The NPD Group and Nielsen sign an exclusive agreement

The NPD Group Inc., Chicago, a global information company, said it signed a market information services agreement with New York-based Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, for school and office supplies retail market data and analytic services. By combining Nielsen’s market information, including sales data from food and drug channels, with NPD’s existing school and office supplies business, which covers office superstores, mass merchants, e-commerce, and other retailers, NPD said it will be able to deliver the industry’s most complete view of the marketplace.

“We are excited about our expanded relationship with NPD and the opportunity it provides to offer our clients in the school and office supplies market with the most comprehensive understanding of their consumers and markets, along with the analytical insights to drive better decisions from this integrated information in an increasingly dynamic marketplace,” said John Lewis, Nielsen president, Americas.

Increased market coverage

With the agreement, NPD said it will add census retail sales tracking for food and drug retailers to its core Retail Tracking Service. The new data will be integrated with NPD’s existing service for a consistent market view covering all major retailers and representing approximately 95 percent of U.S. retail sales for school and office supplies, supplemented with commercial tracking.

In addition to the more comprehensive market view, NPD said it will offer the most granular sales data available to the industry, with national and local views. NPD offers weekly data reporting, which allows clients to gauge consumer reactions and more quickly and precisely respond to market conditions. NPD Account Level Reports allow retailers to track their performance versus the total market, sharing that information with approved vendors to drive growth through category management.

As part of the agreement, NPD announced that Nielsen will serve as its preferred analytics provider for school and office supplies clients. Combining NPD’s expanded retail footprint with Nielsen’s analytics solutions will enable clients to fully capitalize on the expanded market coverage by optimizing marketing programs, including marketing mix analysis.

“We are looking to transform[ing] how business is done in the industries we serve, and this agreement is a strategic step for us,” said Karyn Schoenbart, president and chief operating officer of NPD. “Given new technologies and buying behavior, it has never been more important to understand where your customers are shopping, what they are buying and what they are paying. Whether clients are doing long-term strategic planning or tracking seasonal or promotional sales, our information can provide guidance.”