Retail Planning 2026: Why a Mid-Year Check-In Beats Starting Over in January

We're coming up fast on the halfway point of the year — and if that fills you with dread, don't panic. Here's the good news: a midyear review beats a New Year's resolution every time, because right now you're not working from a theory about how the year might go. You have six months of real data. This episode is how you use it. Oh, and the episode comes with a free download - https://www.resilientretailclub.com/recap (Our sponsor Faire are offering 50% off and free shipping on first orders until July 31st. Simply add the code "Resilient50" at checkout) Hi, I'm retail strategist and founder of Resilient Retail Club, Catherine Erdly. And in this episode of the Resilient Retail Game Plan, I'm walking you through the exact process I've used with members, course students, and clients over and over again: look back honestly at the first half of the year, then use what you find to spring-board into a stronger second half. The key word is honestly — without blame, without self-recrimination, and without brushing past everything you've actually achieved. We start with the numbers: your total sales versus plan, your best sellers by value, units and profit, and a "dead weight audit" of what hasn't moved. But the real value isn't the figures themselves — it's asking why they happened, because knowing why you succeeded is as useful as the number itself. From there we look at conversion rate, average order value, your sales channels, a social-media audit, and a relationship audit of the suppliers, stockists, and couriers you depend on. Then we get subjective — and I make no apology for it. We celebrate your wins out loud, run a start / stop / continue on the first half, and use a 20-minute SWOT analysis as an emotional clearing exercise to get the 3am worries out of your head and onto paper. Finally, we refocus. If midyear admin usually fills you with dread, this is the episode that turns it into momentum. There's a free downloadable workbook to do it alongside me. **Chapter Timestamps** - 00:00 — Why a midyear recap beats January 1st: you have real data now - 01:33 — Revisiting the goals you set in January (without the self-blame) - 03:40 — The numbers that matter — and why you should ask why they happened - 06:10 — Best sellers: value, units, and profit - 08:06 — The dead weight audit: stuck stock and disappointing lines - 09:33 — Conversion rate and average order value - 10:28 — Sales channels: are you investing where it's actually working? - 11:20 — The social media and relationship audits - 13:17 — What worked, what didn't, and start / stop / continue - 16:29 — How the business feels: SWOT and the 20-year interview - 19:31 — Refocusing for half two: set your number and key dates - 21:41 — Your homework **Useful Links** - Free midyear recap workbook: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/recap - Resilient Retail Club podcast: https://www.resilientretailclub.com/podcast/ - Catherine on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/catherineerdly Mentioned in this episode: Faire 50% off - use code 'Resilient50'