Sucharita Kodali

In a rapidly evolving retail environment, brand manufacturers that have traditionally sold through wholesale channels now need to think very differently about distribution. Some traditional wholesale partners are shrinking — meaning those (often long-standing) distribution partnerships simply can’t generate the sales and growth for brands that they did for decades. By contrast, online marketplaces are growing — and fast. Marketplaces promise access to vast swaths of new customers — but potentially also arm’s-length relationships with those customers and less control around placement, plus proximity to […]

One of the biggest transformations in retail that Forrester highlighted in its recent B2C buying research stream is the growth of brand manufacturers in commerce and the corresponding tension with marketplaces like Alibaba, Amazon, and others around the world. (“Brand manufacturers” are traditionally wholesale companies that distribute through intermediaries. They’re a complex ecosystem, and no […]

See how the retail economies of 30 major US metropolitan areas have fared in the wake of the pandemic, and learn what the near future may hold.

Well-executed loyalty programs strengthen customer relationships and drive business results. Our recent research reveals which program elements work particularly well, along with opportunities for improvement.

The single biggest transformation in the retail industry in the last decade has been the emergence of third-party marketplaces (often online bazaars subject to few restrictions) where sellers and buyers meet. Some sellers on online marketplaces, however, traffic in the business of outright fake products. Others may procure merchandise through legitimate channels but engage in […]

For years, retailers have been told they must engage with Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. Now, they should begin leveling the playing field.

Retail changed substantially in the last decade, but not always in the ways predicted. VP and Principal Analyst Sucharita Kodali looks back — and provides a few takeaways for retailers for the decade ahead.

Last weekend, Amazon informed its third-party sellers (which account for more than half of its unit sales) that they are no longer allowed to use FedEx’s Ground delivery service for Prime shipments. In its email announcement, Amazon noted that its reason is a decline in the delivery network’s performance and that it won’t lift the […]

Three ways in which consumer behavior has evolved in a fairly short period

2019 was a record-breaking year for post-Thanksgiving sales. Learn how retailers worked to attract customers on Cyber Monday — and what opportunities remain.

Last week, PayPal acquired a Los Angeles-based company called Honey for a whopping $4 billion. While it certainly wasn’t under the radar (PayPal issued a press release, posted a video, and hosted a conference call about it), the media barely (with a few rare exceptions) picked up the story in spite of the fact that […]

In light of Nike’s latest news that it will avoid doing business directly with Amazon, I’ll gloat just a little. It reinforces what Forrester has been saying for years, which is that brands in the digital age will need to own more of their destiny and be very mindful of the pitfalls associated with eCommerce. […]

VPs, Principal Analysts Sucharita Kodali and Julie Ask explain in this short video where mobile is headed.

Customers expect it — but it places a burden on retailers. Recent innovations may allow retailers, carriers, and customers all to benefit.

As eCommerce continues to grow, so do online returns. Digitally native startups are shifting shopper expectations with their customer-centric return processes, leading traditional retailers to rethink how they handle returns.

Some may see the surprise purchase of the storied department store as a sign of things to come. In fact, it may be more of a cautionary tale for retailers.

15 billion — that’s how many eCommerce orders were delivered last year to customers in the US. Not only are the costs of these shipments increasing, but many of those deliveries are inefficient and generate negative externalities for communities (think clogged roads, for starters). For my new research, “The US Last-Mile Landscape Today,” we interviewed […]