NPD buys flat panel display MR specialist DisplaySearch

US sales tracking agency NPD has acquired DisplaySearch, a provider of market research, analysis and conferences to the $70bn flat panel display industry.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a statement, NPD said DisplaySearch would continue to operate independently as an NPD Group company.

NPD's group president, Leon Shapiro said the acquisition was “an important step forward” in the company's strategy to grow and evolve the business.

“We're not only adding depth in a core vertical,” he said, “but we are also expanding into new markets and strengthening our analytics.”

NPD intends to combine its own point-of-sale and consumer tracking information with DisplaySearch's delivery and supply chain data to provide “end-to-end coverage” of the flat panel display market.

It said it will use DisplaySearch conferences as “a new platform for sharing information and insights with the industry”.