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.

“Toxic SPF Is Costing You More Than You Think—Here’s What Smart Retailers Are Doing About It” by Maggie Raymond via BRA Blog

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...

“Why “Cash Is King” Kills Retail Sales (and Why Credit Card Fees Are Really Marketing Costs)” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

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...

“What About Brands?” by Jeff Harbaugh via JH & A Market Watch Blog

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...

“Wholesale Isn’t Dead, It’s Revitalizing Growth” by Shelley E. Kohan via The Robin Report

by admin | Jul 19, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, DTC, Industry, News, Opinion, Retail Economy, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies

The traditional wholesale model isn’t dying—it’s evolving into something far more strategic and profitable than many executives realize. The widespread belief that direct-to-consumer channels automatically deliver superior margins is a myth. Successful brands are...

“Retail Supply Chains Are Broken – Here’s How Unified Platforms Fix Them” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor Blog

by admin | Jul 9, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence / CHAT GPT, Brick & Mortar, News, Opinion, Resources, Retail Strategy, Retail Technologies, Sales Training

If you’ve spent any time in Enterprise retail, you’ve seen it: departments that don’t talk to each other, systems that weren’t designed to share data, and a patchwork of bolt-on software that leaves you with more questions than answers.I had a conversation...

“Can You Read a Customer in 30 Seconds? – take the quiz” by Bob Phibbs via The Retail Doctor blog

by admin | Jun 23, 2025 | Brick & Mortar, Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience, Customer Loyalty, HR, Opinion, Resources, Sales Training

Take our Retail Personality Styles Quiz to discover how you show up—and how to flex your style to sell more. Why This Quiz Matters Some associates connect instantly. Others lose the sale before “hello.”The difference? Knowing how to read personalities—and...