State of Retailing Online (SORO)
Every year, Shop.org and Forrester Research partner to provide the eCommerce community with an update on the state of the online retail industry. The State of Retailing Online (SORO) study is the highly anticipated annual research bringing details of Marketing, Merchandising and Profitability to the community. This research serves many functions, from allowing retailers to benchmark their performance against competitors, to enlightening retailers to marketing and merchandising best practices and guiding financial planning.
SORO FAQ & Troubleshooting
SORO Survey Participation Sign Up
2008 SORO Reports (members only)
2007 SORO Reports (members only)
Purchase SORO
Study Execution and Reports
During the first half of 2008, Shop.org and Forrester Research are jointly deploying two surveys, designed to gather all the details you need about marketing, merchandising, multi-channel integration, and profitability. The results of these two surveys are being released in three separate reports:
Marketing Report
Released in April 2008, the SORO Marketing Report covers areas such as:
- Marketing budget
- Allocation and effectiveness of marketing spending (both online and offline)
- Promotions
- Customer acquisition
- Email marketing
- Search
Members, Download the Marketing Report today!
Table of Contents and Summary
More Information
Non-Members: Purchase Here
Merchandising Report Just Released!
Release date: July 2008 (Online Merchandising Workshop, July 14 - 16*)
The SORO Merchandising Report covers areas such as:
- Customer experience optimization tactics and investment plans
- Product placement and merchandising initiatives
- Operations, fulfillment and post-transaction tactics
- Site measurement tactics
Members, Download the Merchandising Report today!
Table of Contents and Summary
More Information
Non-Members: Purchase Here
Profitability Report
Release date: September 2008 (Shop.org Annual Summit , September 15-17*)
The SORO Profitability Report will explore:
- Company organization
- Sales, profitability and metrics
- Operations and fulfillment
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Expansion into markets outside the U.S.
*The release dates of each of these reports coincide with Shop.org events. At these events, research experts will present the findings of the latest SORO research results.
Benefits for Participation in the Study
Shop.org and Forrester Research welcome additional retailer participants in the SORO study, both member and non-member. Any retailer company is eligible to participate and is encouraged to contribute to the eCommerce community.
In return for completing the SORO surveys, participants receive the following:
- Detailed results of each of the Marketing, Merchandising and Profitability reports
- Special bonus for 2008: a free copy of the Forrester "U.S. Retail eCommerce Forecast: 2008 to 2012" report ($279 value), published in January 2008.
- The satisfaction of having made an invaluable contribution to the eCommerce community.
SORO 2008 will also be available to all Shop.org members and Forrester clients.
About the Survey
Produced in partnership with Forrester Research, Shop.org's State of Retailing Online 2008 is the industry standard of Internet and multi-channel retail research.
The comprehensive collection of performance benchmarks is based on data collected directly from over 125 retailers, including closely held companies who otherwise don't publicly disclose details about their operations and innovations.
Produced by the industry, for the industry, Shop.org is proud to have the assistance of its prestigious Research Committee to ensure its industry-standard research continues to closely match the needs of retailers over time.
Next State of Retailing Online: Survey #2 for SORO 2008 is currently underway, but you may sign up for future SORO surveys -- Sign Up!
- State of Retailing Online--Review Archived Reports (members only)
Questions? For any further questions, please email retailresearch@forrester.com.
