Nielsen Acquires Perishables Group

CHICAGO -- Nielsen Holdings N.V. has acquired the Perishables Group Inc., a fresh-food and category development consultancy. The move will allow Nielsen to integrate perishables information and knowledge into its extensive retail measurement operation, providing a larger spectrum of insights across the total store.

Nielsen acquired all of the company's assets including its data, advanced analytic IP tools and ongoing client work. All employees of the Chicago-based company will join Nielsen's North America Consumer Analytics team.

"Nielsen acquired the Perishables Group to drive increased value for our clients," said John Lewis, president and CEO, Consumer North America, for Nielsen. "With Perishables Group now fully part of the Nielsen organization, we can accelerate our work to integrate total-store information, thus providing a holistic picture of store-level activity. This complete view across all fresh departments -- produce, deli, meat, seafood and bakery -- provides a distinct advantage for all our clients, including retailers, packaged-goods manufacturers and fresh-food suppliers."

Founded in 2000, the Perishables Group provides customized information for the fresh-food business environment, with expertise that spans the supply chain including consumer insights, data services, marketing communications and advanced analytics

"This acquisition is a natural evolution in the long working alliance we have had with Nielsen," said Bruce Axtman, Perishables Group president and CEO. "Our focus remains on enhancing the insights we deliver into the fresh consumer. Our mission is to help retailers and fresh suppliers increase consumer value and improve business performance by helping them apply a consumer-based business model specific to the fresh-food business environment."

Axtman will continue to lead the group, now known as the Nielsen Perishables Group, and the integration of the Perishables Group's analytic capabilities into Nielsen's offerings.

Nielsen Holdings N.V. is a global information and measurement company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and related properties. Nielsen has offices in New York; Schaumburg, Ill.; and the Netherlands.