS ASSOCIATION HEALTH PROGRAM?...
“7 Essential Retail Manager Skills Your Store Needs To Succeed” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
What retail manager skills does your store need to succeed? Managers need a host of interpersonal skills to execute a management plan and help retail stores boost sales. One thing that can compromise a store is that most retailers promote from within, and while that...
“Outdoor Retailers Give Customers Their Expertise for Free. Should They? – Here’s how shops can monetize non-paying customers who just want free information” by David Gladish via Outside Business Journal
Photo: Nikola Stojadinovic/Getty If you’ve ever worked in outdoor retail, you are probably all too familiar with a particular customer. They come in, use up your time and expertise to gain product knowledge and find the proper fit, subtly (or not so subtly) take a...
“Here’s How Josh Kerr Made Parenthood and Life on the World Tour Look So Good” by Joe Carberry via The Inertia
Josh raised his son Colin and daughter Sierra with his wife Nikki while negotiating the CT. Photo: J Bonner The life of the professional surfer, snowboarder or skier sounds pretty amazing, right? Riding powder in exotic locations, boat trips to far-flung...
“The unique abundance of skate culture, with the first Ambassador of Skateboarding” by Neftalie Williams and Sam Firman via AdventureUncovered.com
WILLIAMS DOING A NOLLIE BACKSIDE TAILSLIDE SHOVE-IT, Image courtesy of Rachele Honcharik Neftalie Williams is a scholar, teacher, writer, founder, bridge builder and the first Ambassador of Skateboarding. But first and foremost, underpinning it all, he’s a...
“Tips to Help Retailers Hire for the Holidays” by Brian Brinkley via Total Retail
Retailers should be preparing for peak season hiring as the holidays are just two months away. Since many retailers have struggled to fill open positions over the past year and a half, the thought of hiring enough seasonal help could be frightful, rather than...
“Retailers Are you Blaming the Customer or Selling the Experience?” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
I love checking out art museums on vacation. I usually meet the docent because I stand too close to the artwork and get an occasional “Step back, sir.” Art museums are sterile and quiet with people glaring at you, protecting the art. Music stores and other retail...
“WE CHECKED OUT SOME BOOKS PENNED BY SKATERS” by Matt L. Roar via JENKEM Mag
Every skater can name everything about their first deck or skate video. You remember the songs, the tricks, the outfits. You remember the art on your earliest completes, T-shirts, wheels, and if you’re a big enough nerd you can even recognize the visual aesthetics of...
“TikTok’s latest ad product rollout aims to make creators’ (and advertisers’) lives easier — for the most part” by Krystal Scanlon via Digiday
Creators are having a hard time right now: canceled deals, stretched payment terms, even revenue shake ups from the platforms. It’s tough times for anyone in the content-making business. But it doesn’t have to be, according to TikTok. Or more to the point, it won’t be...
“What September’s retail sales mean for the holidays” by Daphne Howland via Retail Dive
Elenathewise via Getty Images Consumers are spending and shopping early, but inflation is still squeezing their budgets. Retailers have their work cut out for them this season. All year, inflation, plus late-pandemic changes in how people work and play, has skewed...
“Has Surf Culture Outgrown Competitive Surfing?” by Sam George via The Inertia
A scene that after all these years, isn’t that different from the one below. Photo: Sean Rowland//WSL I was never much of a professional surfing competitor. Meaning an honest personal assessment would place me far from a serious contender, but more like an...
“‘Special day’ promotions can give retailers the distinction they need” by Tom Ryan via Retail Wire plus board specialty specific holidays for you to embrace and celebrate
A new university study finds that consumers are more likely to use discounts celebrating a “special day” — such as pizza/pie promotions or 31.4 percent discounts for Pi Day (March 14) — than for standard holidays or one-day sales events. The research...
“9 Ways To Increase Employee Retention In Your Retail Store” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
When employees leave – either because you fired them or they quit by choice, their absence leaves a hole. Retailers hate holes… in merchandise, displays, and schedules. The more employee turnover you have, the more holes you have to deal with, and the more costly it...
