The  is kicking off 2026 with an inside look at the trends reshaping two powerhouse sectors of franchising—foodservice and retail. With the franchise industry projected to be worth $133.3 billion by 2026, these categories are entering a new era marked by accelerating innovation and fast-changing consumer expectations.

Foodservice Industry Trends:

Popular Categories

• Full-Service Restaurants: Restaurant brands continue to attract franchisees with scalable operations, steady revenue, and innovative menu offerings. As more consumers prioritize in-person experiences, dining out in full-service restaurants continues to be popular.
• Culturally Rooted Brands: Concepts rooted in a founder’s personal, regional, or cultural background are gaining momentum, offering authenticity that resonates with customers.

Sector-Specific Trends to Watch

• Fusion Menus: Combining different cuisines allows brands to stand out while appealing to a wider audience. Fusion menu items are growing in popularity, especially with younger demographics who are drawn to unique menu offerings.
• AI & Smart Operations: Franchise systems are increasingly using AI to streamline operations, from optimizing ordering and inventory to analyzing consumer feedback. These tools help franchisees run more efficiently, make data-driven decisions, and focus on growth.

Retail Industry Trends:

Popular Categories

• Pet Care: Franchises offering pet products and services continue to see strong demand, as Canadians increasingly prioritize the health and well-being of their pets. Rising pet ownership, a willingness to spend on premium products and services, and the humanization of pets are driving growth in this sector, making it a resilient and high-potential category for franchisees.
• Health & Fitness: Wellness focused franchises remain popular, attracting consumers looking for holistic wellness, and lifestyle experiences. Growing awareness of health and mental well-being, combined with increased disposable income for lifestyle and self-care services, is fueling strong demand in this sector. Wellness brands are harnessing technology to deliver products and services, from infrared saunas to video fitness classes to IV drips.

Sector-Specific Trends to Watch

• Eco-Friendly Practices: Sustainability is becoming a major factor in where people spend their money. Consumers, particularly younger generations, are increasingly drawn to sustainable and environmentally conscious brands, creating opportunities for franchisees to align with these values.
• Experience-Driven Retail: Retail concepts are focusing on interactive and memorable experiences to build loyalty and stand out in competitive markets.
• Tech-Enabled Shopping: From e-commerce platforms and mobile apps to digital loyalty programs and AI-driven insights, technology is helping franchisees improve efficiency, optimize operations, and enhance customer experience.

Looking ahead, foodservice and retail remain some of the most attractive sectors for franchise investment, offering strong consumer demand, opportunities for innovation, and room to grow.

TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2026 /CNW/ - Molson is boosting Canadian athletes' performance this winter by sending them Performance Enhancing Canadians, passionate fans in the stands to cheer them on. Studies show that fans cheering in the stands can enhance athletes' performance by up to 10%. So, as a proud supporter of Canadian sports for decades, Molson is bringing the statistically-proven competitive advantage to life by rallying Canadians to become Performance Enhancing Canadians and fill the stands at winter sporting events.

With hundreds of prizes available, including ten all-expenses-paid experiences to major winter sporting events, Molson is reaching far and wide to bring Canadians closer to the action to help the country win.

Sport has always been a powerful unifier for the country. And with their troop of Performance Enhancing Canadians, Molson is hoping that the noise they're bringing to the stands will not only boost Canada's performance on the field, but also rally Canadian pride from coast to coast.

This builds on Molson's long-standing legacy in sports that dates back to the 1950s–from their foundational partnership with the NHL and their role as a pioneering champion of the PWHL, to their enduring support for the CFL and the iconic teams that unite fans across the country. As Canada's oldest brewery, Molson continues to prove that showing up for our athletes is part of who they are, upholding a legacy built on investing in the arenas, the fans, and the support systems that define Canadian sports.

"Supporting Canadian sports and their athletes has been part of Molson's DNA for generations," says Leslie Malcolm, Vice President of Marketing at Molson Coors Beverage Company. "Over the past year, we've seen Canadians come together in powerful ways, and this program is about taking that spirit one step further and bringing everyone in to support our Canadian athletes and remind them our country is behind them."

Ready to be one of Molson's Performance Enhancing Canadians? Head to to enter and be part of the fan energy powering Canadian athletes this winter. Lookout for hundreds of other performance enhancing experiences on social and at select bars and restaurants.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), a leading American manufacturer and maker of Michelob ULTRA, Busch Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Cutwater Spirits and NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer, today announced a $30 million investment in its Jacksonville, FL Brewery and Can Plant. The investment will go toward upgrading brewing and packaging equipment to fuel increased production of .  

