IRI & NPD Officially Join Forces as a Global Analytics & Data Provider
CHICAGO and PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Information Resources Inc. (IRI) and The NPD Group completed their merger to form a global analytics and data provider.
The news comes after IRI, a global leader in innovative solutions and services for consumer, retail, and media companies, and The NPD Group, a global provider of market information and advisory services to more than 20 industries, signed a definitive merger agreement in April, as reported by Convenience Store News.
The merger brings together colleagues across the globe to offer more than 7,000 clients a comprehensive, accurate view of consumer behavior and total retail purchasing and consumption trends across a broad range of industries.
"We are thrilled to merge our two great companies and create an even stronger organization together," said Kirk Perry, president and CEO. "Our combination sets a new standard, raising the bar for innovative technology, rich insights and data-driven advisory services across industries.
"As one company, our world-class team will offer a total store experience and a greater share of consumer wallets and stomachs. The possibilities for our clients, our people and our company are endless," Perry added.
A unified name and brand for the combined company will be announced at a later date.
Together, IRI and NPD provide deep sector knowledge, leading data assets and strategic retail relationships in more than 20 industries, including consumer packaged goods (CPG), softlines, hardlines, beauty, technology, foodservice and food consumption.
The company's insight capabilities will be powered by the industry-leading technology and data visualization platform, Liquid Data.
"Today marks an important milestone for our company and the industry," said Tod Johnson, chairman of the board of directors. "Our combined company is best-positioned to support our wide variety of retailer and manufacturer clients around the world with comprehensive and powerful insights to help them navigate the continually evolving consumer landscape. We look forward to realizing the immense value this combination stands to create for our clients, employees and partners."
The merger will further empower brands and retailers to collaborate, better service their customers, respond to trends and leverage more powerful insights to drive growth.
It pairs NPD's market information and advisory services for general merchandise, including softlines, technology and retail, as well as foodservice and food consumption, with IRI's market measurement, supply chain and media optimization solutions, technology platform, retail relationships, and data assets for the CPG industry encompassing the grocery, convenience and over-the-counter healthcare categories.
H&F, a premier global private equity firm, is the majority investor in the combined company. Vestar Capital Partners and New Mountain Capital (NMC), which were long-term investors in IRI, retain significant investments in the combined company.
The combined company’s executive leadership team, which will be led by Perry, and include senior leaders from both IRI and NPD. The combined company's board of directors will be led by chairman Johnson and include Perry, former NPD CEO Karyn Schoenbart, former IRI Chairman Jeff Ansell and representatives from H&F, Vestar and NMC.