“New Book ‘SURFER Magazine 1960-2020’ Captures Essence of Publication’s Six-Decade Run” by Sam George via The Inertia
The Chris Burkard shot from Iceland made famous in the pages of SURFER. Like just about every other surfer over the age of, let’s say, 20, I distinctly remember the very first issue of SURFER magazine I ever saw. It was the summer of 1967, and as...
“An ‘Old’ Technology Just Might Help Retailers Battle the Labor Shortage” by Kimberley Dobny via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER Frontline employees are vital to a retailer's operation. The quality of a customer's experience is directly related to the level of employee engagement. When customers need assistance, they expect fast, reliable...
“REI commits to closing stores on Black Friday forever” by Cara Salpini via Retail Dive
On Oct. 4, 2022, REI announced a commitment to shutting its stores every year on Black Friday in favor of time spent outside. Courtesy of REI Dive Brief: After seven years of closing its doors on Black Friday, REI is making the tradition permanent, the...
“Sign the Petition for a Designation Plaque for Velzy’s, the Worlds First Surf Shop” by Jaqueline May via MoveOn.org petitions
Dale Velzy opened the world’s first surf shop at 117 Manhattan Beach blvd, Manhattan Beach, California in 1950. We support installing a bronze plaque to designate this historical spot. Why is this important? There are numerous bronze plaques around Manhattan Beach...
“Why Retailers Should Display Christmas Merchandise Before Halloween” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
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...
“3 Pillars of a Great In-Store Experience” by Bobby Marhamat via Total Retail
Brick-and-mortar retailers must never lose sight of what the average customer wants. Keeping tabs on shoppers’ most pressing needs is, more than anything else, the recipe for success. Based on Raydiant’s State of Consumer Behavior 2022 report, there are three...
“NOT ANOTHER 2022 DIME GLORY CHALLENGE RECAP” by Alexis Castro via Jenkem Mag
It’s been three years since the last Dime event, so when they announced the return of the Glory Challenge a few months back, I knew we had to figure out a way to be there. Skateboarding had missed what many would argue is the best “contest” in the game, so it was...
“Patagonia: Conscious Capitalism” by Robin Lewis via The Robin Report
I’m offering yet another report on Patagonia that I’m tossing into the ring, now full of one adulatory article or broadcast interview after another. However hesitant I was to follow lemming-like this cascade of applause for Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard, I...
“How retailers are hiring for the holidays in 2022 – In preparation for demand, some companies are staffing for the season similarly to 2021 while others are reducing their efforts.” by Staff via Retail Dive
Hiroko Masuike / Stringer via Getty Images The backdrop of this holiday season looks quite different than last year’s. While many consumers have adopted a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy with in-store shopping, inflation has largely hampered the...
“Vans Brooklyn Block Party” by Staff via Transworld Skateboarding
Located in Brooklyn’s bustling Bushwick neighborhood, Vans’ Skate Space 198 is an NYC skater’s oasis that first opened its doors to the city’s skateboarding community in January 2020. Now, more than two and a half years later, Vans Skateboarding is...
“Core Retailers Weigh In on Potential Boardriders Sale” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf (Executive Edition)
By Tiffany Montgomery | Published Sep 26, 2022 Quiksilver, Billabong Men’s, Roxy, Billabong Women’s and RVCA make up a sizeable chunk of the total sales mix of many core surf accounts. We asked Maui Nix, Surfside Sports, HIC, BC Surf & Sport, Hansen’s,...
“How Technology Can Help Small Retailers Stay Fully Operational With Fewer Associates” by Amanda Honig via RIS News
Facing unprecedented and challenging market disruptions, forward-thinking small business owners are turning to technology to maximize productivity and profits. What’s more, investments in the right technology can elevate the overall shopper experience, even when there...
