Combined firms will offer big data, analytics and supply-chain solutions to CPG manufacturers and retailers.

CHICAGO – IRI said it is acquiring Retail Solutions Inc. (RSi), a provider of supply chain and media solutions for consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers.

IRI said the acquisition bolsters its Liquid Data technology platform, used to offer supply-chain solutions and which serves as a repository of consumer data assets vital to the CPG sector.

“The acquisition of RSi builds upon IRI’s long track record of continuous investment in technology, solutions and data assets,” Andrew Appel, IRI’s president and chief executive officer, says in an October 8 press release. “IRI remains laser-focused on serving the CPG and retail industries with innovative solutions that help our clients address their most challenging issues to deliver highly differentiated capabilities and impact to clients. The investment in RSi to enhance our supply chain optimization capabilities is a direct response to our clients’ needs as they navigate disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Established more than four decades ago, IRI provides its clients with big data, predictive analytics, consumer insights, market trends and sales data on hundreds of consumer packaged goods gathered from checkout scanners at retail locations in the United States and Europe.

RSi’s products and solutions have been used by more than three-fourths of the world’s 50 largest CPG manufacturers. Solutions powered by data from more than 150 global CPG customers aim to maximize their on-shelf availability, operational productivity and omnichannel sales growth. RSi’s suite of on-shelf availability solutions, OSAPower, includes AI-driven tools to diagnose, reduce and prevent out-of-stocks.

IRI and RSi said the combination of their enterprises offers the benefits including:

• A suite of supply chain solutions:The merger enables seamless integration of currently disparate data assets, creating comprehensive end-to-end supply chain visibility and enabling clients to more efficiently identify and address operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Expanded market coverage: The combined data assets creates the largest repository of store- and warehouse-level supply chain data, enabling unrivaled national supply chain solutions and capabilities.
• Enhanced collaboration between retailers and manufacturers: The integration of RSi’s solutions, including its Pacific platform, within IRI Liquid Data provides collaboration capabilities within the supply chain ecosystem and create opportunities to improve clients’ core supply chain metrics.
• Seamless technology and data integration: Access to RSi solutions through the IRI Liquid Data platform will deliver intuitive, results-oriented analytics and business intelligence in near real time, fully integrated with other IRI solutions and data assets.
• Digital Shopper Marketing analytics: RSi’s Ansa solutions will be offered by IRI’s Media Center of Excellence. Ansa empowers ad networks with the intelligence to plan, target, optimize and measure their campaigns based on daily, store-level sales and invent.
• Augmented decision-making: IRI’s data assets, extensive geographical coverage, and artificial intelligence and data science capabilities will enhance the supply chain offerings previously provided by RSi by incorporating augmented decision-making capabilities.

“Optimizing supply chain through better end-to-end visibility, efficiency and execution has never been more important to retailers and manufacturers across the CPG landscape,” says Baljit Dail, president of IRI Global. “The addition of RSi’s leading solutions to our broader portfolio of offerings will further enhance our robust capabilities and enable retailers and manufacturers to drive tangible ROI and capitalize on opportunities in a dynamic environment.”