U.S. Hardlines Retail: The Battle for Retailer Positioning: Where Do These Retailers Fit and What‘s Changed Since 2019?

Research evidence excerpt

U.S. Hardlines Retail: The Battle for Retailer Positioning: Where Do These Retailers Fit and What‘s Changed Since 2019?

Global Research

21 July 2026ab

U.S. Hardlines Retail Equities

AmericasThe Battle for Retailer Positioning: Where Do

These Retailers Fit and What's Changed Since Retailers, Broadline

2019? Michael AnalystLasser

michael.lasser@ubs.com

+1-212-713 2440

Retail is increasingly a battle for relevance, not just market share. Mark Carden

Analyst

Over the past seven years, the largest retailers have faced a common challenge: how to mark.carden@ubs.com

remain central to consumers' lives as shopping behavior has shifted across channels, +1-212-713 3218

categories, and purchase occasions. Some retailers have responded by expanding the

Joshua Bluestine

number of missions they serve, investing heavily in eCommerce, delivery infrastructure,

and broader assortment capabilities. Others have remained focused on reinforcing the joshua.bluestine@ubs.com

core use cases that originally earned customer loyalty. +1-212-713 1297

Dan Silverstein

This report examines how consumers' relationships with major retailers have evolved Analyst

between 2019 and 2026. Rather than focusing solely on market share outcomes, we daniel.silverstein@ubs.com

analyze how customers actually use these businesses today versus seven years ago, +1-212-713 2459

across basket composition, purchase missions, category mix, demographics, cross- Sachin Verma

shopping behavior, and channel engagement. Our work covers Walmart, Costco, Associate Analyst

Target, Kroger, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, BJ's, Albertson's, and Amazon. sachin.verma@ubs.com

+1-212-713 3492

The data suggests that strategic direction alone has not determined success. Retailers Mathew Rothway