NRSInsights’ October 2025 Retail Same-Store Sales Report

Core Insights - The average price for the top 500 items in October 2025 increased by 3.0% year-over-year, slightly up from a 2.9% increase in September 2025 [6][8] - Same-store sales rose by 5.7% year-over-year in October 2025, showing a slight decrease of 0.7% compared to September 2025 [5][6] - The NRS retail network included approximately 37,900 active terminals across about 32,900 independent retailers, primarily serving urban consumers [2][12] Sales Performance - Same-store sales increased by 5.7% year-over-year, compared to a 5.8% increase in September 2025 [5] - For the three months ending October 31, 2025, same-store sales rose by 5.8% compared to the same period a year ago [6] - Units sold increased by 1.3% year-over-year but decreased by 1.8% compared to September 2025 [6] Transaction Metrics - The number of baskets (transactions) per store increased by 0.1% year-over-year but decreased by 2.6% compared to September 2025 [6] - The NRS POS terminals processed $2.15 billion in sales during October 2025, representing a 17% year-over-year increase [12] Consumer Trends - Year-over-year growth was driven by categories such as cigarettes, prepared cocktails, smokeless tobacco, energy beverages, and wine-based cocktails [8] - The data indicates healthy consumer engagement as the holiday season approaches, with expected growth in high-velocity categories like beverages and tobacco alternatives [9]