Coca-Cola Research Councils Put Retail Labor at the Center of In-Store Strategy

Coca-Cola’s Retail Research Councils — a network of global retailers and experts backed by the beverage giant — have identified frontline labor as the most critical variable in modern in-store execution.

New insights from the group point to a growing gap between the strategic expectations of CPGs and the operational realities of retail teams. With labor shortages, inconsistent training, and increasing tech complexity, execution on the shelf is becoming harder to sustain — even as merchandising, personalization, and omni-channel alignment grow more demanding.

In response, Coca-Cola is working with retail partners to explore new models that prioritize labor enablement, including better task automation, cross-functional role design, and simplified in-store processes. The goal: to turn labor from a constraint into a competitive advantage.

corpbrief insight:

In retail, it’s not just what brands plan — it’s what people can pull off. Coca-Cola’s focus on labor signals that store-level excellence starts by empowering the frontline.