Built for all: Rethinking career advancement in Retail & CPG
Download the report and access the full findings
This landmark research report is developed in partnership with LEAD Network. It provides a clear, data-driven view of what’s really holding women back in Retail and CPG, and what leaders must do differently to accelerate progress.
Grounded in Shape Talent’s Three Barriers® Model and insights from professionals across the industry, this report moves beyond surface-level explanations to uncover the systemic factors shaping women’s experience, progression, and retention.
Despite sustained investment in gender equity, progress remains slow.
This research shows why the issue is not ambition or capability, but how organisations are designed.
Four systemic themes – voice, value, care, and career progression – continue to shape outcomes for women at work. Critically, these are driven not by policy gaps, but by everyday practices, leadership behaviours, and decision-making structures.
What you’ll learn in this report
- Four key themes shaping women’s careers: voice, value, care, and progression
- Why this is not a confidence issue, but a systemic response to organisational environments, norms, and leadership behaviours
- How everyday practices, from who is heard in meetings to how pay and promotion decisions, drive unequal outcomes
- New retention insights, including why belief in career opportunity is the strongest predictor of whether employees stay or leave
- Why progression is a system design issue, not a pipeline problem, and how leadership behaviour directly shapes access to opportunity
- Where organisations are investing in the wrong solutions, and why programmes alone rarely shift outcomes without system change
- Practical, evidence-based insights to increase female representation at senior levels in Retail and CPG by redefining systems, not fixing individuals
- Why these barriers affect men and non-care-givers too, and what that means for designing systems that work for everyone
Why this research matters
Most organisations are taking action, but not always in the right places.
While many continue to invest in programmes for women focused on confidence skills, this research shows that real impact comes from redesigning systems: how decisions are made, how progression operates, and how talent is recognised and rewarded.
For HR and business leaders, this report provides the clarity needed to move from intent to targeted, measurable action.
Take the next step
If you’re serious about advancing women’s careers in your organisation, this research will help you focus your efforts where they will have the greatest impact.
Want to go deeper?
We work with organisations across Retail and CPG to diagnose barriers, redesign systems, and accelerate women’s progression.
If you’d like to explore what these findings mean for your organisation, we can help you translate insight into action.
Request a follow-up conversation
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the main barriers to women’s career progression in Retail and CPG?
A. This research identifies four systemic themes — voice, value, care, and progression — that shape women’s career progression in Retail and CPG.
These themes are not driven by lack of confidence or ambition, but by organisational norms, leadership behaviours, and decision-making structures that influence who is heard, recognised, and promoted.
Q. Why do women leave or disengage in Retail and CPG?
A. The research shows that belief in career opportunity is the strongest predictor of retention.
Women are more likely to disengage or leave when they experience limited access to progression, visibility, and fair decision-making – often shaped by everyday practices rather than formal policies.
Q. Is the gender gap in leadership a pipeline problem?
A. No. This research shows that the issue is not a lack of female talent.
Instead, progression is a system design challenge, where organisational processes, leadership behaviours, and access to opportunity determine who advances.
Q. What can HR leaders do to improve female representation at senior levels?
A. The biggest impact comes from redesigning systems, not just introducing programmes.
This includes:
- Improving how promotion and pay decisions are made
- Increasing transparency and access to opportunity
- Addressing how flexibility and caregiving are supported in practice
- Equipping leaders to create inclusive, high-visibility environments
Q. Who is this research relevant for?
A. This report is designed for HR leaders, EDI professionals, and senior leaders in Retail and CPG, particularly those focused on improving retention, progression, and leadership diversity.
Q. How can this report be used within an organisation?
A. Organisations can use this research to:
- Diagnose barriers to women’s progression
- Identify gaps in retention and leadership pipelines
- Redesign talent, progression, and decision-making systems
- Inform a more targeted and effective gender equity strategy