The 2026 Consumer Goods & Retail Workforce Outlook

How leading consumer goods and retail organisations are adapting their workforce to macro-level change from AI and skills scarcity to compliance, cost pressure, and supply chain volatility.

Featuring insights from Sales Director Nat Jackson, drawing on real-world consumer goods and retail engagements.

Why this matters now

Despite stronger-than-expected performance in late 2025, consumer goods and retail organisations are facing mounting pressure on margins, compliance, and access to niche skills. Workforce decisions made in 2026 will directly impact:

Speed to market

Cost control

Risk Exposure

Customer & candidate experience

Featured video: Workforce challenges shaping Consumer goods & Retail in 2026

In this video, you’ll hear:

  • The 6 macro trends reshaping consumer goods and retail workforces
  • Where organisations are feeling pressure first (skills, compliance, cost)
  • What “workforce management excellence” actually looks like in practice

Explore the Consumer Goods and Retail workforce campaign

Part of a broader Consumer goods & Retail insights series, including articles, polls, and upcoming resources.
6 Macro trends article thumbnail

2026 Consumer goods & Retial Workforce Outlook: 6 Macro Trends

Includes:

  • AI is reshaping talent demand
  • Omnichannel & ecommerce growth accelerates hiring needs
  • Economic uncertainty puts pressure on supply chains and costs
  • Price sensitivity & sustainability shape workforce strategy
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Most impactful trend in Retail & Consumer goods

 

Retail and consumer goods organisations are balancing innovation, margin pressure, and changing consumer behaviour as 2026 approaches.

What will shape the sector most in the year ahead?

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From Insight to Action: Stress-Test Your Talent Strategy

Understanding the trends is one thing, knowing whether your workforce model can deliver is another.

We work with HR leaders driving talent transformation, using our Workforce Health Checks and Talent Maturity Diagnostics to benchmark your organisations current state, identify key opportunities and critical risks, provide a phased roadmap and work with you to create the board business case for change.

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