Providing insights to accelerate tangible and trusted outcomes
Christian Haeger, Vice-President, Global Industry Lead, Retail, Consumer & Services
The 2025 CGI Voice of Our Clients shares findings from our in-depth interviews with business and IT executives across the industries and geographies we serve. Our 2025 research reveals these overarching insights for leaders—to pursue ambitious digital transformation goals while navigating increasing complexity, managing costs, and adapting to evolving workforce dynamics. In 2025, we interviewed more than 1,800 business and technology executives, of which over 80% were C-level. These strategic conversations provide a unique view into how trends affect organizational priorities and investment plans.
Broadly, we see three key takeaways across industries:
Changes in value chains across industries are accelerating
As industry value chains evolve, digitization remains the most influential macro trend shaping strategy. Nearly three in four executives say it’s significantly impacting their business models. At the same time, shifts in the world economic order and supply chain reconfiguration—along with a changing political, fiscal and regulatory environment—are prompting many executives to rethink how value is delivered across ecosystems. Across industries, leaders are navigating a fast-changing and challenging business environment.
Cost, structure, and talent constraints are hindering tangible ROI
While ROI from digitization is improving with 41% of executives citing that they are generating expected results from their digitization strategies compared to 34% last year, many say full value remains elusive. Cost pressures, legacy systems, and talent shortages continue to slow progress. Nearly half cite legacy systems as a top barrier to achieving digital success, while hiring skilled IT talent remains a widespread challenge. Many organizations are still working to realize the full potential of their digital strategies.
Executives are exploring digital transformation approaches
Industry leaders are more open than ever to new ideas to help them drive innovation and efficiency. They are relying more on managed services to balance transformation and stability. Growth spans IT and business functions, from applications and infrastructure to enterprise and industry-specific services. Modernization is gaining momentum, with leaders deepening cloud adoption across infrastructure, platforms, and software to enable more agile operations. AI adoption is also accelerating. Traditional AI is driving efficiency, while generative AI is emerging as a key lever for innovation—together helping organizations become smarter and more responsive.
Top 5 macro trends
As in 2024, nearly three-fourths of executives cite digital acceleration as the most impactful macro trend for their organizations, with CEOs rating it the highest. Other high-impact macro trends are mostly consistent year-over-year, while shifts in the world economic order has risen significantly, showing a full 10pp increase.
(% of clients rating macro trends 8+, with 10 as ‘very high degree of impact on the organization’)
- Technology and digital acceleration (71%)
- Changing political, fiscal and regulatory environments (67%)
- Changing social demographics (49%)
- Fight against climate change (43%)
- Shift in the world economic order (38%)
Top 5 industry trends
The top industry trends this year show that executives are focused on technology and innovation, strengthening resilience and data sovereignty, and optimizing efficiency, driven by market volatility and risk management which enters the top 5 as a new trend.
(Ranked by impact. Year-over-year change denoted as new, up +, down -, no change =)
- Technology, innovation and digital transformation (+)
- Sustainability, climate change and energy transition (-)
- Operational efficiency and cost optimization amid economic uncertainty (+)
- Market volatility and risk management (new)
- Cybersecurity, data protection and risk management (-)
Top 5 business priorities
Operational efficiency and modernization are at the top of organizational agendas, with most industries seeing strong alignment between IT and business to support organizational strategy.
(Ranked by importance. Year-over-year change denoted as new, up +, down -, no change =)
- Enhance operational stability and efficiency through automation and process optimization (+)
- Drive strategic business growth through innovation, market expansion and partnerships (-)
- Enhance customer/citizen experience through digitalization, simplification and personalization (=)
- Achieve cost optimization and reduction (=)
- Enhance cybersecurity, data protection and regulatory risk management (new)
Geopolitical uncertainty is now a top 3 barrier to organizations’ ability to achieve their business priorities, with only budget constraints and organizational and change management ranking higher.
Top 5 IT priorities
Enhancing the customer/citizen experience through digitalization is new to the top 5 IT priorities, while modernization remains the number one focus area again this year.
(Ranked by importance. Year-over-year change denoted as new, up +, down -, no change =)
- Modernize IT and transform digitally (=)
- Enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs (+)
- Enhance customer/citizen experience through digitalization (new)
- Enhance cybersecurity and data protection (-)
- Leverage data, analytics and artificial intelligence (-)
Retail, consumer goods & wholesale: Data, AI and modernization drive stronger business outcomes
Retailers are tackling inflation and uncertainty by leveraging data, AI and modernization to boost customer experience and efficiency for stronger business outcomes. Top trends and priorities focus on efficiency, experience and resilience. We met with 113 retail, consumer goods and wholesale executives to understand their top priorities and how they are preparing for and adapting to key trends shaping their organizations. This year, executives are prioritizing:
- Enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs to offset inflationary pressures
- Modernizing legacy systems and using AI to drive efficiency, personalization, and smarter forecasting and replenishment
- Venturing into new markets and rapidly investing in new products and services to secure growth
- Improving customer experience to win and keep customers
- Reshoring closer to their markets and diversifying to enhance
Inflationary pressures, combined with geopolitical instability and supply chain uncertainties, are accelerating an AI-driven transformation.
Technology remains vital, while shifting political and regulatory landscapes grows considerably more significant.
- 57% identify technology and digital acceleration as the top macro trend
- 55% cite changing political, fiscal and regulatory environments
- 51% cite the fight against climate change, including the energy transition
- 42% say global economic shifts are disrupting operations and supply chains
- 41% cite market concentration and oligopolies as a new macro trend
Digital leaders excel in data, AI and ecosystem-wide strategies
42% of organizations generating expected results from their digitization strategies—the digital leaders—share common traits that help them deliver superior performance. In retail, consumer goods and wholesale, digital leaders:
Are producing results from their data privacy and protection strategy extending to the ecosystem | +41pp vs. others
Have a holistic data strategy extending to the ecosystem | +22pp vs. others
Have a holistic AI strategy extending to the ecosystem | +15pp vs. others
* “Digital leaders” are those producing expected results, and “others” are those building or launching their digital strategies. pp = percentage points
At CGI, we help retail, consumer goods and wholesale leaders leverage AI and data-driven approaches to boost profitability by delivering seamless omnichannel customer experiences, enhancing supply chain agility, streamlining store operations, and optimizing IT spend.
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