September Sees Retail Sales Rise for 12th Straight Month
Plus, Placer.ai reports that QSR visits fell 2.2%, the seventh consecutive monthly decline.
Oct 13, 2026 | 2 min read
Retail sales rose for the 12th straight month in September despite continuing economic pressures on consumers, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
NRF reported that total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, were $560.8 billion in September, up 0.28% month over month and up 4.05% year over year, both seasonally adjusted. That compared with increases of 0.22% month over month and 3.87% year over year in August.
Meanwhile in the food sector, dining saw pockets of continued strength in September. “Fast-casual visits grew 2.2% YoY, extending a growth streak that has lasted all year, while full-service traffic rose 1.0% YoY after falling in August,” foot traffic research firm Placer.ai wrote.
Placer.ai also noted that quick-service restaurant (QSR) visits, meanwhile, fell 2.2%—an improvement from August’s 3.7% drop, but still a seventh consecutive monthly decline. QSR’s customers may be cutting back on restaurant trips as dining out gets more expensive relative to eating at home, the firm concluded.
What ideas can retailers take from fast-casual and QSR chains? Amid high prices on everything from groceries to gas, value is a leading driver of loyalty in convenience stores.
According to Datassential, 63% of consumers say prepared food from a c-store or grocery is cheaper than fast food, and 53% say they get more food for the money. More than half (57%) of dissatisfied QSR guests cite price as the biggest detractor.
Read more about “5 Lessons from the Foodservice Competition” in the October 2026 issue of NACS Magazine.
