The Kase Peak Season Retailer Sentiment report draws from an independent survey of 328 retail, e-commerce and fulfillment leaders. It’s meant to measure readiness as well as resilience. And reality. But beneath the surface, something cracks.
On paper, 61 percent of the logistics leaders polled say they’re confident heading into the peak fulfillment season. But the moment you look past the headline, that confidence thins. Even though 96 percent began planning earlier than in previous years, a staggering 79 percent still expect to make reactive decisions once order volumes surge.
That tension between confidence and capability defines the core vulnerability right now, especially as 93 percent of respondents brace for higher demand than last year.
The risk landscape is as wide as it is messy. And macroeconomic uncertainty is amplifying everything. As a result, inventory imbalance emerges as the top operational fear for 52 percent of leaders, followed closely by labor shortages, cost spikes and carrier delays. To get ahead of it, 85 percent of those polled said they are building inventory buffers. But buffers aren’t a cure‑all. Not even close. Half of respondents, 51 percent, still cite stockouts as their biggest customer‑experience threat. The message is blunt: smarter placement beats bigger piles. The strategic approach to inventory is shaping up to be precision over volume.
Then comes carrier capacity, a choke point. Eighty‑one percent of leaders flag it as a major constraint. And while 90 percent have backup carrier plans, the mismatch between limited options and rising demand forces a shift in strategy. Network diversification is no longer optional. This pressure is reshaping relationships with third‑party logistics (3PL) providers, pushing retailers away from transactional vendors and toward integrated, strategic partners. Heading into peak 2026, 89 percent of those polled said they expect their 3PLs to be embedded directly into planning.
As a result, capabilities such as carrier diversification, inventory accuracy and real-time visibility now sit at the top of the selection criteria. And with 94 percent of respondents leaning into nearshoring and domestic sourcing, proximity becomes power.
While transportation costs continue to rise and promotional cadences increase, margins are expected to get further squeezed. In response, 93 percent of respondents said they are redesigning fulfillment operations. This includes rate shopping, more bundling and tightening up promotions. Instead of racing toward ever‑faster delivery promises, 38 percent of those polled said they are recalibrating customer expectations toward slightly slower fulfillment windows.
Companies are also leaning into technology as a solution to smooth everything out. Leaders are pouring investments into closing system gaps around inventory accuracy, exception visibility and carrier integration. Real‑time visibility is now mission‑critical or very important to 93 percent of respondents because it accelerates decision‑making and helps teams bypass issues instantly. Automation is nearly universal at 96 percent, concentrated on automated order routing, inventory allocation and carrier selection. So, the machines aren’t coming; they’re already here.
Based on this survey, the path forward sharpens into five distinct themes: inventory precision, carrier diversification, integrated 3PL partnerships, real‑time data visibility and smarter automation. Winners will respond in real time, while everyone else will be forced to scramble.
