Urban Corner Stores Outpace Retail Forecasts with Strong Holiday Finish

NEWARK, NJ – January 09, 2026 – America’s independent retailers, from bustling urban bodegas to neighborhood convenience stores, posted unexpectedly strong sales growth in December, capping off 2025 with a performance that outshined many broader market forecasts. A new report from NRSInsights reveals that same-store sales surged 4.5% year-over-year, providing a vital and optimistic reading on consumer health at a time when official government economic data has been silenced by a federal shutdown.

The data, drawn from over 217 million transactions across approximately 24,300 small-format stores, suggests a resilient consumer base that continues to rely on local shops for daily needs. The growth represents a significant acceleration from the 3.8% year-over-year increase seen in November, indicating strong momentum through the critical holiday shopping season. This performance places the independent retail sector at the higher end of, or even above, projections from major industry groups. The National Retail Federation (NRF), for instance, had forecast holiday sales growth between 3.7% and 4.2%.

“December capped off the year with solid same-store dollar growth,” noted Brandon Thurber, VP of Data Sales & Client Success at NRS, in the report. “Sales increased 4.5% year over year, supported by a 1.7% rise in units sold, while inflationary pressure eased.”

More in the Basket, Less Pressure on the Wallet

A deeper look into the NRSInsights data reveals a nuanced shift in consumer behavior. While the number of total transactions, or baskets per store, saw a slight dip of 0.5% compared to the previous year, the total number of units sold increased by 1.7%. This combination indicates that while shoppers may be making slightly fewer trips, they are purchasing more items each time they visit, leading to larger overall basket sizes.

This trend was powerful enough to overcome the minor decline in foot traffic and drive robust top-line sales growth. According to Thurber, the increase was led by strong performance in specific, high-demand categories. “Cigarettes, prepared cocktails, smokeless tobacco, energy drinks, and rolling papers led the month’s increase, reflecting continued demand for convenience and adult-use categories,” he stated.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign from the report is the clear moderation of inflation. The average price for the top 500 items sold across the NRS network increased by 2.3% year-over-year. While still an increase, this marks a significant slowdown from the 3.1% inflationary rate reported in November. This figure is also notably lower than the broader U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December, which hovered around 3.2%. For the urban and multicultural consumers who predominantly frequent these stores, this easing of price hikes on everyday essentials offers a tangible measure of financial relief.

Filling a Void in Economic Insight

The timeliness of the NRSInsights report is amplified by the ongoing disruption in the release of official government statistics. As the press release notes, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade data was not available due to a recent government shutdown that halted data collection and processing. This created a significant information vacuum for economists, analysts, and policymakers seeking to understand the state of the U.S. economy at the close of the year.

In this environment, high-frequency, proprietary data from sources like National Retail Solutions becomes indispensable. By analyzing real-time transaction data from its network of approximately 33,200 active retailers, NRSInsights provides an almost immediate and granular snapshot of a vital, yet often under-covered, segment of the retail economy. This data offers a crucial barometer of economic activity, particularly for consumer spending on non-discretionary goods and convenience items.

The scale of the operation is substantial, with NRS’s point-of-sale terminals processing $2.2 billion in sales across 136 million transactions in December 2025 alone. This ability to provide consistent, reliable data when traditional sources falter underscores the growing importance of alternative data in modern economic analysis.

The Enduring Power of the Neighborhood Store

The strong performance detailed in the report is a testament to the unique and enduring role of independent, small-format retailers in the American commercial landscape. While facing intense competition from big-box stores and e-commerce giants, these neighborhood shops continue to thrive by offering a distinct value proposition built on convenience, community, and curated product selection.

Operating as essential hubs in their communities, these stores offer a level of personal service and local adaptation that larger chains cannot easily replicate. They are agile, able to quickly respond to the specific needs and tastes of their diverse, often multicultural, customer bases. The report’s findings suggest this model is not just surviving but is proving remarkably resilient.

As consumers consolidate shopping trips, the ability to find a range of necessary items—from a morning coffee and an energy drink to prepared cocktails for the evening—in a single, quick stop becomes increasingly valuable. The sustained growth in sales, driven by customers putting more in their baskets, confirms that the neighborhood corner store remains an indispensable part of daily life for millions of Americans.