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.

“Etnies, éS, and Emerica Closed E-Commerce Sites for Skate Shop Day” by Tiffany Montgomery via Shop Eat Surf

by admin | Mar 2, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Community, Customer Experience, E-Commerce, Event Planning, Holiday, News, Opinion, Shoe Market, Skateboard

Clockwise from top left: Swedish sales rep Ante with the Kiosk Skate Shop crew in Orebro, Sweden; Kevin “Spanky” Long delivered a hand-drawn postcard and donuts to Val Surf in Los Angeles; A special delivery of goodies for Slappy’s Garage in San...

“If You’re Always Running a Sale, You’re Always Losing Margin” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Feb 27, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Clearance Sales / Discounting, Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Event Planning, Resources, Retail Strategy

From independent boutiques to national chains, many retailers lean heavily on coupons, sales, and markdowns to drive traffic. On the surface, discounting seems like an easy win to boost sales. In fact, almost all American shoppers (a whopping 94%) redeem at least one...

“How One Surf Shop 2X Their Sales, Proving that “Core Culture” is the Ultimate Growth Strategy” by Mark Fletcher via the Trackfly Blog

by admin | Feb 14, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Data Driven Performance, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies, Skateboard, Surf, Surf Expo, Trade Shows

The story of Ocean Magic’s recent resurgence doesn’t begin in a corporate boardroom; it begins with a sponsored skateboarder being moved out of a pickleball store. A little over a year ago, Christian—now the shop’s manager—was running a completely different business...

“Curate or Get Curated” by Rich Honiball via The Robin Report

by admin | Feb 11, 2026 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Merchandising, Opinion, Retail Strategy

We live in an age of abundance: more information, more options, more products, more channels, more noise. On the surface, this abundance appears to be a gift—greater access, freedom, and personalization. But beneath that promise lies a growing tension: complexity...

“Gen Alpha loves brick-and-mortar retail. Here’s what they want when they shop.” by Erin Cabrey via Retail Brew

by admin | Feb 8, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Generations, News, Opinion, Predictions, Retail Strategy

Fly View Productions/Getty Images The generation craves in-person retail experiences much like Gen Z, but their experience growing up in virtual worlds have created unique expectations for in-store shopping. Just when it felt like we finally had a firm grip on what...

“How Dick’s Sporting Goods Built a $13.7 Billion Business by Putting Community First” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Feb 4, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, Community, Customer Experience, News, Opinion, Outdoor, Resources, Retail Strategy

“It’s Never Just a Baseball Glove”: The Story That Shaped Dick’s Culture Dick’s Sporting Goods built a $13.7 billion business by treating every customer as a human being first and a transaction second. At NRF’s Big Show this past...