As retailers brace for another intense holiday shopping season, many frontline workers are burned out before the rush even begins. Some experts say the technology gap between what consumers use and what retail employees have access to is widening.
According to Accenture’s first-ever U.S. Retail Frontline Worker Survey, 69% of frontline retail workers report feeling exhausted heading into the 2025 holiday season. The research, which was part of Accenture’s larger look* at the holiday season, found that half of frontliners say they feel overworked, stressed or burned out during the holidays, with 70% citing angry or impatient customers as their top source of stress.
HR and business leaders in retail are also feeling concerned about how employees fare during this busy shopping season. Nearly seven out of 10 retail executives are concerned about retaining frontline workers during their most critical sales period, according to Accenture’s research. This exhaustion epidemic threatens both employee wellbeing and business performance.
The hidden cost of the technology divide
The Accenture research gives a hint at an approach that could work for many retailers. While 67% of consumers now use generative AI tools in their daily lives, most frontline workers lack access to the advanced technologies that could make their jobs easier.
The consequences play out daily on the sales floor, according to Accenture. Managing lines and crowd control is the most difficult task for nearly half of in-store workers, while more than one-third report that answering product availability questions and preventing theft are among other sources of stress.
Explaining product features is also a time-consuming part of helping customers for frontline staff during the holidays. Additionally, retail staff are frustrated by frequent price mismatches and when items listed as “in stock” online are unavailable in-store.
While tech could chip away at pain points, three-quarters of frontline workers don’t have access to AI-powered assistants and automated shelf-scanning technology, despite nine in 10 saying these tools would be valuable. Meanwhile, they say they are equipped with basic digital tools, such as scheduling systems and inventory management apps.
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A new way of working
For HR teams, the findings highlight two things: Employees urgently need support, and they’re eager for better tools. In fact, 67% of frontline workers say in-store technology would make their jobs easier.
“It’s an exciting time to be an HR professional,” says Karalee Close, Accenture’s global lead for talent and organization. She says the key tech helps create new opportunities to retain employees.
The move for HR is closing the “growing gap between what employees want and how organizations can embrace new tools as part of their talent strategies.”
AI tools for retail employees can “emphasize a higher touch” through learning and putting the tools in context, Close says. This means rethinking how HR approaches technology adoption.
Rather than viewing AI tools as purely operational investments, Close suggests HR leaders should “frame AI as not only efficiency, but as a way to build trust.”
Blueprints from Walmart, Williams-Sonoma and more
The practical applications are already emerging, according to Close. European retailer MediaMarktSaturn launched MyBuddy, a voice-enabled AI assistant that gives employees real-time product information. Walmart is using AI agents and digital twins to support staff and streamline operations, while Williams-Sonoma has an AI assistant that speeds up customer issue resolution and reduces pressure on frontline teams. HP digitized 90% of its sales training, which led to a 2.5× increase in learning hours and stronger sales results.
Close encourages HR leaders to “think about new ways to solve old problems.” That mindset shift may determine which retailers can attract and keep talent in an increasingly competitive market.
With 88% of retail leaders reporting benefits from using advanced technology, according to Accenture, the return on investment is solid. The 70% of retailers planning to hire more frontline workers this holiday season are competing not just on wages and benefits but on whether they can offer a modern, technology-enabled work experience.
“Companies are using AI to unlock solutions to real issues, such as exhaustion and pressure,” Close notes. “Employees are interested in in-store tech.”
* The retail worker study is part of Accenture’s 19th Annual Holiday Shopping Survey, which involved 1,800 U.S. consumers, 100 retail executives at the VP level or above from companies with annual revenue exceeding $500 million and 200 retail frontline workers.
