State of Grocery Retail 2026: Eight Trends Reshaping the Category

Grocery is the most habitual category in retail: same stores, same brands, same routines, year after year. Yet the ground underneath that habit is shifting faster than the industry can handle.

U.S. grocery sales grew just 1.2% in 2025, driven by higher prices, not more items sold. Volume declined, and the slide has continued.

Retail media, ecommerce, private label, fresh, loyalty, and AI used to be six separate agendas. Rethink Retail’s new report, co-sponsored by Braze, argues they’re becoming one system: the one that earns the trip, builds trust, and drives profitable growth.

Download the report to learn:

• Why loyalty membership is the start of a data strategy, not the end of a campaign
• How to close the AI personalization gap between marketers and customers
• 5 imperatives separating grocery leaders from everyone else