Accenture: Retail execs fear holiday stock shortages
Retail executives are concerned about supply chain shocks, inventory management and frontline worker morale ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Seven in 10 (70%) of U.S. retail executives are worried that potential supply chain shocks could impact their ability to deliver against their holiday trading plan, according to Accenture’s U.S. Retail Executive Survey. All executive respondents were U.S. based and worked at VP level or above for retail companies with annual turnover more than $500 million.
The same number (70%) of executives are worried about delivering online orders on time. And almost 64% are worried they won’t have enough stock this holiday season.
Frontline Workers
A separate study — Accenture’s first-ever U.S. Frontline Worker Survey — found that managing stock is also on the minds of U.S. frontline retail workers who face mounting pressure to deliver a seamless and consistent experience across all touchpoints. More than eight in 10 (82%) of frontline workers say items listed as “in stock” online are often unavailable in-store. (All frontline worker respondents were U.S. based and worked at a retailer in the U.S. at the time of the survey.)
In addition, 73% report frequent price mismatches. These disconnects risk frustrating customers and eroding trust at the peak of the shopping season, noted Accenture.
Other findings from the frontline worker survey are below.
•When it comes to interacting with customers, 57% of frontline retail workers say inventory and availability issues tops the list of areas that take up most time. One-quarter (25%) report that internal systems for inventory management and stock lookup slows them down, second only to price checks and promotion handling (31%).
•Three in 10 (30%) workers say that managing complaints about lack of stock or substitutes causes them the most stress during the holiday season. One-third (33%) say that system and process improvements to provide clearer, real‑time updates on inventory levels would make their job easier. However, 32% report that they don’t have access to digital inventory management systems or real-time tools, despite almost all (99%) seeing the value of such tools.
“AI and digital tools have the potential to boost productivity and making frontline roles more rewarding,” said Brooks Kitchel, Accenture’s global retail strategy lead. “While AI feels intuitive in our personal lives, bringing it into stores requires serious behind-the-scenes work to upgrade systems, rethink processes, and train teams. But with the right tech and skills, retailers can unlock real impact for their business and their people.”
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
Two parallel surveys of 100 Retail Executives and 200 Retail Frontline Workers were conducted to explore actions taken by retailers and frontline workers in the run up to the 2025 holiday season and compare those with consumer expectations. The surveys were conducted between August and September 2025.
