Our 2026 Retailers To Watch | Ask An Expert

8 snips

Feb 19, 2026

Ethan Chernofsky, CMO at Placer.ai and location-analytics expert, uses foot-traffic and consumer data to spot retail momentum. He highlights fitness’s sustained rise, grocery’s three-way battle of quality vs value vs differentiation, Starbucks’ potential bounce-back, DTC store pullbacks, and the role of partnerships and suburban shifts in shaping physical retail.

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INSIGHT

Competitor Exit Creates Opportunity

Michaels gained momentum after competitors exited categories like party supplies, capturing new demand.
Removing competitors can open higher-income segments and accelerate a retailer's trajectory.

ADVICE

Only Back Turnarounds With Strategy Fit

Diagnose why visits fell and check whether new strategy directly addresses those gaps before calling a retailer in turnaround.
Trust execution and look for aligned strategic moves as evidence of a credible rebound.

INSIGHT

Starbucks' Third‑Place Plus Convenience

Starbucks aims to pair convenience-focused execution with a revived 'third place' experience under new leadership.
That combined zig-zag strategy leverages its scale and unique promotional capabilities to drive urgency and visits.

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Retail’s future winners aren’t defined by hype. They are defined by where consumers actually go. In this Omni Talk Ask An Expert episode, hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with Ethan Chernofsky, Chief Marketing Officer at Placer.ai, to break down the retailers, sectors, and strategies poised to shape 2026.

Drawing from real-world foot traffic data and consumer behavior insights, Ethan shares which brands are gaining momentum, which are in turnaround mode, and how shifting expectations around health, value, and experience are redefining retail success. From fitness to grocery to coffee to digitally native retail, this conversation uncovers where physical retail is headed next.

Key Topics Covered:

Why the fitness sector, including brands like EōS Fitness, is benefiting from long-term health and wellness shifts
How grocers like H-E-B are winning through localization and innovation
The competitive momentum behind specialty retailers like Michaels
The “bounce-back” potential of Starbucks and its third-place strategy revival
Where Home Depot and Target stand on the recovery spectrum
Grocery’s evolving battleground: quality vs. value vs. unique differentiation
How retailers like Kroger are experimenting to stay competitive
The future of digitally native brands and physical retail after pullbacks from players like Allbirds
Why partnerships with retailers such as Nordstrom may reshape DTC expansion
The industry debate around “value” and why it may be retail’s most misunderstood concept

Whether you’re building your 2026 retail strategy, evaluating growth sectors, or tracking competitive momentum, this conversation delivers data-backed insights to help you understand where consumers are spending their time and why.

Connect with Ethan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-chernofsky-16ab4519/

Visit Placer.ai: https://www.placer.ai

#RetailTrends #RetailersToWatch #RetailAnalytics #FootTrafficData #RetailStrategy #FitnessIndustry #GroceryRetail #Starbucks #DTCBrands #ConsumerBehavior #OmniTalk #RetailInsights

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