In researching shopping patterns, Placer’s list has some easy-to-spot trends but also has discovered a few that are more difficult to understand. Placer studies consumer movements and activities in stores and in doing so, is able to see things from a perspective others may be too close to notice.
Here are Placer’s seven big trends to watch for next year:
1. Can You Say Bifurcation: it promises to be the word everyone will be using over the next year, signifying a deeply divided consumer base with retailers on the value and luxury ends of the spectrum picking up market share and those in the middle declining. It’s been going on for years but Placer says it’s only go get more so.
2. Have a Genuine Purpose for Your Store: Another trend that’s been building, authenticity is going to continue to get more important to shoppers looking for community involvement and real back stories.
3. Retail Platform Convergence: The era when retailers ran separate online and in-store operations is rapidly ending. Consumers want the convenience and value that each offers but they want it wherever they shop.
4. DTC Opening Stores Redefines Omnichannel: They were originally the anti-stores, but digitally native brands now moving into physical stores offer the best of both worlds.
5. Urban Brands Move into Suburbia. No longer content to just exist downtown, center-city retailers are finding the suburbs to their liking.
6. Target Gen Z Where They Live: If college markets are where to find next-gen consumers, it’s where brands and even malls are moving to.
7. Upscale Dining the Place to Reach that Luxe Customer: Just as better stores and malls are attracting the affluent so too are fine dining establishments.
With words like bifurcation, authenticity, value and the suburbs defining the new year, Placer says retailers must continue to be flexible. “In 2026, adaptability will be retailers’ greatest competitive edge. The next era of retail will belong to brands that can continue to refine their operating strategy – while staying true to a clear brand identity.”