Locala Launches the 2026 Retail Insights Barometer: "New Retail at a Crossroads"

by ExchangeWire PressBox on 13th Jul 2026 in News

Locala, an advertising platform specialising in geolocation, presented the sixth edition of its "Retail Insights" report at the Cannes Lions festival. This new edition provides an overview of retail trends in France and internationally and analyses the profound changes reshaping the sector.

Click here to download the 6th edition of the 2026 Retail Insights Barometer.

Retailers and consumers, a crossed perspective

Conducted in partnership with the research firm Marketing Insights, this barometer is based on a three-step approach: an international trend report, a qualitative B2B survey of industry decision-makers, and a quantitative B2C survey of 8,000 consumers worldwide (Europe, the US, Canada, and APAC).

According to Sandrine Préfaut, managing director for Europe at Locala: "Retail is no longer undergoing gradual evolution but is undergoing a profound restructuring of its very foundations. The companies that will succeed are those rebuilding their architecture around a unified commerce, driven by data and structured by AI."

13 trends redefining retail in 2026

Among the 13 key trends emerging in 2026, four are drawing particular attention:

Agentic commerce becomes transactional: Autonomous AI agents are reaching a decisive milestone: capable of searching for, comparing, and finalising purchases on behalf of consumers, they are fundamentally redefining shopping journeys and touchpoints between brands and customers.

Competition shifts from price to the "right price": Faced with declining purchasing power, price sensitivity remains at an all-time high. Yet the nature of competition is shifting. More than half of global consumers are adopting strategies of restraint or opportunism, such as promotions and second-hand purchases. But low prices are no longer enough: a brand’s perceived value now also depends on trust, transparency, and the quality of the experience it offers.

The store becomes a dynamic platform: Despite the digitisation of the customer journey, brick-and-mortar stores remain the indispensable cornerstone of retail: more than 64% of purchases in Europe are still made in-store. But the role of the store is evolving: it is establishing itself as a modular experiential space, a source of first-party data, and a highly effective in-store retail media platform.

Adapt or disappear: These technological shifts, combined with growing economic pressures, are forcing retailers to make fundamental strategic choices to remain competitive. The Retail Insights Barometer provides a clear view of the major transformations reshaping the industry, which Locala analyses every day to help brands adapt their media strategies to the realities of each local market.

Click here to download the 2026 Retail Insights Barometer, or contact clementine.bouchet@asklocala.com for more information.