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.

“How to Develop Retail Managers From Within” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Jan 7, 2026 | Brick & Mortar, HR, Opinion, Resources, Sales Training

Your store manager is buried. They’re unpacking boxes at 6 AM, fixing the display that nobody else can seem to get right, covering a call-out on the register, and trying to squeeze in interviews for the third assistant manager who quit this year. Meanwhile,...

“How Retailers Can Mobilize for Peak Season: A Holiday Readiness Checklist” by Joel Mathew via Total Retail

by admin | Dec 17, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Holiday, Opinion, Resources

Credit: Getty Images by Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury With holiday 2025 in full swing, retailers must ensure their technology and operations can support rising demand and higher consumer expectations. This comes at a time when mobile technology is emerging as the critical...

“Why small businesses must go narrow (extremely narrow) to survive – The path to success runs through radical specialization” by Faisel Hoque via Fast Company

by admin | Dec 15, 2025 | Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy

A few blocks from my home sits a small Japanese grocery store that has been in the neighborhood for years. It’s the kind of place that once felt irreplaceable—carefully sourced ingredients, shelves stocked with items I couldn’t find in mainstream supermarkets, and an...

“An Ode to Simply Waiting For Waves” by Brian Sousa via The Inertia

by admin | Dec 9, 2025 | Community, Opinion, Surf Expo

Because it’s always worth the wait. Photo: Jarno Colijn//Unsplash f you added up the seconds that a good surfer actually spent riding the waves, it would amount to only the smallest fraction of an entire life.” -Ellis Avery, “The Surfer’s Secret to...

“From Clicks to Bricks: Taking Full Advantage of In-Store Pickup” by Grant Gustafson via Total Retail

by admin | Nov 27, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Customer Experience, Customer Service, E-Commerce, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy

Paths to purchase have changed significantly over the past decades, with customer journeys nearly unrecognizable compared to those of the early 2000s. With the internet at their fingertips, shoppers are more informed, connected to brands, and able to discover new...

“Solving the Supply Chain Puzzle: How Inicio Apparel Delivers High-Quality Blanks Without the Hassle” by Alyzah Mohammed

by admin | Nov 15, 2025 | Apparel /Fashion, Brick & Mortar, News, Opinion, Outdoor, Private Label, Resources, Surf

Why retailers are turning to this solution as a smarter, more sustainable alternative to traditional sourcing models. In today’s retail climate, finding high-quality blank apparel that’s both reliable and affordable shouldn’t feel like a gamble. But for many...