After examining what the deal market rewards, what distinguishes stronger retail businesses, and how those capabilities are built, the obvious question remains: What should leaders do next?

The answer is to build an enterprise that performs well, earns genuine customer loyalty and can adapt as conditions change. Transaction options may follow, but they are an outcome of capability rather than a substitute for it.

That is the central message of the fourth and final e-book based on Grant Thornton Australia’s Retail Dealtracker 2026. As retailers look towards 2027 and beyond, the strategic challenge is choosing where to compete, where to invest, and what kind of organisation they need to execute those choices – while continuing to test whether the advantage they have built will remain relevant.

Retail leaders are making those decisions as customers remain selective, costs squeeze margins, and technological change creates both opportunity and risk. The businesses best placed to navigate that environment will not necessarily be those chasing the fastest-growing category.

According to Tam Goldin, Partner – Financial Advisory at Grant Thornton Australia, sector exposure is only part of the equation.

“The businesses best positioned will be those that combine a clear customer proposition with the ability to deliver consistently and scale without adding too much complexity,” Goldin says.

“That could be a specialist business with strong customer loyalty, a scaled operator that has built strong procurement or distribution practices, or a retailer in a category with stable demand.

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