Pat Sheridan, President & CEO, INFRAThree Shifts, Three Actions for 2026
Pat Sheridan, President & CEO, INFRABy Pat Sheridan, President & CEO, INFRA
2025 was a year of transition for independent natural retailers. Despite economic uncertainty, pricing pressure, and supply consolidation, independents continued to outperform expectations driven by shopper trust and a renewed commitment to community. At INFRA, we watched members navigate this year with resilience, creativity, and principled leadership.
Looking to 2026, the forces shaping our future are different from the ones we managed in 2025. The next phase belongs to retailers who evolve thoughtfully without losing their independent identity. Today, three major shifts are shaping the path forward: changing consumer behavior, accelerating supply consolidation, and the growing centrality of technology inside the store.
Shift #1: Consumers Are Making Values-Based Trade-offs. Inflation has slowed, but natural shoppers remain intentional - making fewer impulse purchases, scrutinizing value, and prioritizing trusted brands. At the same time, mass retailers aggressively expanded natural and wellness assortments. Independents cannot win a lowest-price fight, but shoppers continue seeking authenticity and ingredient trust that larger retailers struggle to deliver. The opportunity is to elevate what only independents offer: education, local sourcing, transparency, and supplement expertise.
Shift #2: Supply Is Consolidating Faster Than Demand. Large chains continue absorbing emerging brands and narrowing the field of traditional differentiation. Yet independents remain essential launch-pads for regional and values-aligned producers that rely on local retail to reach customers. Strengthening those partnerships, and curating assortments mass retailers can’t easily follow, will be critical.
Shift #3: Technology Is Now the Margin Strategy. Technology determines labor efficiency, promotional planning, and shopper retention. Done well, digital tools don’t replace people, they enable them, allowing staff to reinvest time into personalized service and community connection. The priority is to adopt the right tools rather than every tool.
Three Actions for 2026
- Reinforce Community Equity. Local connection remains your most important advantage.
- Embrace Innovation Selectively. Start where return is visible: loyalty, pricing, and operational efficiency.
- Leverage Collective Power. Independent means independent, not alone. Collective buying and shared services remain essential equalizers.
2026 may not be easy, but it could be defining. Customers choose natural retailers because they trust our purpose and the integrity of our decisions. If we lean into shared strengths and community-driven innovation, independents will continue to lead in a way only independents can. That has always been, and remains, the soul of our industry.
