Brendan Witcher

VP, Principal Analyst Serving eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

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Brendan serves digital business strategy professionals and is an expert on consumer behavior and technology trends in the commerce engagement space. He is also a noted authority on market developments and vendors that help deliver today's leading strategies and tactics in digital excellence.

In his research, Brendan covers such consumer-oriented, cross-vertical topics as eCommerce, personalization, omnichannel, CX best practices, engagement strategies, and conversion optimization. Brendan applies this knowledge to numerous industries and spends most of his time consulting with companies that are at the forefront of dealing with digital disruption.

In addition to keynoting at global industry events and advising executive teams on digital strategy, Brendan is sought after for comments and insights by industry media such as Bloomberg, CNBC, NPR, PBS, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and USA Today.

Previous Work Experience

Before joining Forrester, Brendan amassed 25 years of experience working for enterprise organizations in multichannel retail and hospitality. During that time, he led significant digital transformation projects, including selecting and integrating enterprise platforms as well as eCommerce support systems and customer-facing technology solutions. He has held multiple leadership positions with Guitar Center and Harry & David, including roles in strategic planning, eCommerce operations, digital marketing, business analytics, customer insights, and CRM. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor for Southern Oregon University's MBA program.

Education

Brendan graduated from Columbia College with a B.A. in business management. He later earned an MBA with a focus on marketing and a postbaccalaureate in financial analysis/accounting, both from Southern Oregon University.

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Brendan Witcher

VP, Principal Analyst Serving eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Read Brendan's blog posts

Previous Work Experience

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Brendan Witcher's Research

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For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: The Top Retail Technology Investments In 2019

Retailers Must Distinguish Hot From Hype In Tech Investments

July 9, 2019Brendan Witcher

We interviewed more than 40 industry professionals to understand the areas of retail initiatives they are investing in this year. This report gives digital business professionals insights into which technologies retailers are investing in and to what extent.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: The Omnichannel Maturity Assessment

Assessment: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

June 24, 2019Brendan Witcher, Claudia Tajima

Supporting an omnichannel fulfillment program is table stakes in retail today. Organizations need to assess their omnichannel maturity to understand their current state and compare it with their desired state. This report reveals why customers are demanding more, why capabilities need to evolve, and how to target areas for improvement. Communicating these gaps is challenging, and this assessment will help eCommerce professionals explain where their company stands vis-à-vis the competition so the executive team can guide the strategic plan to the next level. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Building The Business Case For Omnichannel Commerce

Business Case: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

May 8, 2019Brendan Witcher

Digital retail executives must build effective omnichannel business cases to minimize the risk of launching initiatives that: 1) lack critical internal support; 2) fail to meet customer expectations; and 3) incorrectly measure the program's impact on the total business. This report outlines how to use Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) methodology to develop successful omnichannel business plans. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Construct The Business Case For Digital Store Transformation

Business Case: The Digital Store Playbook

April 25, 2019Brendan Witcher

Retailers today are transforming their physical stores from places to shop to digital centers of engagement. Myriad technology solutions support this transition, including interactive digital signs, in-store apps, mobile POS, and even tools that enable endless-aisle purchasing. This report shows digital business professionals how to use Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) methodology to plan, implement, and manage digital store solutions. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and revises it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Mastering The Art Of Omnichannel Retailing

Executive Overview: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

April 25, 2019Brendan Witcher

Digital business leaders know that many customers use a variety of digital and physical touchpoints as they move along the path to purchase. This complexity creates challenges for retailers as they implement new strategies and tactics to meet the ever-changing expectations of omnichannel customers. This playbook helps digital business leaders identify, plan, and launch omnichannel services, and is a guide for retailers on best practices, pitfalls, and measures of success for omnichannel shopping. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Building The Business Case For Omnichannel Commerce

Business Case: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

May 8, 2019Brendan Witcher

Digital retail executives must build effective omnichannel business cases to minimize the risk of launching initiatives that: 1) lack critical internal support; 2) fail to meet customer expectations; and 3) incorrectly measure the program's impact on the total business. This report outlines how to use Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) methodology to develop successful omnichannel business plans. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Mastering The Art Of Omnichannel Retailing

Executive Overview: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

April 25, 2019Brendan Witcher

Digital business leaders know that many customers use a variety of digital and physical touchpoints as they move along the path to purchase. This complexity creates challenges for retailers as they implement new strategies and tactics to meet the ever-changing expectations of omnichannel customers. This playbook helps digital business leaders identify, plan, and launch omnichannel services, and is a guide for retailers on best practices, pitfalls, and measures of success for omnichannel shopping. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Envisioning The Future Of Omnichannel Commerce

Vision: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

April 16, 2019Brendan Witcher

Omnichannel is not a new concept, but B2C, B2B, and even B2B2C companies still grapple with how to transform from multichannel to omnichannel. Omnichannel capabilities cover four key areas: view of the customer, engagement, fulfillment, and pricing. This report helps digital business professionals understand how and why these areas are separate projects, as well as why these capabilities are critical to successfully win and retain business from empowered customers. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Paving The Path To Omnichannel Commerce

Road Map: The Omnichannel Commerce Playbook

March 5, 2019Brendan Witcher

Digital business professionals have recognized the need for omnichannel programs for years, but many are unsure of where to start. This report guides digital business pros on how to craft an omnichannel road map that successfully bridges gaps between the organization's current capabilities and its vision for future omnichannel programs. They will learn how to chart strategies to select technology, gain internal stakeholder support, break down operational barriers, and measure progress. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and revises it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

REPORT: Commerce Technology Vendor Catalog

April 17, 2017Brendan Witcher

This report helps eBusiness professionals understand the landscape of vendors across 50 different technology categories that span marketing, merchandising, customer service, fulfillment, back-office platforms, and mobile. Understanding who's who in the market is critical for eBusiness teams as they start to shortlist solutions for a vendor selection process and subsequent requests for information (RFIs) and requests for proposal (RFPs). This report identifies more than 200 vendors and provides insights into the broad vendor landscape. This is an update of a previously published report; Forrester reviews and updates it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.