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.

“5 Reasons To Shop at Your Local Skateshop” by Blair Alley via Transworld Skateboarding

by admin | Feb 14, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Event Planning, Holiday, Industry, News, Retail Strategy, Skate Art, Skateboard

As Skate Shop Day approaches, here are five reasons to support your local skate shop. Supporting your local skate shop is one of the most important things you must do as a skateboarder. Artist Henry Jones has a beautiful breakdown of his top five reasons...

“As Corporate Surf Shops Shutter, Independent Shops Offer a Path Forward” by Jake Howard via Surfer.com plus link to SES article about Liberated Brand Retail Store Liquidation

by admin | Feb 12, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Commercial Real Estate, Industry, News, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Surf

ecker Surfboards in Malibu may be closing, but in its wake shop manager Mitch Taylor sees an opportunity to open his own business. Malibu‘s had a rough go lately, and the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Liberated Brands isn’t helping. Caught in the downward spiral of the...

“OK Gen X: Purchasing Behavior of the Sandwich Generation” by Jasmine Glasheen

by admin | Feb 8, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Community, Consumer Behavior, Generations, News, Retail Strategy

Which generational cohort has big middle-child energy? Enter the least discussed generation of all, born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X is dubbed “the Sandwich Generation” because they’re sandwiched between infamous baby boomers and equally infamous millennials. Gen X...

“Why Personalization Remains an Advantage for Independent Retailers” by Gourav Pani via Total Retail

by admin | Feb 4, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Local Search, News, Opinion, Retail Strategy

Credit: iStock.com by Marko Geber In today’s world, mega-retailers have changed the way we shop. They offer same-day delivery and auto-shipment and sell cheaper versions of popular brands. Because of this, consumers now expect faster, easier transactions. Yet,...

“How Retailers Are Investing in Their Sales Associates” by BOF Insights, McKinsey & Company via Business of Fashion

by admin | Jan 30, 2025 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, HR, News, Retail Strategy, Sales Training

Sales staff have a valuable role to play in connecting with customers. (Shutterstock) Differentiating the in-store experience is key to reigniting demand for in-person shopping, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025. Brands can achieve that by empowering...

“Unconventional Experiential Retail Strategies” by Brian Delp via The Robin Report

by admin | Jan 20, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Event Planning, News, Retail Strategy

In today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape, consumers are increasingly prioritizing experiences over products. This shift, coupled with tighter discretionary spending, demands that brands rethink their experiential retail strategies. The key question has morphed...