To stay ahead of the latest retail trends and keep pace with ever-changing consumer behaviors, you need data gathered from the front lines of commerce. And that’s where today’s guest has spent her entire career. In this episode, Brian Walker speaks with Sucharita Kodali, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, and leader of the 2021 State of Commerce Experience Report - a study of US, UK and German eCommerce consumers, B2B buyers, and the decision makers within the businesses serving them. Together, they discuss why research like this is crucial for B2B and B2C retailers, the picture it paints of the future of commerce, and what it means for decision makers as they reassess post-pandemic retail strategies. They cover a range of topics in their conversation, including: - The growing importance of a brand's direct website and how the direct-to-consumer experience is crucial in keeping customers coming back. - How, despite the large shift towards D2C, there’s still a large role for distributors to play as trusted advisors. - And how to invest in best-in-class digital capabilities that consumers expect, while overcoming the huge disconnect between buyers and sellers that the research has highlighted. This episode offers many fascinating insights into where digital commerce is heading, and what you must do to educate others inside your business about what needs to happen. If you’re looking to conduct a maturity assessment, benchmark yourselves, or build a business case for change, Sucharita shares some invaluable insights that you won’t want to miss. You can also download the report now for a complete view of the research: https://www.bloomreach.com/en/state-of-commerce-experience-hub If you’re looking for even more digital commerce insight, then you’ll want to catch up on last month’s Commerce Experience Summit 2021, where over 1000 ecommerce and marketing professionals came to discuss the latest digital commerce trends and consumer shifts: https://visit.bloomreach.com/commerce-experience-summit We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at: https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Sucharita a little better by checking out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sucharitamulpuru/ And find out more about Forrester Research at: https://go.forrester.com/