Core Insights - February same-store sales increased by 4% year-over-year, showing a durable trend in retail sales growth [5][7] - The average price for the top 500 items rose by 2.7% year-over-year, marking a significant increase from the previous month's 1.2% [6][8] Sales Performance - Same-store sales increased by 4.4% compared to January 2026, following a decrease of 6.6% in January compared to December 2025 [6] - For the three months ending February 28, 2026, same-store sales rose by 4.3% compared to the same period last year [6][10] Units Sold and Transactions - Units sold decreased by 0.2% year-over-year, contrasting with a 2.9% increase in January 2026 [6] - The number of baskets (transactions) per store decreased by 0.8% year-over-year, although there was a 3.7% increase compared to January 2026 [6] Regional Performance - Sales growth was particularly strong in Midwestern cities like Chicago and Detroit, while growth slowed along the East Coast, indicating the influence of regional factors such as weather [8] Transaction Data - The NRS retail network included approximately 38,700 active terminals across 33,600 stores as of February 28, 2026 [2] - In February 2026, NRS' POS terminals processed $1.9 billion in sales, reflecting a 14% year-over-year increase across 122 million transactions [11]