KPMG 2025 Global CEO Outlook Consumer and Retail

The 2025 CEO Outlook takes you inside how consumer and retail CEOs are leaning into AI to boost efficiency and personalise experiences, rethinking their workforces for a more digital future, and sharpening their sustainability efforts to stay resilient.

The findings reveal an industry that is adapting quickly, making intentional choices, and preparing for a future defined by smarter operations and more connected consumers.

KPMG 2025 Consumer and Retail CEO Outlook

Find out how consumer and retail leaders are investing in AI, talent and ESG to build resilience

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This report focuses exclusively on the 120 consumer and retail CEOs surveyed.

Key findings

For India’s FMCG and consumer companies, the real opportunity lies in using AI to better understand and respond to a highly diverse and fast-changing consumer base. Building AI capabilities across both leadership and frontline teams will be critical to enabling sharper demand sensing, more precise pricing and stronger last-mile execution. When combined with responsible governance and robust data foundations, this can help organisations anticipate consumer needs, enhance agility across distribution networks, and unlock more sustainable volume-led growth in a complex and competitive market.

Nikhil Sethi

Partner and National Leader Consumer Goods and Co-Lead Customer & Operations

KPMG in India

The 2025 Consumer & Retail CEO Outlook highlights AI’s shift from pilots to scaled adoption, driving smarter operations and deeper consumer engagement. For India, this presents a clear opportunity to build AI-led, agile business models – but success will depend on strengthening data foundations, scaling responsibly and translating investments into enterprise-wide impact. As consumer demand becomes more diverse and digital-first, technology will be the defining lever for resilience and differentiated growth in India’s retail landscape.

Dr. Puneet Mansukhani

Global Head of Digital and Technology Transformation for Retail at KPMG International and Sector Head for Retail at KPMG in India

Why download the report?

Download the 2025 Consumer & Retail CEO Outlook to uncover:

How CEOs are navigating a split consumer landscape by balancing global ambition, local pressures, and mounting supply chain friction
Why 78% of leaders remain optimistic about industry growth, even as demand polarizes and margins tighten
How AI is reshaping the sector, from personalisation to predictive supply chains – with AI now a top investment priority and rapid ROI expected
Clear, data‑driven insights from 120 global CEOs to help you stay resilient, drive growth, and move decisively in a volatile market