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National  + Retail  | 

Retail’s Winners for 2026 Combine Understanding and Execution

“If 2025 proved anything, it’s that the American consumer hasn’t stopped spending – they’ve just become incredibly selective about who earns their dollar,” Placer.ai says in a new white paper. Looking into 2026, the lesson is that retail success “isn’t just about weathering headwinds; it’s about identifying the specific operational levers that drive traffic.”

Titled 10 Top Brands to Watch in 2026, the white paper analyzes the data to identify 10 retail and dining standouts that are especially well-positioned for the year ahead. It notes that the diversity of formats and business models in the roster demonstrates that “there is no single path to success in 2026…

“As we move deeper into 2026, the brands that win will be those that, like the 10 profiled here, combine a clear understanding of their unique value proposition with the agility to execute on it,” the white paper states.

Read More News Stories About: Placer.ai
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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

  • ◦Economy
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