Below you will find helpful and relevant articles that we carefully curate for the benefit of our B.R.A. Retail Members almost every day. Be sure to scroll through the most recent article or use the Search/Lookup feature to find topics and keywords related to articles that may help you to lower costs, increase margins or create more remarkable customer experiences.
by admin | Oct 20, 2025 | Opinion, Outdoor, Product Reviews, Skateboard, Snowboard, SUP, Surf
Sunscreen is a staple in any outdoor, resort, or beachside retail environment—but many retailers are just now waking up to a growing problem: the harmful ingredients hiding inside conventional SPF. For shop owners and buyers trying to align their inventory with...
by admin | Oct 11, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Credit Card Processing, Customer Experience, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
Credit card customers spend more than cash customers … a lot more. Research shows card users spend 12 to 18 percent more per transaction than those paying with cash. The Federal Reserve found non-cash purchases average more than four...
by admin | Oct 8, 2025 | Apparel /Fashion, Community, Industry, News, Outdoor, Trade Shows
Outdoor Retailer has a new agenda for its reimagined trade show, which now sees it setting up shop in Minneapolis. Outdoor Retailer is moving again, this time to Minneapolis as it looks to rebuild its presence in the trade show circuit. The Colorado Convention Center...
by admin | Sep 29, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Community, News, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies, Surf
Hi, I’m Cheyne Cottrell, General Manager and Co-Owner of Island Water Sports. My family has been riding the waves of the surf retail industry since 1977. This is my short story of how we navigated decades of challenges and expanded into new opportunities. I’ve also...
by admin | Sep 23, 2025 | Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, Direct Mail, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
Customer acquisition costs are up 38%, while retention rates keep sliding. Your marketing budget is working harder and delivering less. Your best customer hasn’t walked through the door in three months. Meanwhile, you’re on your 17th email blast… and they forgot about...
by admin | Sep 17, 2025 | Competitions, News, Skateboard
NBA free agent Gary Payton II is flipping the game and this time it is on a skateboard He just launched The Skate Board Association, a professional league that is all about giving skateboarders the recognition and cash they deserve. Skateboarding magazine According...
by admin | Sep 16, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Community, Data Driven Performance, Industry, News, Resources, Retail Partners, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies, Surf Expo, Trade Shows
The surf and skate industry’s main data firm is joining forces with a data company that provides a unified platform that is compatible with all retailer and POS systems, which will reduce data turnaround from days to hours. TrackFly, a company specializing in...
by admin | Sep 4, 2025 | Industry, News, Opinion, Resources
Many years ago, I wrote a Market Watch column on branding. I opined that the importance of brands might be declining in the action sports world as products became reliable and similar. My friend and, at that time, editor Sean O’Brien at Transworld thought...
by admin | Aug 31, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Footwear, Industry, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy
A Foot Locker store in Chicago. The proposed acquisition would combine Foot Locker’s 2,400 stores with Dick’s Sporting Goods’ 800 or so. Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive Dick’s Sporting Goods said Tuesday the deal has received all regulatory approvals and should close...
by admin | Aug 27, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Sales Training
Your customer surveys are lying to you. I know that’s harsh, but it’s true. Those QR codes and website URLs printed on every receipt? The feedback they generate is about as reliable as asking your mother if she likes your cooking. Receipt surveys attract...
