2026 is well on its way and a recent survey of retail executives in the U.S. conducted by Deloitte shows what firms are likely to focus on to drive growth and profitability this year amid a rapidly changing retail landscape characterized by shifting trade policies, changing customer priorities and the surge in AI use.
The survey uncovers a structural shift in which executives say customers are increasingly prioritizing value as they make purchase decisions. Almost 70% of the retail executives surveyed agreed that more customers are exhibiting value-driven behaviors like sacrificing convenience in order to lock in savings, visiting value channels in order to shop, and trading down.
The rising cost of living, uncertainty about economic conditions and shifts in global trade relations are driving this change. Retailers are responding to these changes by expanding their offerings that are value-priced, revising their pricing to appeal to more value-shoppers, ramping up loyalty programs and also boosting their private-label product offerings.
The growing use of AI is also changing the retail landscape not only for consumers but also retailers. According to the survey, retailers expect agentic AI and Gen AI to become more entrenched in the retail industry. 90% of the survey respondents say agentic AI will surpass search traffic in influencing buyer decisions.
Retailers are therefore planning to take a variety of measures, such as modifying their product data so that visibility in the AI era isn’t lost, upgrading their legacy systems so that innovation is expedited, and integrating different agentic AI systems in all aspects of their operations in order to stay ahead of the competition.
Another key lever that will shape retail in 2026 is the transformation of supply chains. 95% of survey respondents said costs are likely to go up this year as longstanding trade policies are changed by different countries. To cope with this reality, Deloitte found that retailers are planning to diversify, nearshore or onshore their supply chains this year in order to keep cost increases minimal and protect their margins.
Retailers hope to use AI to ensure visibility in their supply chains to cut logistics and fulfillment costs as margins come under pressure due to rising preference for value shopping, decline in brand recognition due to increasing use of AI in product discovery, and other factors presenting headwinds to the retail industry.
On a positive note, most retail executives expect revenues to grow in 2026. This will have to be worked for as the headwinds that manifested in 2025 are likely to stay present or even possibly escalate this year. For companies like Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) with significant holdings within the retail sector, how individual retailers respond to these changing realities could have a notable impact on shareholder returns.
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