The partnership marries NPD’s consumption behaviour data with Fusion’s information on retail sales trends to help companies in the produce industry improve marketing and sales campaigns.

Mark East, president of NPD’s North American food and beverage division, said: “This strategic research alliance enables The NPD Group and Fusion Marketing to demonstrate our advanced analytics and marketing abilities, as the industry continues to seek increasingly sophisticated marketing programmes to grow their business and to offer more value to their consumer and retail partners.”

The two firms started working together in 2007.