EMARKETER buys RetailX research arm to expand global retail rankings
What's the deal? EMARKETER has acquired the research business of RetailXDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, adding retail industry rankings to its retail and brand intelligence platform. The deal, announced September 24, 2026, was for an undisclosed sum. It brings RetailX's research team, proprietary tools, and flagship rankings under the EMARKETER banner.
What's the endgame? EMARKETER will publish two closely watched benchmarks: The UK500, an annual ranking of the UK's top 500 e-commerce retailers, and The CustomerX Index, a pan-European, cross-sector ranking launching in late September 2026. New editions covering the US market are also planned.
The company plans to enrich these products with its own research, including data from its newly launched AI Visibility Index, which tracks how brands and retailers appear in Large Language Model (LLM)-based search.
What each side brings: EMARKETER provides data, forecasts, and analysis on digital marketing, media, advertising, and commerce. RetailX is an events and intelligence brand serving retail and direct-to-consumer sectors, connecting commercial leaders through events, networking, and insight programs.
RetailX's events business will continue to operate independently, with EMARKETER entering an ongoing media partnership with it.
What they're saying: "Ian and the RetailX team have built fantastic reports with a rigorous and trusted methodology," said Matthias Braun, chief executive officer at EMARKETER, adding the team is "central to our plans to bring even more value to The UK500 and the CustomerX Index."
RetailX founder Ian Jindal said: "We have long been fans of EMARKETER's insight," calling the buyer "a trusted research partner that will carry on what we have built."
The signal: The acquisition reflects EMARKETER's push into proprietary research across digital commerce, betting that rankings and benchmarks remain decision-making tools marketers and retailers rely on. Folding in the AI Visibility Index also signals where retail intelligence is heading — measuring brand presence inside AI-driven search.
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