IRI buys China’s Datasea

Datasea’s services centre on six areas: customer research, brand research, satisfaction and loyalty programmes, new product testing, advertising impact evaluation and distribution strategy. Its clients include CPG manufacturers and retailers, as well as companies in related industries, such as quick service restaurants (QSRs) and cosmetics. It has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Jinan, supported by a nationwide service network.

The acquisition is the latest in IRI’s growth strategy. In 2013, IRI bought Aztec, market measurement company in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and the UK. It also acquired FreshLook Marketing in 2013.

Immediate plans include integrating IRI and Datasea’s existing consulting and analytics services and starting series of programmes to support retailers’ performance, basket analytics, pricing and promotion, assortment strategy, and shopper targeting.