National retail sales expected to grow 4.2% as Maryland businesses prepare for a competitive holiday shopping season. ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland retailers are entering the 2026 holiday shopping season with cautious optimism as consumers continue to balance holiday purchases against rising household expenses and economic uncertainty, according to the Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) annual holiday sales survey. The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts holiday retail sales will increase 4.2% nationally over 2025, reaching a record $1.013 trillion during November and December. Last year's holiday sales totaled $972 billion, representing a 3.1% increase over 2024. While the national forecast reflects continued consumer resilience, Maryland retailers are reporting a more mixed outlook. According to MRA's annual member survey, 64% of respondents anticipate holiday sales will remain flat or increase compared with last year, while 36% expect sales to decline. “Consumers have continued to demonstrate their willingness to spend during the holidays, but there is no question that household budgets are being stretched,” said Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. “Our members are hopeful for a strong holiday season, but they also recognize that shoppers are being more deliberate about where and how they spend their money. Retailers are responding by focusing on value, competitive pricing and creating positive shopping experiences.” MRA's survey found that 64% of participating businesses experienced lower sales during September and October compared with the same period last year, suggesting that many retailers are relying on the holiday shopping season to strengthen their year-end performance. Small businesses expressed the greatest optimism, with 60% anticipating holiday sales growth of at least 2% and 80% expecting sales to at least match last year's levels. Medium-sized and large business respondents were more cautious, with most anticipating declining sales. Economic conditions remain the most significant concern among participating retailers. Nearly 80% cited factors such as inflation, rising living expenses and reduced consumer purchasing power as potential challenges. Businesses also expressed concern that consumers may prioritize essential purchases over discretionary spending on gifts, dining and other holiday activities. Despite these concerns, retailers identified several opportunities to attract shoppers, including community holiday events, tourism, local shopping initiatives and targeted promotions. “Maryland's independent retailers are an important part of what makes our communities unique, and the holiday season is especially critical to their success,” Locklair said. “When consumers shop locally, they are supporting businesses that employ their neighbors, contribute to the local tax base and invest directly in their communities. We encourage Marylanders to remember their neighborhood stores and Main Street businesses as they make their holiday purchases.” Holiday hiring plans also reflect a measured approach to the season. Half of MRA's survey respondents anticipate adding between one and five seasonal employees, while the remaining businesses do not expect to increase staffing. Nationally, NRF projects retailers will hire between 325,000 and 375,000 seasonal workers, consistent with last year's hiring levels. Advertising and promotional spending among Maryland respondents remains mixed, with businesses reporting plans to increase, maintain or reduce their marketing budgets. Retailers continue to balance the need to attract customers with the rising costs of operating their businesses. “Retailers understand that consumers have choices, and competition for holiday spending will be strong,” Locklair added. “Whether shopping online, at a large retailer or at a neighborhood business, Maryland consumers can expect retailers to work hard to earn their business this holiday season." MRA's annual holiday sales outlook incorporates member survey responses and a review of the National Retail Federation's holiday forecast and consumer trends. The 2026 MRA survey included participating businesses of varying sizes. Survey findings reflect the expectations of participating businesses and are not a statistically representative forecast of statewide retail sales.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Food Industry Council, managed by the Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA), inducted four new food industry giants into the Maryland Food Industry Hall of Fame on November 5, 2026. The ceremony took place at an annual breakfast event held at Martin’s West in Baltimore County. Established in 2003, the Hall of Fame celebrates businesses and individuals who have had a lasting impact on the food industry in Maryland. “This morning is one of my favorite events of the year because it gives us an opportunity to recognize individuals and companies that have made extraordinary contributions to our industry, our communities, and our state,” said Cailey Locklair, Maryland Retailers Alliance President. The following individuals and companies were inducted: Senator Pamela Beidle, District 32 Robert Graybill, FMS Solutions Sprouts Farmer’s Market Utz Quality Foods, LLC The event also included the announcement of the Pete Manos Retail Executive of the Year Award, as presented by Food World/Food Trade News. The award is given to a food industry executive annually, in recognition of distinguished industry service, leadership and community involvement. Elda Devarie, founder of EMD Sales and long-time MRA member, received the award for 2026 and is both the first woman and first Latina to receive the honor. “Maryland’s food industry does so much more than sell products,” said Locklair. “These companies provide jobs, invest in neighborhoods, support local organizations, contribute to our tax base, and serve Maryland families every single day. They are part of the fabric of our communities, and their success matters to the success of this state. This morning, we get to put the legislative work aside for a little while and celebrate the extraordinary people and companies who have helped build this industry.”

As excerpted from The Shelby Report : Maryland’s unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent in September, its lowest point since April 2025 and below the national average of 4.2 percent. Even so, the head of the state’s retail trade group says grocers are operating under strain. “I would describe Maryland’s grocery industry today as resilient but under tremendous pressure,” said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. “The demand for groceries isn’t going anywhere, but we need to make sure Maryland remains a place where grocers of all sizes, especially independents, can afford to operate, compete and grow.” A year ago, Locklair told The Griffin Report that tariffs, thin margins, regulatory costs and inflation could lead to more consolidation in Maryland’s grocery market. She said many of those pressures continue, with rising costs for labor, utilities, transportation, regulatory requirements and goods weighing on retailers that operate on profit margins of 1 to 2 percent. “I wouldn’t say consolidation is inevitable, but it’s certainly a concern, particularly for independent grocers who don’t have the same purchasing power or resources as larger chains,” Locklair said. She added that independents continue to find opportunities by knowing their customers and communities. “They can be more flexible, offer specialty and locally sourced products, provide personalized service and respond quickly to what their customers want. Many are also serving communities where larger chains may not see the same opportunity.” Click here to read the full profile discussing Maryland's economy, budget deficit, and legislative priorities for MRA in The Shelby Report .

