Upside

LongHorn Steakhouse wins on quality and operational excellence. Upside builds on that strength, driving new, measurable growth without broad discounts.

LongHorn Steakhouse wins on quality and operational excellence. Upside builds on that strength, driving new, measurable growth without broad discounts.

There's a term every grocer should learn in 2026 — and it's got nothing to do with AI. "Uncommitted customer." That's a shopper who spreads trips between stores and blurs retail channels. They search for value and put their household's needs ahead of brand loyalty. Not a new concept, but a problem that's getting bigger. That's because our latest data shows that 93% of grocery shoppers are uncommitted, i.e. they visit a given store <4 times per month. Plus, the average customer shops at 3+ different grocery stores per month, a number that's up 8% since 2024. Why is it growing? In part, because of unintended consequences. Grocers made a lot of investments to make their businesses more accessible over the past few years. Enhanced delivery and pickup options, upgraded loyalty programming. Smart then, smart now. But there's a flipside to making it easier for customers to arrive. It's also made it easier for them to leave. Upside's second annual Consumer Spend Report has more on the continued rise in uncommitted behavior and how grocers can finally break it. Give it a read: https://lnkd.in/eP5PzXzt

You can do everything right but still face unintended consequences. I think many retailers are struggling with this right now. The last few years have been unfathomably turbulent for consumers and business owners alike. During that time, retailers made investments that made them more accessible to customers and ultimately kept them afloat. Enhanced pickup and delivery options, upgraded loyalty programming. I can't stress enough: These were all the right calls. If you could travel back in time, I'd say to do it again the same way. But now, years later, a new dynamic has emerged. The same accessibility and convenience that helped retailers survive has also lowered the barriers for customers to try other stores — fueling uncommitted behavior rather than breaking it. Our second annual Consumer Spend Report breaks down what's driving this change and explores where retailers have real opportunities to meet customers more effectively. Understanding what motivates today's shoppers is going to be the key to growing in 2026. Really proud of the Upside team for putting this together. https://lnkd.in/eaay2eug

LongHorn Steakhouse wins on quality and operational excellence. Upside builds on that strength, driving new, measurable growth without broad discounts.