Gomez Advisors closes its retail research division

Analyst firm Gomez Advisors has laid of 25% of its staff, shutting down several business units including the retail, travel and health groups, according to a source. Gomez, which made a name for itself for providing web site scorecards under its Gomez.com division, has let 35 employees go overall. Reports say the company will focus on the financial services sector, which was Gomez’s area of expertise when the company was formed in the late 1990s. Gomez officials did not return calls for comment.