by Board Retailers Association | Oct 17, 2021 | Educational Opportunity, HR, Industry, Resources, Retail Strategy, Statistics, Trade Shows
Concerns about the delta variant contributed to store traffic declines in July, combined with some signs that consumer confidence is wavering. The outlook for business in Q4 is nowhere near certain. In this Board Retailers Association (BRA) Retailer Roundtable panel discussion, the panelists speak about how these factors are affecting independent retailers plans for holiday selling this year. In addition, the panel explored and shared current pricing practices that have increased operating margins in their stores as well as significant staffing challenges. These competitive pricing and staffing strategies can be implemented in your store immediately. This remarkable panel was moderated by George Leichtweiss (BRA Chairman and owner of Modern Skate & Surf) and included Paul Erickson (Director and Senior Retail Consultant at BRA Supporting Vendor Partner Management One), Bruce Cromartie (BRA Board Member and Owner of BC Surf & Sport) and Doug Works (BRA Executive Director and former retailer). Push play to view this remarkable BRA Retailer Roundtable Panel Discussion from Surf Expo – 9 21 Massive thanks to Jesse of Podium (BRA Supporting Vendor Partner) for introducing their remarkable retail resource and sponsoring this outstanding event. Learn more about Podium in the following article: BRA Podium 4 Ways Article The video above serves as the 2021 3rd Quarterly BRA + Management One Webinar. At the end of the each Quarter, Board Retailers Association hosts relevant and helpful quarterly webinars on a variety of topics in collaboration with BRA Supporting Vendor Partner Management One. Push play to view the 2nd Quarterly BRA + Management One Webinar of 2021 Push play to view the 1st Quarterly BRA + Management One Webinar of...
by Board Retailers Association | Oct 14, 2021 | Corona Virus, Educational Opportunity, HR, Resources, Retail Strategy
Retailers and consumers alike had just started to feel hopeful about a post-pandemic future a mere few weeks ago. However, with the COVID-19 Delta variant quickly becoming a concern, retailers across the country have made the move to reinstate mask mandates indoors. Unsurprisingly, this latest round of mask mandates has come with mounting tensions. Many store associates have found themselves in very uncomfortable, and sometimes violent encounters with disgruntled customers, with facemasks continuing to pose a controversial debate. As such, with the onus sitting squarely on the shoulders of front-line employees to outline and enforce these mask mandates, many businesses are looking at proactive measures to help train and prepare workers for potentially highly charged customer encounters. Preparing Our People With Empathy Training During these challenging times, customer-facing employees will be looking for guidance on best practices and reassurance on how to handle potentially tense situations with customers. Signals must come from the top, emphasizing the importance of being confident and prepared with the skills needed to de-escalate stressful interactions. It often comes down to the ability to show empathy to those experiencing stress or anxiety. However, this typically doesn’t come naturally and requires proper training. This is why empathy training is key for giving front-line associates the tools to prepare for what they’re likely to face, such as what Walmart is doing with its beKIND program meant for teaching and measuring empathy in customer service. Customer-facing employees can benefit immensely by being able to embody the feelings of an anxious guest or customer. Through realistic, immersive training modalities, learners can better understand a customer’s point of view, whether or not they agree, in order...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 24, 2021 | Associate Members, Educational Opportunity, Retail Strategy
Companies from Amazon to Zoom are rethinking their customer experience in the post-COVID era. See how innovative retailers are responding with text-based messaging, touchless payments, and more. COVID-19 has completely transformed consumer behavior. 85% of consumers have chosen a new business because of pandemic friendly services and 86% say they expect businesses to be even more convenient after COVID-19 restrictions lift completely everywhere. It’s not surprising that 80% of consumers would like local businesses to continue offering curbside pickup options. Companies like Amazon, Doordash, and Netflix have also upped customers’ expectations for convenience. And retailers can meet these expectations with a few tips from the experts. In this session of the 2020 Total Retail Innovation Conference, Katie Osberg, Global Retail Partnerships Lead at Google, and Doug Regner, VP of Enterprise Sales at Podium, share four ways to power touchless retail with text messaging. Read on for the takeaways from this discussion: 1. Grow location reviews with text messaging. 89% of consumers begin their buying process with a search engine. Searches containing “near me” have grown 9x more popular since 2016. Google Map Pack chooses three businesses to highlight based on star ratings, number of reviews, and frequency of reviews. And 70% of clicks on a local search will happen in that map pack. In order to grow and optimize your online and local presence, you’ll need the help of reviews. Follow these steps to get started: Check to see if you’re listed on Google My Business. If not, create a Google My Business accountVerify your businessEnter or update business informationPeriodically add or update information, especially relating to COVID hours, pickup services, etc.Generate reviews The most effective...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 7, 2021 | Educational Opportunity, Industry, Kiteboard, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Skateboard, SUP, Surf, Trade Shows, Wake Skate, Wake Surf, Wakeboard, Women's Market
