IRI (Information Resources, Inc.) was a
data analytics
Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data, which also falls under and directly relates to the umbrella term, data sci ...
and
market research
Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers. It involves understanding who they are and what they need. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining com ...
company headquartered in the United States. The company provided clients with consumer, shopper, and retail market intelligence as well as analysis on
consumer packaged goods
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), also known as consumer packaged goods (CPG) or convenience goods, are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, bevera ...
(CPG), retail, and healthcare industries. It merged with
the NPD Group
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 ra ...
in 2022 to become Circana.
History
Information Resources, Incorporated (IRI) was formed in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
in 1979 by market researcher John Malec and Gerald Eskin, a
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
marketing professor.
The two purchased scanners for supermarkets to gather point-of-sale data based on bar codes in grocery stores that could be sold to CPG companies to track what customers purchase.
In 1983, IRI became a
public company
A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of share capital, stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter (finance), over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) co ...
.
By 1993, ''
Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fate
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
'' magazine named IRI a "company to watch" for expanding into two of its sizeable markets: analyzing nationwide scanner data on consumer products and producing computer software. At that time, slightly more than half of IRI's revenues came from Info scan, its marketing data service.
In late 2003, IRI was acquired by joint-venture cooperation between enterprise software provider
Symphony Technology Group
STG Partners, LLC (STG) is an American private equity firm and based in Menlo Park, California. Its predecessor, Symphony Technology Group ("Symphony") was founded in 2002Dorbian, Iris (July 1, 2024) STG Rising: Hailing the Newcomer on the 100. ...
and investment capital firm Tennenbaum Capital Partners.
In March 2011, New York-based private equity firm New Mountain Capital bought Symphony IRI and the company announced that it was changing its name back to Information Resources Inc., or IRI.
[
In April 2013, Symphony IRI Group, Inc. announced that it was rebranding as IRI.]The NPD Group
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 ra ...
in 2022. The company name changed to Circana in 2023.[
]
Management
In February 2004, IRI named former Electronic Data Systems Corp executive Scott Klein as its president and CEO, succeeding Joe Durret. Klein served as CEO until October 2007, when he moved to IRI's parent company, Symphony Technology Group, and was succeeded by former Salesforce.com
Salesforce, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It provides applications focused on sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, artificial intelligence, and appl ...
executive John Freeland.
In June 2012, Symphony IRI Group, Inc. appointed former Aon COO and McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. Founded in 1926 by James O. McKinse ...
senior partner Andrew Appel as president and CEO to succeed John G. Freeland, who moved to an interim role as executive vice chairman.[
In May 2021, IRI named former ]Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
executive and CPG advertising leader Kirk Perry as president and CEO, succeeding Andrew Appel, who remained in the company as an advisor and member of its board of directors.
References
{{Reflist
Market research
Business services companies established in 1979
Companies based in Chicago
1979 establishments in Illinois