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Circana Reviews

Chicago, Illinois

4.7/ 5

3 reviews

Circana, Inc. is a leading global market research, technology, and data analytics company specializing in consumer insights, predictive analytics, and business intelligence solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company serves as a premier advisor on consumer behavior, helping world-leading brands and retailers navigate market complexities, optimize operations, and unlock sustainable business growth. Circana operates globally, providing comprehensive data and actionable intelligence across more than 26 distinct industries, with deep expertise in fast-moving consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, general merchandise, foodservice, and durable consumer goods such as apparel, electronics, beauty, and home appliances. The company was officially formed in 2023 following a high-profile strategic merger between Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and The NPD Group (NPD), two of the world's most established market information firms with foundational roots extending back to 1979 and 1966, respectively. This combination unified IRI’s vast repository of CPG, grocery purchase, and loyalty data with NPD's historical strengths in tracking non-food sectors, general merchandise, and point-of-sale retail networks. Following the merger, the unified organization briefly operated under the interim name IRI-NPD before adopting the permanent brand name Circana in March 2023 to signal its evolution into a comprehensive, holistic provider of modern retail and consumer data solutions. At the core of Circana’s operational capabilities is its proprietary, state-of-the-art technology platform, Liquid Data®. Powered by advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, and an expansive global dataset tracking over $5.8 trillion in consumer spending, Liquid Data integrates point-of-sale data, e-commerce transactions, and consumer panel insights in real time. The platform tracks over 42 million active CPG and general merchandise items across nearly 500,000 stores globally. Through this infrastructure, Circana delivers custom and syndicated analytics that empower clients to monitor market share, evaluate pricing and promotional strategies, forecast demand, optimize supply chains, and deeply understand shopper preferences. Circana continues to expand its ecosystem through targeted mergers and strategic acquisitions. Notably, the company expanded its media measurement and advertising effectiveness capabilities by acquiring NCSolutions along with Nielsen's Marketing Mix Modeling business. As a privately held entity, Circana is majority-owned by prominent private equity firms, including Hellman & Friedman, Vestar Capital Partners, and New Mountain Capital, alongside company management. The company maintains a robust workforce of over 6,000 employees globally. Circana is led by President and Chief Executive Officer Stuart Aitken, who assumed leadership of the global enterprise effective January 1, 2025. Through its blend of deep domain expertise and technological innovation, Circana remains a critical partner for enterprises seeking data-driven clarity.