NRSInsights' February 2026 Retail Same-Store Sales Report

Sales increased 4% year-over-year, driven by growth in convenience categories

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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NRSInsights, a provider of sales data and analytics from the National Retail Solutions (NRS) point-of-sale platform, announced comparative retail same-store sales results for February 2026. Same-store sales increased 4.0% year-over-year, with growth driven by key convenience categories like cigarettes, prepared cocktails, and energy beverages. The average price paid for the top 500 items increased 2.7% year-over-year, marking the first increase after four consecutive months of decreases.

Why it matters

The NRSInsights report provides valuable insights into the performance of independent, predominantly urban retail stores across the United States, offering a timely snapshot of consumer spending trends and inflationary pressures in the retail sector.

The details

According to the report, February same-store sales increased 4.0% year-over-year, following a 5.8% increase in January. The growth was driven by increased sales in key convenience categories, including cigarettes, prepared cocktails, smokeless tobacco, energy beverages, and rolling papers. Gains were particularly large in Midwestern cities like Chicago and Detroit, while sales growth slowed along the East Coast. The report's measure of inflation, the average rate of year-over-year price increase for the best-selling items on the NRS network, jumped to 2.7% from 1.2% in January.

  • In the previous month (January 2026), same-store sales increased 5.8% year-over-year.
  • Same-store sales increased 4.4% compared to the previous month (January 2026).
  • Same-store sales in January 2026 decreased 6.6% compared to the previous month (December 2025).
  • For the three months ended February 28, 2026, same-store sales increased 4.3% compared to the corresponding three months a year ago.

The players

NRSInsights

A provider of sales data and analytics drawn from retail transactions processed through the National Retail Solutions (NRS) point-of-sale (POS) platform.

National Retail Solutions (NRS)

Operates a leading point-of-sale (POS) terminal-based platform and digital payment processing service for independent retailers nationwide.

Brandon Thurber

VP, Data Sales & Client Success at NRS.

IDT Corporation

The parent company of National Retail Solutions (NRS).

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What they’re saying

“The trend of steadily increasing year-over-year same-store sales again proved durable in February, increasing 4.0%. The sequential increase - adjusted for the number of days - was comparable at 4.4%.”

— Brandon Thurber, VP, Data Sales & Client Success at NRS (NRSInsights)

“Growth was driven by increased sales in key convenience categories, including cigarettes, prepared cocktails, smokeless tobacco, energy beverages, and rolling papers. Some New Years' resolutions evidently went by the boards quickly this year.”

— Brandon Thurber, VP, Data Sales & Client Success at NRS (NRSInsights)

“Gains were particularly large in Midwestern cities including Chicago and Detroit, while sales growth slowed along the East Coast, highlighting the key role that regional factors, including weather, can play in shaping results.”

— Brandon Thurber, VP, Data Sales & Client Success at NRS (NRSInsights)

“Our measure of inflation - the average rate of year-over-year price increase for the best-selling items on our network – jumped to 2.7% from 1.2% in January, marking the first increase after four consecutive months of decreases.”

— Brandon Thurber, VP, Data Sales & Client Success at NRS (NRSInsights)

The takeaway

The NRSInsights report highlights the resilience of independent, urban retail stores in the face of broader economic trends, with strong sales growth driven by consumer demand for convenience items. The data also points to the impact of regional factors, like weather, on retail performance, underscoring the value of granular, location-specific insights for businesses and policymakers.