Category mix is quietly one of the biggest margin decisions a retailer makes. Based on what is moving through wholesale this year, and what the trade press is tracking, here is where the momentum is.
Growing
Functional and low-sugar drinks. Energy drinks keep growing, but the fastest movement is in sugar-free variants and functional lines: electrolytes, vitamins, caffeine alternatives. They also sit outside HFSS restrictions, which keeps every promotional lever available.
Pet care. Premium pet food and treats keep outperforming the wider market. Owners trade down on themselves before their pets. Independents with even a single bay of pet essentials report strong attachment rates.
Health, vitamins and OTC. Steady, high-margin, small-footprint. Immunity and sleep products lead. An area where genuine, traceable stock matters enormously to shopper trust.
Reformulated snacking. Better-for-you versions of familiar snack brands, under HFSS thresholds, are taking shelf space from their originals because they can still be promoted freely.
Home fragrance and household premium. Affordable treats survive tight budgets. Branded laundry boosters and home fragrance keep growing from a small base.
Flattening
Traditional confectionery is under pressure from both HFSS mechanics and price sensitivity. It still earns its space, but the growth is in the reformulated end.
General merchandise bought speculatively, seasonal toys and gadgets outside a plan, ties up cash that velocity lines would turn faster.
Reading your own numbers
National trends are a starting point, not an instruction. The categories above earn a trial bay and eight weeks of honest EPOS data. Your account manager can tell you what stores and sellers with a similar profile to yours are reordering, which is usually a better signal than any trend piece, including this one.