As published by Modern Retail : Consumer-facing companies are making headlines these days for how they do or do not use data to set consumer prices. Everything from the rise of digital shelf labels to screenshots of pricing algorithms is fueling concerns among consumers that retailers are increasingly using customer data to engage in dynamic pricing, and it is putting more retailers on the defensive. Last week, Reuters published an investigation into McDonald’s pricing practices entitled “ Inside McDonald’s push to have AI price your Big Mac .” The Reuters report examined how McDonald’s pricing system worked, based on screenshots of the pricing engine taken in August and interviews with nine sources who have “first-hand knowledge of the burger chain’s strategy.” Screenshots taken by Reuters suggest that franchise owners receive suggestions on how to price items based in part on factors like “customer willingness to pay in your area.” McDonald’s, for its part, said in a statemen t on its website refuting the Reuters report that “McDonald’s pricing recommendation tool provides restaurant-specific recommendations. It does not set or change prices. Franchisees decide what prices to charge and whether to use the recommendations available to them.” Meanwhile, just days before that, Walmart made headlines when it posted a note on its website from its CEO, John Furner, explaining its pricing systems in response to customer concerns. “AI has added incredible new ways for us to serve our customers and members, and it rightfully also raises questions about the information it has access to,” the note said. When customers use Walmart’s AI assistant Sparky, “that’s an invitation to serve you better, not to use your personal information to set a personalized price. We’ve never used the relationships our associates have with customers to charge more, and we won’t do that with AI.” The letter included three other commitments from Walmart — that it does not currently, and will not, “set different prices based on who you are or the time of day,” and that its shopping tools wouldn’t either. Furner also promised that “we’ll continue to use your information responsibly and respect your choices.” What’s driving all these retailers to come out and defend their pricing tactics? As AI becomes more prevalent, concerns around dynamic pricing are growing. There’s a fear that retailers will become more surgical with how they use consumer data. In particular, that they could use AI to make recommendations on what to charge down to the individual shopper level. Some states have now passed laws taking aim at dynamic pricing. Maryland, for example, passed a law banning the practice at grocery stores . Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, told Modern Retail at the time that the group had no qualms with the law because “this is not a common industry practice for us at all.” Classic supply and demand — rather than individual shopper data — is the biggest driver of how retailers set prices. Then in August, the FTC put out a proposed enforcement policy involving personalized pricing, noting , “There is growing public concern that modern data collection and processing capabilities can allow businesses to set personalized prices based on analysis of consumers’ personal data.” Serial entrepreneur James Sun is the CEO of Kapnova, an AI company that has built an agentic quantitative decision system for retailers that helps them look at pricing and marketing spend to optimize for revenue. He says that, generally speaking, people are used to the idea of dynamic pricing around popular events — think airline tickets and hotel prices going up ahead of the Super Bowl. But, he said, at the same time, if retailers get more surgical about pricing, and change prices more frequently, there’s a risk. People love to compare prices — especially with friends — and they may be turned off from buying from the brand if they feel like they know other people got a better deal. “I think that’s something the brands have to really consider — that dynamic pricing could impact what the value or the perceived value of that price should be,” he said. Click here to read the article on ModernRetail.co .

As published by The Shelby Report : The Maryland Retailers Alliance has presented its 2026 annual awards, honoring legislators, law enforcement and industry partners. The honorees included a Safeway associate recognized for retail theft prevention, following a legislative year in which the association weighed in on more than 100 bills touching Maryland retail. The awards capped a legislative session whose biggest battles involved the grocery industry. MRA was heavily involved in drafting the state’s dynamic pricing legislation governing how retailers set prices on goods, and worked with Senate leaders on bills addressing predatory lending, gift card scams and guidance for retailers and customers navigating cash payments now that the federal government has discontinued minting the penny. “This past year was another incredibly busy one for the Maryland Retailers Alliance,” said Cailey Locklair, MRA president, who also leads the Maryland Food Industry Council. “To the elected officials joining us tonight: thank you for taking our calls, meeting with our members, listening to our concerns, working through complicated issues with us, sponsoring amendments and supporting Maryland’s retail community.” Ahmad Ali of Safeway received a Retail Theft Prevention Award. The other honorees were: Legislator of the Year – Senate President Bill Ferguson; Louis L. Goldstein Public Service Award – Sen. Pam Beidle; Retail Theft Prevention Award – Sergio D’Alto, Bel Air Police Department; Retail Theft Prevention Award – Ahmad Ali, Safeway; and Retail Theft Prevention Award – Lara King, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office. “What I’ve learned in the last few years is that real leadership requires listening,” said Ferguson. “It means working with those who are impacted most, you, our retailers, who are growing in our neighborhoods, who are being incentivized to open up in our main streets across our entire state. If our retailers are successful, then Maryland is successful.” Beidle noted the personal resonance of her award: Comptroller Louis Goldstein, the honor’s namesake, was the guest speaker at her very first fundraiser when she ran for office 28 years ago. The awards were presented virtually, with the ceremony viewable here . The alliance is a statewide membership association representing retail businesses of all segments and sizes throughout Maryland. Click here to view the article on The Shelby Report .