Independent Retailers Had Good Start to 2026

Sales at independent, predominantly urban retail stores were strong, showing little impact from the “dry January” movement. Those are among the conclusions contained in the latest edition of NRSInsights, which collects sales data and analytics drawn from retail transactions processed through the National Retail Solutions point-of-sale platform.

“January same-store results again showed solid year-over-year growth in both dollar sales and transactions,” said Brandon Thurber VP, Data Sales & Client Success at NRS, which tracks purchases at roughly 33,500 independent retailers, including convenience stores, bodegas, liquor stores, grocers and tobacco/sundries sellers. “The three-month rolling average of same-store sales has increased by over 4% for eight consecutive months. Sequentially, sales decreased in-line with expected seasonal patterns after the holidays.”

As for “Dry January” – a public health initiative that calls for consumers to avoid alcohol during the month – it had “a more muted impact this year than we anticipated,” Thurber noted. “Sales across spirits remained resilient, with ready-to drink spirits performing particularly well. Also in January, nicotine alternatives sustained their upward momentum. Counterintuitively, frozen novelties – ready-to-eat frozen treats – increased by double digits year-over-year, despite frigid weather across many regions.”

When looked at on a geographic basis, the Raleigh–Durham market in North Carolina stood out as a top-performing place, while New York was among the weakest.

Click here for more from the NSI report.