CHICAGO – Sept. 13, 2006 – Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), the world’s leading provider of enterprise market information solutions and services for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail and healthcare industries, today announced the inaugural edition of “IRI Retail MarketWatch™,” a quarterly benchmarking report that analyzes key trends impacting the retail industry. The publication gives retailers visibility into the dynamics currently driving CPG sales, so they can grow their business profitability in this complex marketplace.
“The retail environment of the early 21st century is like nothing the CPG industry has ever seen,” said Thom Blischok, president of the IRI Retail and Strategic Consulting Group. “With the industry evolving at lightning speed, retailers need market insights that are current, actionable and quick-to-read. To address these needs, IRI is pleased to make available this concise, yet powerful, publication that brings the industry’s burning issues to the forefront.”
This quarterly publication offers insights on critical category growth, shifting channel dynamics, changing shopper priorities and significant sales opportunities. Spending just a few minutes with this new action-oriented newsletter will give retailers ideas about how they can capitalize on these dynamics and add to their success in the marketplace. It features benchmarking tools along with an overview of the latest thought leadership work from IRI. Key headlines from within the inaugural issue include:
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The Baby Boomer Opportunity: There is a $46 billion growth bonanza for the taking as boomers age into their 60s.
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Channel Migration: Three-quarters of today’s consumers shopped in five or more channels this past year signaling a new turning point in consumer shopping patterns.
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Category Benchmarks: Compare a company’s growth to national averages and drive center store growth.
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Shopping Benchmarks: As gas prices continue to take their toll, all CPG channels show fewer trips during the second quarter.
“The trends and indicators highlighted in the Retail MarketWatch are designed to help retailers see how their company’s results stack up, so they can act to modify their merchandising and marketing plans and win at the shelf with forward thinking strategies,” added Blischok.
The publication will be featured every quarter, so that retailers can easily monitor critical category, shopper and channel trends as they are emerging, not after the fact. As a companion to this quarterly publication, IRI is also announcing a new Retail Benchmarking Service to help retailers compare their performance to the total United States.
To download an electronic copy of the publication, please visit http://us.infores.com/page/Retail_MarketWatch For more information on the Retail Benchmarking Service associated with the report, please contact Mark Tack at 312-474-2813 or Mark.Tack@infores.com.
About Information Resources, Inc.
Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) is the world’s leading provider of enterprise market information solutions and services for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, and healthcare industries, empowering its clients to grow their business profitably in a complex marketplace. Driving the transformation of the industries it serves, only IRI provides a unique combination of real-time market content, advanced analytics, enterprise performance management software, and professional services. The company’s portfolio of services, solutions, and technology enable leading retailers and their suppliers around the globe to see what they are missing, act faster with greater confidence and win at the shelf. Ninety five percent of the FORTUNE Global 500 in CPG and retail leverage IRI to power their business. For more information, visit http://us.infores.com.