Circana

{{Short description|American technology company}} {{Infobox company | name = Circana, Inc. | logo = Circana logo.png | former_name = {{Unbulleted list|National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. {{small|(1966–1975)}}|NPD Research Inc. {{small|(1975–1988)}}}} | type = Private | owner = Hellman & Friedman | industry = Market research | founded = {{Start date and age|1966|09|28}} (as National Purchase Diary Panel Inc.) | founder =  | hq_location_city = Chicago, Illinois | hq_location_country = U.S. | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Stuart Aitken (CEO) | products = {{Unbulleted list|Market intelligence|Business analytics}} | website = {{URL|circana.com}} }}

'''Circana, Inc.''', formerly known as '''Information Resources, Inc.''' and '''the NPD Group''' (previously '''National Purchase Diary Panel Inc.''' and '''NPD Research Inc.'''), is an American market research and technology company headquartered in Chicago. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest market research company in the world, according to the independent AMA Gold Report Top 50 report.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/the-ama-gold-report-2017-top-50-market-research-firms.aspx |title=The AMA Gold Report 2017 Top 50 Market Research Firms |first1=Diane |last1=Bowers |first2=Michael |last2=Brereton |website=AMA |access-date=November 15, 2017}}</ref> The NPD Group operates in 20 countries, across more than 20 industries. The current name, Circana, was adopted in 2023 after the company's merger with IRI.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=https://www.circana.com/intelligence/press-releases/2023/news-press-releases-iri-and-npd-rebrand-as-circana/|title=IRI and NPD Rebrand as Circana, the Leading Advisor on the Complexity of Consumer Behavior|date=March 7, 2023|website=Circana}}</ref>

NPD helps retailers, manufacturers, financial analysts, and the public sector measure performance, predict future performance, improve marketing and product development, and identify business and consumer trends and market opportunities. NPD tracks spending and has dedicated advisers and analysts in more than 20 industries.<ref name="About NPD">{{cite web |title=About NPD |url=https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/about-npd/ |access-date=June 7, 2017 |website=The NPD Group}}</ref>

In July 1999, the NPD Group and GfK co-purchased the entirety of market research firm Intelect ASW, a company focused according to ''The New York Times'' on "the consumer electronics, information technology and appliance industries."<ref name=intelectstart>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527105230/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/27/business/media-business-advertising-madison-avenue-sees-another-spate-deals-including.html | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/27/business/media-business-advertising-madison-avenue-sees-another-spate-deals-including.html | title=The Media Business: Advertising; Madison Avenue sees another spate of deals, including some acquisitions overseas. | author=Elliott, Stuart | date=July 27, 1999 | work=The New York Times | archive-date=May 27, 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref> In early 2001, the NPD Group purchased PC Data's core business and merged its operations into NPD Intelect; 60 members of the PC Data staff migrated to the company.<ref name=newsday>{{cite web |last1=Joshi |first1= Pradnya |last2= Harrington |first2= Mark | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010020752/https://www.newsday.com/business/npd-venture-buys-tracking-firm-acquisition-bolsters-li-company-s-position-in-market-data-field-1.359787 | url=https://www.newsday.com/business/npd-venture-buys-tracking-firm-acquisition-bolsters-li-company-s-position-in-market-data-field-1.359787 | title=NPD Venture Buys Tracking Firm | date=March 16, 2001 | archive-date=October 10, 2018 | work=Newsday | url-status=dead }}</ref> Intelect subsequently formed a subdivision dedicated to the console game market, NPDFunworld, in October 2001. NPDTechworld, a branch dedicated to the technology and software sector, followed in December.<ref name=libn>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012021130/https://libn.com/2001/12/14/npd-intelect-unveils-tech-marketing-info-service/ |url=https://libn.com/2001/12/14/npd-intelect-unveils-tech-marketing-info-service/ | title=NPD Intelect unveils tech marketing info service | author=''LIBN'' Staff | date=December 14, 2001 | work=Long Island Business News | archive-date=October 12, 2018 | url-status=live }}</ref> NPD uses sales data, such as checkout tracking from retailers and distributors as well as consumer-reported purchasing behavior, and offers consumer panel and retail sales tracking services, special reports, analytic solutions, and advisory services.<ref name="About NPD" />

NPD began tracking the North American video game industry from 1995.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Games Industry Growth Record Set in October |url=https://www.npd.com/perspectives/video-games-oct-int/ |website=NPD |date=October 2018 |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> In the 1990s, NPD's Toy Retail Survey Tracking (TRST) system was the video game industry's standard source for video game sales figures. The TRST collected these figures from 17 North American retail chains, or 63% of the American market. Those who purchased TRST's data, which NPD repackaged without extrapolation, were discouraged from republishing the raw figures.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_28#page/n20/mode/1up |magazine=Next Generation |volume=28 |page=19 |date=April 1997 |title=TRST: The numbers you can trust? }}</ref>

NPD also provides a service called VIP Voice that allows consumers to complete surveys about the products and services that they use.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vipvoice.com/Toluna.MR.TrafficUI/MSCUI/Page.aspx?pgtid=5 |title=Make An Impact! |website=VIP Voice |access-date=August 26, 2015}}</ref>

In October 2021, NPD entered intro an agreement to be acquired by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npd.com/news/press-releases/2021/the-npd-group-to-be-acquired-by-hellman-friedman/|title=The NPD Group To Be Acquired By Hellman & Friedman|website=npd.com|date=October 19, 2021|accessdate=October 21, 2021}}</ref>

NPD serves industries in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/worldwide/ |title=The NPD Group – A Global Presence |website=The NPD Group |access-date=June 7, 2017}}</ref>

BookScan, Pubtrack Digital, PubTrack Higher Education, PubTrack Christian, Books & Consumers, PubEasy and PubNet belong to NPD since January 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/72549-npd-buys-nielsen-s-book-services.html|title=NPD Buys Nielsen's Book Services|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> NPD acquired these services from Nielsen's U.S. market information and research services for the book industry. In the U.S. these services are now part of NPD Book, a new U.S. practice area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/72549-npd-buys-nielsen-s-book-services.html|title=NPD Buys Nielsen's Book Services|first=Jim|last=Milliot |website=PublishersWeekly.com}}</ref> NIQ (formed from divestiture of consumer intelligence business of Nielsen Holdings in 2021) still operate their book services outside of the U.S., including BookScan in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nielsenbook.co.uk/measure/|title=Measure|website=Nielsen Book UK|language=en-US|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:NPD Group, The}} Category:Market research companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Nassau County, New York Category:Privately held companies based in New York (state)