Retail NewsRetail Industry Trends: Data & Market Analysis 2026

The rise of retail media, talent shortages, the growing influence of private labels, accelerated digitalization, and pressure to adopt sustainable practices are reshaping the rules of the game. Complete the subscription form below to receive our latest research and analysis delivered to your inbox each month. Integration planning often focuses on what is actually the tip of the iceberg, but numerous threats to value creation lurk below the water line.

• Social platforms are investing in trust, safety, seller onboarding, and content moderation to meet transparency requirements, enabling broader category participation with reduced risks.
• With a lack of data governance standards, agentic technologies are the wild west.
• Other retailers are reimagining the entire self-checkout process in order to lessen frustration among customers.
• That focus on execution was echoed at the CAGNY Conference.

These sources can also upsell, suggest coupons, and encourage customers to buy other items that they are likely to want based on their unique profile. The “try before you buy” model remains a powerful marketing and sales asset that makes customers feel more comfortable before they buy something. Additionally, they found that employees were more likely to be disrespected by customers if a store was understaffed, and 14% more likely to be bullied if a self-checkout was installed in their store. Which retail technologies are helping increase in-store sales in 2026? By providing AI models with relevant information about your store and products, agents can respond to customers at scale with relevant and useful information.

A majority of product innovation is concentrated among emerging brands; while those brands account for less than 2% of market share in their categories, they achieved 39% of category growth in 2024, up from 17% in 2023. In addition to the trends, he shares how they will impact packaging and merchandising priorities in the new year. Considering these and other factors, our resident retail expert, Leon Nicholas, VP of https://visitinprague.net/how-has-modern-retail-shaped-pragues-shopping-experience/ retail insights and solutions at Smurfit Westrock, generated his list of top retail trends for 2026. This only makes sense as it complements the industry’s current focus on ecommerce, which is expected to grow from $6.4 trillion in total sales in 2025 to $7.9 trillion by 2028. 87% of retailers have already deployed AI tech in at least one area of business, and 60% of retail companies are planning to increase spend on AI.

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The prices then automatically register on the self-checkout screen. This means consumers don’t need to scan each individual barcode at checkout. In December 2023, Affirm announced its BNPL service would be available at self-checkout kiosks in Walmart stores. This trend has been gaining momentum online for the past few years, but now it’s also working its way into physical stores. But for consumers who either don’t want to use a credit card or have reached their credit limit, buy now pay later (BNPL) options are a must-have checkout option.

Food prices are deflating Thanksgiving holiday celebrations

• Where things get dicey is the potential for these shopping agents to reshape influence away from traditional ad-driven funnels toward AI recommendations.
• E-commerce workers earn materially more, reflecting the logistics, technology, and fulfillment roles that dominate that segment’s payroll.
• In addition, the proliferation of small individual shipments (rather than bulky pallets to stores) and the need to manage integrated inventory in real time add layers of operational challenge.
• The introduction of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and predictive analytics has boosted the smart retail market growth.
• To support that mission, it’s possible that 3D planograms overlaid on top of a shelf or section of the store using AR could support retail workers.

NFC-based cards are convenient, fast, and difficult to steal and replicate. It’s critical that you educate your staff on how to detect these devices and protect your customers. More retailers than ever are using order pickup solutions at brick-and-mortar stores. This has potential to make retail workers more efficient and compliant with planogram setups.

The US continues to be a bright spot

Capital favored franchise‑led and existing‑asset strategies—capital‑efficient scaling, multilocation rollouts, and targeted repositioning—over new‑build supply and asset‑heavy expansion.11 12 Buyers focused on scaling platforms through adjacent formats, channels, and network build‑outs rather than distress‑driven consolidation. The increase reflected selective, capability‑led expansion rather than a broad rebound in traditional retail mergers https://2011shinsai.info/author/2011shinsai/ and acquisitions (M&A).

What Innovations Should Retailers Adopt in 2026 to Stay Competitive?

Intelligent retail ecosystems enable carriers to increase revenue per passenger while creating more relevant customer experiences. It’s why many airlines are turning to strategic partnerships to help, offering instant access to the tools and expertise required to thrive at speed. Promisingly, future-facing airlines are already investing in the tools they need to build this new era. Doing so will see airlines successfully re-imagine loyalty for a new era, meeting the fast-evolving expectations of 2026’s customers.

While shopping in person, 54% of grocery shoppers use retailer apps, 39% conduct a web search and 37% visit retailer or manufacturer websites on their phones. 71 percent are of grocery shoppers are digitally engaged while grocery shopping. There’s plenty of opportunity and the beauty industry is still growing but the way it’s growing is changing dramatically.