“Did Target just move Black Friday up to October 7?” by George Anderson plus retail industry experts weigh in on this important question: “Has the beginning of October replaced Thanksgiving week as retail’s start to the holiday season?” via Retail Wire
Christmas creep is dead. Retailers moving their holiday promotions up from Thanksgiving Day week is now just business as usual. It is for Target, which announced it is kicking off its holiday season push with its biggest ever “Deal Days” promotion running...
“World Surf League Releases 2023 Schedule: Surf Ranch, Trestles Return” by Joe Carberry via The Inertia
Will Filipe defend his title? The schedule would seem to support a repeat run for the Brazilian. Photo: Pat Nolan//World Surf League With the 2022 season freshly minted, the World Surf League wasted little time in releasing its 2023 schedule....
“Rebound for Retail: How Mobile Can Achieve Memorability for Retailers” by Paul Coggins via Total Retail
Credit: iStock.com by Anita Kot Over the past few years, there’s been an increasing shift towards online retail, particularly with many of the attitudes adopted over the course of the pandemic now a part of everyday life. And many of these transactions are being...
“What Is Your North Star?” by Deborah Patton via The Robin Report
Do you know your organization’s North Star? Or maybe a better question is whether your organization even has a North Star. Not to get all astronomical on you, but Dr. E.C. Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and a world-renowned expert in...
“How To Make Your Retail Store Instagram-Worthy” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog
Today's retail landscape is all about being Instagram-worthy. Consumers and influencers are always on the lookout for new, unique, and visually appealing places to take photos and videos for their social media channels. As a retailer, you can capitalize on this trend...
“The Surfing World Owes Stephanie Gilmore an Apology” by Ben Mondy via The Inertia
She earned it. And we forgot about her. Photo: Thiago Diz//World Surf League “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” wrote bad boy Billy Shakespeare. Or in Stephanie Gilmore’s case, some quietly achieve GOAT...
“The Simple Way to Drive More Retail Foot Traffic” by Peter Biagioli via Total Retail
Credit: Getty Images by SolStock We’ve all witnessed the pandemic’s devastating effects on retail shopping and the significant downturn in customer foot traffic in-store, but experts now point to a major shift in customer behavior. Recent figures, including the...
“NRF Reports Retail Shrink Nearly a $100B Problem” by Daniel Inman via National Retail Federation
WASHINGTON – Retail shrink, when taken as a percentage of total retail sales in 2021, accounted for $94.5 billion in losses last year, up from $90.8 billion in 2020, according to the 2022 National Retail Security Survey released today by the National Retail...
“How to Use Humor in Your Sales Presentation – the More Laughs, the More You Sell” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog
Want to increase your sales? Try adding humor! Here are eight tips for incorporating humor into your retail store or in-person sales presentation. With all the focus on features and benefits from manufacturers, many retail sales presentations can be dry and boring....
“Sandia Peak Ski Area to remain closed for second year” – A result of climate change and staffing issues by Scarlett Lisjak via SIA Newsletter shared article
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia Peak Ski Area officials recently announced they will be closed this winter, for the second year in a row. The lack of snow on the mountain for the past five years has created a snowball effect. For the first time in at least the past...
“Why Is Surfing So Good for Us? A Neuroscientist and a Writer Offer Clues” by Owen James Burke via The Inertia
Maybe it’s simply moments like this that make us happy? Photo: Paz Arando//Unsplash “Surfing is the source, man. It’ll change your life. Swear to God.” – Surf shop grom from Point Break Sappy, soppy, mystical explanations and platitudes abound for...
“5 Key Trends to Watch in Modern Retailing” by Nick Gurney via Total Retail
Credit: iStock.com by Tzido The shift from physical to digital retail was well underway before the pandemic hit, but the closure of physical locations has accelerated the trend. This has exposed a weakness in sales for many retailers that have been slow to adapt to...
“Why Microplastic Pollution is Still Fashion’s Concern” by Catherine Schetting Salfino via The Robin Report
Although numerous residents of New Jersey are still openly bemoaning the plastic bag ban that took effect in May, millions of people around the globe are participating in Plastic Free July, an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, an organization...