The first quarter of 2026 is the perfect time to hit the reset button and give your retail strategy and marketing plans a fresh start. After a busy holiday season, it’s the ideal moment to take a step back, see what worked and what didn't, and use those insights to shape your strategy for the year ahead. Get it right in Q1, and you’re not just starting the year off well, you’re setting the tone for a year full of growth and long-term success. During Q1, shoppers are more willing to try new things, whether that means taking part in Dry January, giving Veganuary a go, or jumping on the latest wellness trends. The start of the year is also a great chance to take a step back and tweak your strategy, taking a look at what worked last year, spotting new opportunities, and turning those insights into actions that will make a difference. Do this and you will head into 2026 in a much stronger position, ready to boost sales and stay ahead of the competition. The UK retail world doesn't leave much room for mistakes. With rising costs, unpredictable shopping habits, and trends quickly changing, you need to make sure you are making smart, quick decisions. Here is how you can set up your retail strategy for a successful year ahead: Before launching new initiatives, make sure to take the time to review last year’s performance. Look at what resonated with your audience and where engagement might have fallen short. For example, January usually presents spike in post-holiday returns which can put pressure on logistics and affected profitability. Retailers who respond with clearer sizing guides, extended returns windows, and improved reverse logistics may able to reduce costs while keeping customer satisfaction high. At Dee Set, we take these insights and turn them into action. By analysing retail data and past performance, we help optimise promotions, highlight high-performing SKUs, and guide stock allocation so your inventory is in the right place at the right time. This means you can start Q1 with a strategy grounded in real performance results and avoid repeating previous challenges. January is a time for fresh starts and self-improvement, making it the perfect time to shape your campaigns around popular New Year themes such as goal-setting, budgeting, and wellness. During the start of the year, consumer interest in mindful living, healthy routines, and Dry January peaks, creating the perfect opportunity to connect your brand with the behaviours people are most focused on At Dee Set, we help you turn these trends into action while using data to help guide decisions. By keeping an eye on search trends and retail performance, we can spot the categories performing best in Q1, whether that is health-focused grocery, fitness, supplements, or non-alcoholic drinks. Our team also makes sure your Q1 campaigns are executed across every touchpoint, from in-store activations and merchandising to omnichannel fulfilment and retail analytics. This approach means your campaigns reach the right people, your inventory is in the right place, and every display performs at its very best. Physical stores are still one of the most important ways to drive sales and connect with your customers, especially in Q1 when people are motivated by resolutions, wellness trends, and new routines. Making sure every store is ready for your campaigns can be the difference between a promotion that really works and one that misses the mark. At Dee Set, we help bring campaigns to life on the ground. Our field marketing and merchandising teams set up in-store activations, create eye-catching point-of-sale displays, and check planogram compliance to make sure products are presented exactly as you intended. Q1 is the perfect time to experiment. With consumer behaviours shifting after the holidays, running small-scale tests early in the year gives you a chance to see what resonates with your consumers before committing to bigger campaigns later on. Whether it’s trying out new promotions or product placements, these experiments provide valuable insights that can help you optimise your strategy for the rest of the year. At Dee Set, we make testing more accessible and actionable. Our field teams can deploy campaigns in selected stores or regions while our data tools monitor performance metrics, from display compliance and visibility to stock movement. You will be able to see early indicators of what is working and what is not, giving you the insights to adjust campaigns, optimise any underperforming elements, and continuously improve your results throughout Q1 and the rest of the year. If you want to kick off 2026 strong and make sure you are making the most of every Q1 opportunity, Dee Set is here to help. We specialise in field marketing execution, retail auditing, POS optimisation, and data-led activation, giving you everything you need to turn insights into action. Dee Set can help you: Get in touch and let us help execute your most successful Q1 yet, setting your brand up for a strong and profitable year ahead.Why Q1 matters for a winning 2026 retail strategy
1. Learn from past insights
2. Align campaigns using Q1 data
3. Optimise your store execution
4. Experiment early
Nail your Q1 retail strategy with Dee Set
