How does your liquor store stack up in 2026?

The 2026 Liquor Retail Report pairs sales from over 14 million transactions at 1,478 liquor stores with a survey of 201 owners. See where your store fits, and what other owners are doing about rising costs.

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What you’ll learn

Where margins are headed. 66% of owners call rising costs a top challenge for 2026, and the most cost-pressured stores are stocking premium bottles instead of cutting prices.
What to stock next. Where RTD cocktails, premium whiskey and tequila, and non-alcoholic options are heading.
How your holiday season compares. November and December sales and transactions across 1,478 stores, 2024 against 2025.
Where your store fits. Three types of liquor stores, how each is responding, and the moves that fit each one.

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More inside

Numbers that matter for independent liquor stores

Based on survey data from hundreds of independent liquor store owners across the United States.

Cost-Pressured Stores

66% of stores see rising costs as one of the biggest challenges of 2026 — 79% of stores that cited costs as their top concern are doubling down on whiskeys and high-margin bottles to boost profits.

Growth-Oriented Stores

58% of stores believe liquor sales will improve this year and are open to riding new waves — 66% that see RTD cocktails as the biggest industry shift are backing it with shelf space.

Traditional Stores

81% of stores already carry NA products, and have done so for years — 18% of stores see craft beer decline and high-quality curation as major trends.

Ridgewalk Bottle Shop

Mitesh Patel | Woodstock, GA

Oak Barrel Wine & Spirits

Khevana Patel | Newton, KY

Ysleta Beer, Wine, and Spirits

Eddie Holguin | El Paso, TX

Queen City Package

Ritesh Patel | Gainesville, GA