This latest $30 million investment in its Jacksonville facilities is part of Anheuser-Busch's ongoing Brewing Futures initiative, through which the company  to create and sustain U.S. manufacturing jobs. Building on more than 165 years of continuous investment in its people, breweries, and communities, Anheuser-Busch's initiative supports American manufacturing through three key pillars:

1) creating and sustaining manufacturing jobs  

2) advancing technical skills training 

3) strengthening manufacturing career opportunities for veterans 

Brendan Whitworth, CEO, Anheuser-Busch said: "Investing in our Jacksonville facilities enables us to brew more of the highest-quality American beers that consumers love, including Michelob ULTRA, the #1 top-selling and fastest-growing beer in America. Investments like these are incredibly important because they help us to enhance our operations while also sustaining jobs and driving local economic growth in the communities where we operate."

This investment will expand the Jacksonville Brewery's capacity to produce fast-growing beers like Michelob ULTRA, including upgrades to bottling lines and brewing tanks. According to Circana, the leader in providing data to consumer-packaged goods companies, Michelob ULTRA is the #1 top-selling beer nationwide and the state of Florida, and Nielsen also confirms the brand is #1 in bars and restaurants across the state.

U.S. Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) said: "Anheuser-Busch's announcement of a new $30 million investment to expand production at its Jacksonville facilities is excellent news for Northeast Florida. This kind of bold, forward-looking investment will create new jobs, provide more opportunities, boost our state's economy, and further solidify our region as a cornerstone of American manufacturing. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut, pro-growth investments like this are becoming more possible, empowering businesses to grow, workers to succeed, and communities to prosper."

Florida Speaker Pro Tempore, Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville) said: "By upgrading brewing and packaging capabilities with a $30 million investment, Anheuser‑Busch is helping position Jacksonville to grow its manufacturing sector and strengthen our workforce development in this area. We look forward to working together to turn this investment into a sustained opportunity for the hard-working people of Jacksonville."  

Anheuser-Busch opened its Jacksonville Brewery in 1969 and its Metal Container Corporation (MCC) facility in 2016. The company has invested over $100 million in its Jacksonville facilities since 2021, part of the nearly $2 billion it has invested in its 100 U.S. facilities over the past five years.

MONTREAL, Dec. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - For the second quarter of its 2025-2026 fiscal year, which ended on September 13, 2025, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) has reported net income of $336.5 million, a slight $1.3 million or 0.4% decrease from the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year.

Results in brief

• Overall dollar sales rose 0.4% to $950.3 million. At 50.7 million litres, volume sales were down 4%.
• Sales in the SAQ's store and specialized centre network were up $14.3 million or 1.6%, compared with the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year, while the related volume sales dropped 0.6 million litres or 1.3%.
• Dollar sales in the wholesale grocer network decreased $10.7 million or 14.8%, compared with the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year, with the related volume sales falling 1.5 million litres or 20%.
• Government revenues totalled $624 million, an $8 million decrease from the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year. The amounts payable to the Quebec treasury totalled $507 million, with another $117 million destined for the federal government.
• In a constantly changing environment marked by declining sales, the SAQ continues to implement initiatives aimed at supporting its performance while maintaining rigorous cost management adapted to sales.

Detailed results

Store and specialized centre network (permit holders, agency stores and other customers) 

• Dollar sales in this network totalled $888.7 million, a $14.3 million or 1.6% increase.
• Volume sales fell 0.6 million litres or 1.3% to 44.7 million litres.
• Totalling $20.8 million and accounting for 2.9% of consumer sales, online sales were up 4.5% from the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year.
• The value of consumers' average shopping cart increased 2.4%, going from $62.09 to $63.58.
• For consumer sales overall, the average per-litre sales price rose to $21.20, compared with $20.67 for the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year.

Wholesale grocer network

• Dollar sales in this network fell $10.7 million or 14.8% to $61.6 million.
• Volumes sales totalled 6 million litres, compared with 7.5 million litres for the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year a 1.5 million litre or 20% decrease.
• Sales made to the wholesale grocer network vary from quarter to quarter based on the sequencing of their orders. This accounts for the fluctuations seen from the corresponding quarter of the preceding fiscal year.
• It should be noted that the SAQ acts as a wholesaler to the Quebec grocery and convenience store network. Consequently, the sales made in this network do not necessarily correspond to the sales these establishments made to consumers.

Net expenses

• Net expenses totalled $149 million, compared with $136.4 million in the equivalent quarter of fiscal 2024-2025. Excluding non-recurring expenses related to the modernization of the curbside recycling system, which are estimated at $12.6 million, net expenses remained stable on a comparable basis.
• Also on a comparable basis and expressed as a percentage of sales, the ratio of net expenses to sales was 14.5% versus 14.4% for the same quarter of the preceding fiscal year. If the non-recurring expenses related to the modernization of the curbside recycling system are included, the ratio is 15.7%.

The SAQ's quarterly financial results, including the sales and expense trends for the last five years, will be found in its Q2 financial report (in French only).