The Future of Specialty Retail Report 2026 | POS Nation

The Future of Specialty Retail: 2026 Trends & Predictions

See what liquor, cigar, and grocery stores are doing differently this year. 💡

It’s hard for specialty retailers to know where to bet their dollars right now.

Between shifting tariffs and regulations, tightening consumer budgets, and AI vendor pitches, many operators feel stuck between short-term fires and long-term planning.

So, where should you focus in 2026? Which trends actually matter, and which ones will fade after a few sales calls?

We talked to industry experts across liquor, tobacco, and grocery retail, compared what actually happened in 2025 against what we predicted, and found where smart operators are placing their bets for the next 18 months.

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What's inside your guide:

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Consumer spending patterns across liquor, tobacco, and grocery

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What we predicted correctly in 2025 and what blindsided the industry

Category-specific challenges and opportunities for each vertical

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How to vet technology vendors before signing contracts

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Which operational changes deliver fastest payback

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Home Town Liquor

Mary Klein
Rugby, ND

Queen City Package

Ritesh Patel
Gainesville, GA

RedBone's Spirits

Chad Svoboda
Fort Myers, FL

Duncan Corner Bottle Shop

Stephen Tang
Braselton, GA

Monroe Package Store

Sandip Patel
Clarkesville, GA

Riverstone Beverage

Kinnar Patel
Canton, GA

Charlie's II

Dave Crisafulli
Acworth, GA

Royal Liquor

Rajendra Patel
Columbia, SC

Steins & Veins

Randy Cook
Colorado Springs, CO

Liquor Stop

Lynn Ellison
Central City, KY

DEV Liquors

Jay Patel
Summerville, SC

Mount Julia Beer Company and Lebanon Wine & Spirits

Mike Ryan
Lebanon, TN

Sauce Monkey Spirits

Chuck Howard
Fort Mill, SC

Tipsy Bottle

Hitesh Patel
Fort Mill, SC

Liquor Store

Mitch Patel
Melbourne, FL

Super Liquor

Jason Horwitz
Las Vegas, NV

Epps Mill Market

Jamie Jennings
Christiana, TN

Convenience store

Quick Service Mart

Jennifer Armstrong
Knoxville, TN

Convenience store

The Market Al Fresca

Alisa Nazaro
Tewksbury, MA

El Rancho Supermarket

Laura
Riverside, CA

Captain Marden's Seafoods

Roy Marden
Wellesley, MA

Sophia's Greek Pantry

Valerie Georgoulopoulos
Lowell, MA

Mt. Plymouth IGA Fresh Market

Nisha Patel
Sorrento, FL

Green's Grocery & Cafe

Chris Tyler
San Angelo, TX

Market of Choice

Zack Wright
Eugene, OR

Mount Pleasant Seafood

Sarah Fitch
Mount Pleasant, SC

New Deal Fish Market

Carl Fantasia
Cambridge, MA

Williamsburg Market

Steve Smith
Williamsburg, MA

Broadway Marketplace

Charlie Bougas
Cambridge, MA

Barino's Market

Moe Aquino and Mike Barrett
Bronx, NY

El Molino

Pamela Sierra
North Charleston, SC

Rolling Hill Farms

Morgan Locker
Waxhaw, NC

Tobacco Town

Corey Grant & Ed Caster
Trenton, MI

Scenic City Cigars

Jason Rudolph
Chattanooga, TN

Huntington Humidor

James Thompson
Huntington, NY

F&M Cigars

Keith Brick
Phenix City, AL

Tinder Box

Craig Crass
Charlotte, NC

Dolphin Shop

Amber Grigas
Jensen Beach, FL

Western Ways

Jake Hobson
Forest, VA

The Candy Space

Chad Rabinovitz and Jeff Small
Lake George, NY

Gotta Have It

Peter Narita
Charlotte, NC

Tracy Ann's Events

Tracy Glynn
Sheboygan, WI

Trust Cellular

Saad Tahir
Gainesville, GA

Cell phone repair

GSM Warehouse

Tony Baker
Tampa, FL

Cell phone repair

Unlimit Yourself Wireless

Roberto Perez
Brooklyn, NY

Cell phone repair

Imperial Wireless Wholesale

Ammar Masood
Bronx, NY

Cell phone repair

X Wireless

Asad Mughal
Houston, TX

Cell phone repair

Phone Zone

Alex Ali
Lake Charles, LA

Cell phone repair

Phone World

Mohamed Zidan
Marksville, LA

Cell phone repair

AAA Phone

Risone Sadeqi
Houston, TX

Cell phone repair

Richlands Cajun Market

Tammy Heap & Russ Folly
Richland, NC