Surf Expo is the largest and longest running watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow in the world. Since 1976, retailers from around the globe have relied on Surf Expo to identify new trends, new brands, and to get business done. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this vibrant, award winning marketplace! Surf Expo is excited to welcome our board specialty retailers back to forge new relationships and celebrate old ones with Vendors and each other. The Surf team is committed to creating an event experience at the Orange County Convention Center’s West Concourse where their customers, partners and employees can safely and effectively conduct business. Show Dates: September 9th through 11th, 2021 (Waterfest Sept. 8th)Location: Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse, Orlando, FL | View Map Show Hours: Thursday & Friday: 9 am to 6 pmSaturday: 9 am to 4 pm Register for the Show: Click HereMake Your Hotel Reservation: Click HereTo view the Exhibitor List: Click Here BRA Specific Events at Surf Expo: BRA Retailer Roundtable Panel Discussion on The Stage (Thursday, Sept. 9th at 2 pm). BRA Retailer Gathering/ Happy Hour in The Neighborhood Lounge (Thursday, Sept. 9th at 4:30 pm). HEALTH + SAFETY GUIDELINES AT SURF EXPO Updated: August 27, 2021 In line with CDC guidelines, everyone is required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status while at the show and all show functions (this includes the show floor and registration areas). Masks will also be provided at the event if needed. Surf Expo is excited to welcome our buyers and vendors back to forge new relationships and celebrate old ones. Our team is committed to creating an event experience...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 3, 2021 | Educational Opportunity, Skateboard
What if I told you there are some spots that are centuries-old (maybe even millennia-old) that have never seen a truck touch the marble on which they’re built? Stairs that were graced by the feet of Greek gods that have yet to be kickflipped…Today, many of these ancient sites are overrun with clueless tourists and vendors peddling shirts with bad slogans like “I went to the Colosseum and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt.” It may make these spots seem like a nightmare to skate, but crowds and security have never stopped skaters from getting clips. We can’t condone skating these historic pieces of architecture and holy sites, but we also can’t say we would hate to see it go down. If you do decide to do a hardflip for Hercules, just don’t tell them Jenkem sent you. VALLEY OF THE KINGS, EGYPT The Valley of the Kings is an ancient burial ground for Egyptian Pharaohs and other dignitaries. King Tut is buried there if that interests you. If you’re reading Jenkem, it probably doesn’t. What should really interest you is the massive bank in front of the tombs. The ramp extends all the way from the top of the complex and is made of perfect limestone. Having never bombed a hill in Northern California myself, this looks like a more relaxed version for newcomers. Hopefully, none of the mummies lying nearby have cursed the spot and will only bless the session. VOLUBILIS, MOROCCO This is the El Toro of the Arab world. In recent years, crews have been heading to Morocco to skate the North African architecture...
by Board Retailers Association | Aug 23, 2021 | Competitions, Educational Opportunity, Industry, News, Skateboard
Dr. Neftalie Williams lecturing in his skateboarding course at USC alongside legendary skateboarder … [+]NEFTALIE WILLIAMS There’s no question that as skateboarding has soared into the Olympics this summer in Tokyo, it has reached new heights. But to Dr. Neftalie Williams, it would be a mistake—and a missed opportunity—for the world to focus on skateboarding reaching a new peak without considering the climb. A University of Southern California provost/postdoctoral scholar and Yale Schwarzman Center visiting fellow who studies the intersection of race, culture and community through the lens of skateboarding, Williams sees this moment as the culmination of decades of work building skateboarding culture. “This is the history of decades of fights and advocacy and allyship that has gone on to get us to the point where people are even interested in having us on a big stage,” Williams said. “The pinnacle for us in skateboarding is not that we went to the Olympics,” Williams added. “The pinnacle is when people celebrate and understand skateboarding culture; when the everyday person celebrates skateboarding culture, that’s the pinnacle.” How do we teach skateboarding culture to those outside the community? Well, what if skateboarding were included in the curriculum at Ivy League universities? That’s been Williams’ aspiration throughout his career as a sociologist, which saw him earn his undergraduate degree in communication and his master’s in public diplomacy at USC Annenberg, followed by obtaining a Ph.D. in sport and culture from the University of Waikato. With that background, he was able to teach the United States’ first course about skateboarding, USC’s “Skateboarding and Action Sports in Business, Media, and Culture.” In his new...
