Are You Ready for Peak?

Holiday success doesn’t end at checkout. This season’s winners will be the retailers that close the distance between what they plan to deliver and what shoppers say they need, before, during, and long after the buy button.

‍Why this assessment exists

‍This year, eTail Insights and Narvar surveyed 1,348 consumers and 100 senior retail decision-makers for Delivering the 2026 Holiday Shopping Season, and the two groups told noticeably different stories. Shoppers’ plans and expectations leaned heavily on the post-purchase experience, but many retailers’ plans still end at checkout.

This assessment turns those findings into 8 questions you can score in about five minutes. You don’t need to have read the report to take it, but if the gaps surprise you, it’s where to dig deeper.

‍What your results tell you

‍When you finish, your score places your organization in one of four readiness tiers:

• At the top is Peak-Ready, for operations already positioned to be the exception this season.
• On Track marks a solid foundation with gaps that peak volume will expose.
• Distance to Close signals a shopper experience that holds up when everything goes right but has no answer when something goes wrong.
• At Risk means the fundamentals need attention before peak stress-tests them.

Wherever you land, the tier is a starting point rather than a verdict. Your result shows where you stand today, what that means once holiday volume hits, and the specific next steps to move up. Your results reveal if you can meet shopper expectations this season, and how much time is left to close the gap before it plays out at checkout.

‍How to take the assessment

‍Answer for your organization as it operates today, not the roadmap. If you’re unsure on a question, pick the option closest to what a shopper would actually experience. Be honest: the gaps you find now are the ones you can still close before peak.