The Top E-Commerce Analysts for E-Commerce Technology
E-commerce technology is a fast-paced industry. Currently, more than 50% of global e-commerce takes place outside of online marketplaces, forcing brands to proactively acquire retail technology that lets them interact with and serve shoppers. But consumer trends are constantly changing, making it nearly impossible for brands to stay up to date. Those that want to stay ahead of the curve of e-commerce technology have to lean on insights from experts who are immersed in the industry and regularly carry out in-depth research.
Reports from e-commerce analysts are important in making crucial business decisions that affect revenue generation and growth. Expert content like this signals where the industry is headed and what innovative strategies competitors are putting in place.
In this piece, we’ll highlight some of the top e-commerce technology research firms and the analysts gathering insights to give retailers more confidence in decisions related to e-commerce technology.
Defining the e-commerce analyst job description
E-commerce analysts are responsible for researching e-commerce trends. Job duties include analyzing sales data for specific businesses and conducting research that reveals upcoming trends, patterns, and insights into the multiple different areas of e-commerce and B2C and B2B online retail.
E-Commerce Analyst Firms
Finding relevant insights is difficult in a saturated industry—particularly when trends change so often. This is why many major e-commerce brands and retailers stick to their go-to firms for reports and data. These companies are major players in the e-commerce world and regularly produce high-level reports that dig into current trends and patterns. Below are three of the most popular firms that produce reports about e-commerce trends and technology.
| Firms | Focus | Reports |
| Gartner | IT research and advice | Gartner Magic Quadrant, Market Guides, Cool Vendors, Hype Cycles, Market Share |
| Forrester | B2B marketing, sales, and product | Forrester Wave, Forrester Insights, Forrester Decisions, Now Tech, New Tech, Tech Tides |
| IDC | IT, telecommunications, and consumer technology | “Future Of” series, MarketScape, Market Glance, PeerScape |
Note: Report links include links to reporting methodologies or sample reports.
Gartner
Gartner was founded in 1979 by Gideon Gartner and quickly became one of the top technology research and consulting companies in the world. Today, it’s spearheaded by CEO Gene Hall and specializes in conducting deep-dive research, running executive programs, providing consultation services to big corporations, and hosting global conferences.
The company is famed for publishing insightful reports such as Magic Quadrant, a series of market research reports highlighting key industry trends and spotlighting the most innovative technology.
Forrester
Forrester was founded in 1983 by current CEO George Forrester Colony who was keen to research the IT and technology industry in the age of the customer. The brand’s first report, “The Professional Automation Report,” was the first of many, and the company is now one of the go-to data sources for all things marketing, automation, tech, and sales.
Consumers and B2B brands can tap into The Forrester Wave, a guide to purchasing options in the tech world. Each quarter, research is published covering a different industry angle, such as insights into digital experience platforms. At the same time, Forrester Decisions and Forrester Marketing Insights use Forrester data to help founders better understand their customers.
IDC
IDC is the oldest analyst firm on the list, dating back to 1964 when founder Patrick Joseph McGovern set out to create the world’s leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. Today, it boasts more than 1,100 analysts worldwide and provides tech insights and trends for IT professionals and business executives.
IDC is best known for its “Future Of” reports, documenting trends and predictions for various areas in the tech world, including operations, digital innovation, customers and consumers, and work in general.
E-Commerce Analysts
These firms rely on expert analysts to carry out research and create their much-anticipated reports. All three firms have hundreds—if not thousands—of industry experts in their rosters, each of whom provides unique takes on specific parts of the e-commerce world.
