Meet Circana, the New Name for IRI and NPD
Market research stalwarts IRI and NPD, which merged last year, have a new, acronym-free name: Circana. The business name (pronounced “Sir-kah-na”) was chosen because it connotes a combined and rounded perspective on the market, company officials said.
“We are proud to begin this new chapter together as Circana, a name that conveys our 360-degree, full-circle understanding of the consumer and market, and our unique ability to bring clients a complete view of the consumer, store and wallet,” explained Kirk Perry, president and CEO of the rebranded entity.
Added Tod Johnson, chairman of Circana’s board of directors: “The combination of IRI and NPD created a category of one. In the months since the merger, we have demonstrated — for our clients and for our team — the immense value of bringing our firms together. Moving forward with a unified name and brand signifies that Circana is committed to delivering on the full value of our powerful combination for all of our stakeholders, with a relentless focus on innovation and growth.”
The company remains headquartered in Chicago and continues to provide insights and analysis on the $2.9 trillion consumer brand and retail market spanning segments including food and beverage, fashion, home, tech, beauty and health, alcohol and tobacco, entertainment and auto parts. Circana claims to provide information on the complete consumer, complete store and complete wallet, tracking millions of products across 20 countries with insights powered by its “Liquid Data” platform. The firm advises nearly 7,000 brands and retailers around the world.
The previous IRI and The NPD Group merged in August 2022. IRI was founded in 1979 by John Malec and Gerry Eskin as they sought to create a computerized system to track consumer purchases and media behavior and link it to products purchased at grocery stores. Long headquartered in Port Washington, N.Y., The NPD Group began in 1953 when Henry Brenner launched the business as the Home Testing Institute and built a business that later focused on using cash register information to determine product movement and consumer behavior.
The newly-named Circana leverages other partnerships as well to deliver actionable information to its clients. Among other collaborations, the company recently teamed up on projects with Boston Consulting Group, Meta, Church & Dwight, LiveRamp and Epsilon.
In addition to its home base in Chicago, Circana operates U.S. locations in Rogers, Ark., San Jose, Calif., Providence, R.I., and Cincinnati. Its international presence includes locations in Australia, Canada, France, Germany Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom.
