Consumer preferences are evolving faster than ever in the grocery industry. Factors like inflation and tariffs are changing the ways people shop. Is your store struggling to keep up with the latest trends?
We’ve been there. You’re trying to keep your store relevant and your customers happy. And just when you invest in the latest superfood item or checkout technology, a new trend pops up. You’re behind all over again.
Operating a grocery store in today’s environment is tricky. But keeping an eye on the latest trends helps you prepare in the areas that matter most.
This post covers six food trends to watch out for in 2026, and what actions you can take to stay on top of them.
Let’s dive in.
Why do grocery store owners need to track food trends in the first place?
Staying on top of the latest food retail trends is crucial for meeting customer demand, keeping your competitive edge, maximizing revenue, and future-proofing your business. However, trends come and go — so how can you tell which ones are worth investing in?
Here are some tips:
The key is to not be overly reactive. Don’t make drastic changes at every passing fad or news story. Instead, take a breath, look at your data, talk to your suppliers, and be strategic.
Most importantly, understand what customers expect from shopping at your business. What might be a big deal at corporate chains, like smart cart technology or AI chatbots, might not be relevant to your business.
Think of it like this: When you assess potential changes, make sure they align with what your customers actually want.
Related Read: 10 Key Performance Indicators for Grocery Stores
Identifying the most impactful food retail trends requires a mix of monitoring data and studying context clues. Put another way, if you feel like more customers are buying in bulk lately, check your sales numbers to see if that’s actually true (and not just a seasonal blip) before acting on it.
These insights help you keep your product mix, store layout, and promotions in line with changing demand. This way, you can make sure your store is fit for how your community shops today.
Let’s dive into six trends that could impact your small grocery business in 2026.
The cost of groceries rose by about 3.9% in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Unfortunately, while inflation is slowing down, prices are still going up thanks to tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and other factors. The USDA predicts grocery prices will rise another 2.7% in 2026.
The key takeaway? Rising prices mean more customers than ever are on the hunt for a good bargain. Small grocery stores and specialty markets are likely to see a dropoff in sales for generic items like toilet paper, paper towels, soft drinks, and snacks.
This is because small grocery stores can’t compete on price alone. As more people flock to discount retailers or large club membership stores for generic items, small grocery stores should trim back their selection and focus more on specialty items.
Grocery stores also need to pay special attention to price optimization, inventory efficiency, and targeted promotions and grocery store marketing efforts to balance margins and affordability.
Related Read: Tariffs and Grocery Store Owners: How To Raise Prices Without Losing Customers
Hand in hand with more budget-conscious shoppers is the rise of grocery e-commerce. More than 60% of U.S. households shopped for groceries online this year. Giants like Amazon and Walmart continue to dominate grocery delivery — but other online ordering methods, like curbside pickup or pickup in store, also saw growth.
Online grocery shopping is still relatively new among small, family-owned grocery stores. Delivery is often too expensive or complicated for these small businesses. But that doesn’t mean neighborhood grocery stores can afford to completely ignore online options.
If you want to maintain market share and keep your store afloat, consider investing in a user-friendly website and a point of sale (POS) system with e-commerce integration. This ensures that your inventory and outstanding orders sync across channels.
These cost-effective technologies also let you offer the basic level of connectivity customers expect without overhauling your entire business model.
Prices are going up, but that doesn’t mean people are eating worse. In fact, healthier, premium food is the biggest growth driver in the food industry as a whole. For many customers, finding a “good deal” isn’t just about finding something with the lowest price tag. People are looking for the best quality at a fair price.
Sustainability and brand ethics remain top of mind. Many people prefer to shop with trustworthy brands that share their ideals. Stores that position themselves as curators of sustainably sourced, ethical brands will immediately win over this segment of customers.
There’s also a portion of customers who, seeing prices rise everywhere, are doubling down on spending extra for better quality food and ingredients.
All of this is good news for family-owned and independent grocery stores. Specialty grocery stores typically work with local suppliers and companies, giving them a real chance to stand out from the crowd — and in some cases, justify charging premium prices that big-box stores can’t.
Bulk buying, whether through warehouse clubs like Costco or traditional stores’ bulk sections, appeals to modern customers for a simple reason: per-unit savings. Shoppers with memberships to warehouse clubs go more frequently for shopping than they did a year ago — and the trend isn’t slowing down.
But as mentioned earlier, price-conscious customers don’t just look for the lowest prices. Instead, people are on the hunt for promotional pricing and bulk discounts to get good food for less money.
Small grocers who partner directly with local food suppliers can set up larger orders if there’s enough demand. But there are other (easier) ways for specialty grocers to appeal to this customer segment with creative pricing and promotional deals.
Over 40 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits to get affordable access to groceries and food. Luckily, the number of third-party and online food services that accept EBT payment is growing, making food more accessible for this important group.
Practically speaking, it also means that this group of shoppers, once anchored to a few local stores, now has more choices.
For small grocery stores to serve their communities, they need to ensure that shopping both in store and online is easy for EBT users.
The news (and admittedly a lot of this article) focuses heavily on the economics of the grocery industry — but money and budgets don’t tell the whole story.
Some specialty groceries have found great success despite the economic uncertainty. One of the biggest reasons for that success is simple: the human element. Many people choose to shop at small businesses for the friendly atmosphere and expert recommendations they can’t get at big-box alternatives.
This has always been a huge selling point for small business groceries. But with so many customers being inundated with AI marketing from big-name grocery brands, your small grocery store can differentiate itself from the competition and endear itself to customers with helpful staff and personable marketing.
Small grocery stores should continue to put time and effort into hiring and retaining great employees. Focus on technology and training that help employees create a smoother shopping experience, make better recommendations, and reduce manual labor.
Loyalty programs remain an excellent customer retention tool going into 2026, too. Shoppers are using their preferred grocery retailer’s loyalty programs more this year — so by focusing on your program’s rewards and perks, you can give customers more reason to choose your store.
Knowing which trends to follow and which to pass on is always a tough decision. When budgets are tight and inventory costs are high, it’s even harder.
Having clear visibility into your store performance is essential for sorting short-term fads from meaningful trends. Luckily, the reporting and analytics tools in IT Retail are built specifically for grocery stores, giving you an unbiased view of sales, profit margin, department performance, and more.
Accurate data and confident decision-making are no longer just for corporate chains. IT Retail gives small business grocers like you the industry-specific tools you need to simplify operations and create a smooth customer experience. More than visibility, IT Retail helps you:
And that’s just the beginning. Schedule a personalized demo today to see how using software built for grocery stores can give you an edge in 2026.