| Firm | Analyst | Specialty | Reports Created |
| Gartner | Jason Daigler | Launching a commerce site, multichannel strategy, B2B commerce, channel integration, marketplaces | The Gartner Digital Commerce Vendor Guide 2022, MQ: Digital Commerce MQ |
| Gartner | Penny Gillespie | Digital opportunities, digital commerce, rogue thinking | The Gartner Digital Commerce Vendor Guide 2022 |
| Gartner | Irina Guseva | Web content management, digital experience platforms | Gartner Market Guide – Web Content Management, MQ: DXP |
| Gartner | Mike Lowndes | Digital commerce platforms, composable commerce, API, search, content management | The Gartner Digital Commerce Vendor Guide 2022 |
| Gartner | Aditya Vasudevan | Platform strategy, technology design, vendor selection, customer experience assessments, digital transformation programs | The Gartner Digital Commerce Vendor Guide 2022 |
| Gartner | Simon Walker | Product information management, master data management, product, and multidomain data | Gartner Market Guide – Product Information Management |
| Forrester | Nick Barber | Video technologies, digital asset management, personalization | Wave: Agile CMS |
| Forrester | Joe Cicman | B2B and B2C e-commerce technologies, digitally-enabled selling, new DTC initiatives | Wave: B2B Commerce Suites, Wave: DXP |
| Forrester | Emily Pfeiffer | Commerce technology investments, dropshipping, marketplace selling | Forrester NowTech: Promotions, Forrester NowTech: Dropship, Wave: B2C Commerce Suites, Wave: OMS |
| Forrester | Mary Pilecki | Customer loyalty, consumer trends, B2C marketing | The Forrester Wave: Loyalty Service Providers Q3 2021, Now Tech: Promotions and Offer Management Providers Q3 2021 |
| Forrester | Amanda LeClair | App development and delivery, digital transformation trends, PIM practices | Wave: PIM |
| IDC | Jordan Jewell | B2C and B2B digital commerce platforms, digital marketplaces | MarketScape: Headless Digital Commerce 2022, Market Glance: Digital Commerce 2022, MarketScape: B2B Digital Commerce |
| IDC | Marci Maddox | Creative tools, web content management systems, customer communications, digital asset management, video platform solutions | Worldwide Brand & Consumer Website 2022 Vendor Assessment, |
| IDC | Jordan Speer | Sourcing, transportation, warehouse and labor management, returns, and global trade management | PeerScape: B2C & B2B Order Management, MarketScape: Distributed OMS |
| IDC | Mark Thomason | Monetization, disruptive business models, cloud services | Market Analysis Perspective: Worldwide Digital Business Models and Monetization 2021, IDC MarketScape: Worldwide B2B Price Optimization and Management Applications 2021 Vendor Assessment |
Gartner Analysts
- Jason Daigler is a VP and analyst with more than 20 years of experience in digital commerce. He places a particular focus on technologies in this area and multichannel strategies and channel integration.
- Penny Gillespie is a VP and Gartner Fellow in Gartner’s prestigious Customer Experience and digital commerce team. She is best known for her recent research on rogue thinking, an approach to revenue generation and transformation.
- Irina Guseva is a senior research director focusing on web content management and digital experience platforms. She has more than 20 years of industry experience in various roles, including as a journalist, product marketer, and analyst.
- Mike Lowndes is an expert in digital commerce technology within Gartner’s Digital Commerce and Experiences team. His research focuses on digital commerce platforms, composable commerce, APS, and content management.
- Aditya Vasudevan brings over 12 years of experience to the table and specializes in platform strategy, technology design, vendor selection, customer experience assessments, and digital transformation programs.
- Simon Walker is a Senior Principal Research Analyst on Gartner’s IT Leaders’ team. He provides expertise and advice to high-level clients in product information management and master data management.
Forrester Analysts
- Nick Barber is an expert in app development and delivery, focusing on video technologies, digital asset management, and personalization. His area of research includes DAM and how enterprise companies can increase their use of rich media.
- Joe Cicman specializes in helping professionals improve and optimize their e-commerce technologies and strategies. His main research focus is on tools and software suites that drive online channels and new DTC initiatives.
- Emily Pfeiffer helps business owners predict strategies and trends that will prepare them for growth. Her research is centered around choosing a tech partner, commerce technology investments, dropshipping, and marketplace selling.
- Mary Pilecki leads Forrester’s customer loyalty coverage while helping B2B marketing professionals adapt and grow their brands. Her research focuses on loyalty strategies, consumer trends, and tools and processes for B2C marketers.
- Amanda LeClair is a senior analyst at Forrester who specializes in app development and delivery. Her role is to help businesses navigate the new engagement models of leading technology services firms. Her research focuses on business applications ecosystems, digital transformation trends, and technology services spending patterns.
IDC Analysts
- Jordan Jewell is the Research Director for IDC’s Enterprise Applications and Digital Commerce team. His main role is leading research initiatives into digital commerce platforms and digital marketplaces.
- Marci Maddox is the Research Director for IDC’s Digital Experience Management Software program that helps drive relevant and personalized experiences. Her research centers around creative tools, web content management systems, and customer communications.
- Jordan Speer is the Research Manager for IDC’s Retail Insights and specializes in covering global supply chains. Her research focuses on optimizing the supply chain, fulfillment, transportation, labor management, and how technology improves these processes.
- Mark Thomason is the Research Director at IDC for Digital Business Models and Monetization practice. His research pays particular attention to emerging monetization models, disruptive business models, and cloud services.
Key Takeaways
- The most popular e-commerce analyst firms are Gartner, Forrester, and IDC.
- Expert e-commerce analysts can provide key insights to aid data-driven decision-making for technology users inside large brands and retailers.
- Research reports highlight where the industry is headed and identify upcoming trends.
- Analysts we spoke to agreed with the API-first modular architecture that fabric deploys, supporting the different solutions it offers.
Global strategy and field marketing @ fabric. Previously @ Suplari and Accenture.
Related Content
