Circana

CHICAGO and NEW YORK — Sept.

New market research singles out trends in dining occasions — literally. One notable takeaway from Circana’s latest Eating Patterns in America report is the rise of solo meals, both at home and away from home. The recently released study showed that consumers are eating alone across locations and dayparts.

CHICAGO, August 31, 2026 – The new school year brings with it a return to academic routines, and the kickoff to a fresh sports schedule. According to retail sales data from Circana, LLC, junior team sports equipment sales reached $1.6 billion in the U.S. during the 12 months ending July 2026, growing +3% year over year as unit sales declined -3%. The dollar increase was driven largely by higher average selling prices, which rose +7% during this period.

The term “collaborate” is often used in discussions between suppliers and retailers. Taken to the next level, formalized retailer collaboration initiatives can lead to win-win-win opportunities for brands, sellers, and consumers. By Jim Carlson 31 Aug 2026 Retailer-manufacturer collaboration (RMC) programs are strategic initiatives in which brands and retailers work together to align operations, share information, and improve efficiencies across their respective operations.

By Scott Fulton, VP, Retail Analytics, Circana, and Scott Love, SVP, CPG Analytics, Circana Retail teams have arguably never had more data. Even with vast amounts of information, however, they still struggle to explain movements in their own share. Understanding such movements is critical, given the high stakes in today’s marketplace.

As macroeconomic headwinds stubbornly stick around, consumers continue to move between channels, products, and brands. Whether switching to private label products, holding out for promotions, or splitting visits across more stores, today’s shoppers are tougher to track. With audiences toggling faster, brands and retailers aren’t always getting the full view of their customers that they need to move their business forward. Although purchase data captures important shopper shifts, companies...

The most visible college shopper is the incoming freshman. The first dorm move-in is an emotional milestone, generating checklists, social media content, and significant household spending. But visibility doesn’t always equal opportunity. In many ways, the current back-to-college mindset mirrors a mistake marketers have made before. For years, brands chased millennials because they represented the next generation of consumers.

For a time, the challenging operating environment for brands, retailers, and others across the supply chain was described as the “new normal.” Today, after years of volatility in various forms, those who create and market products to consumers recognize that “normal” has become, frankly, abnormal. By Tracy Fletcher 24 Aug 2026 Besides macroeconomic market forces, CPGs and retailers have had to address significant shifts in consumer attitudes and behaviors.

Although duplications of popular or designer items may not be the original product, the appeal is quite real. Circana’s latest insights reveal that “dupes” are performing strongly, with 58% of shoppers reporting in 2026 that they have purchased a dupe. Consumers have long sought offerings that look and feel like higher-end products, usually propelled by a desire to save money.

Retail is entering a “phase of continuance”, a moment where underlying shopper habits have stabilized, and brands can no longer point to volatility as the sole explanation for performance swings. In this environment, customer experience becomes the differentiator: shoppers reward retailers that reduce friction, stay relevant, and deliver consistency across every trip and channel. But here’s the catch: you can’t improve what you can’t see.