Experian®, the global information solutions company and leading provider of retail data, analysis and consultancy, has acquired Prediction Analytics Inc. (PAI), a leading US-based provider of retail performance modelling, sales forecasting and site-location analytics for markets with a retail channel strategy.
Since it was established in 1977, Texas-based PAI has advised major retailers around the world where it has evaluated over 100,000 locations for retail outlets and restaurants. With an impressive list of blue chip clients, PAI specializes in helping retail, restaurant and real estate professionals achieve optimum sales performance and maximum return on capital using its Retail Performance Modelling (RPM) solution.
The acquisition builds on Experian’s existing retail capabilities and now establishes a leading provider of multi-channel consultancy, data and analysis to major world markets including the US, China, Europe and Asia Pacific. Through its Business Strategies division, Experian is already the leading provider of retail data, analysis and consultancy across Europe.
Charles Burton, Managing Director of Experian’s Business Strategies division, commented:
“The acquisition of PAI will give Experian a firm platform to develop its consultancy business in the US whilst providing PAI with a springboard for international expansion through Business Strategies’ established global network of offices and franchises.
“The combination of PAI’s market leading sales performance modelling systems and Experian’s unique retail data and consultancy will create a powerful new range of products and solutions for clients looking to develop international retail networks across the global economy.”
The acquisition builds on an existing international marketing agreement between PAI and Experian for developing TAOS, their sales forecasting and performance modelling tool, which is used extensively by major US retailers such as Rite Aid Pharmacies, Kirkland’s Home Furnishings and Books-A-Million to predict sales for new and existing retail developments. Recently introduced to the European market, TAOS is being deployed by a growing number of major UK retailers.
“PAI is focused on providing retailers, property investors and developers with highly accurate retail performance modelling and sales prediction tools that reveal the risks and opportunities of specific locations, while also identifying market gaps for new-store growth,” said Mark Winters, CEO and co-founder of Prediction Analytics. “Combining PAI with Experian allows us to offer our clients a deeper level of customer insight. We are delighted to be part of Experian’s leading global offering.”
The acquisition is consistent with Experian’s global strategy of acquiring complementary businesses that provide new products, new data or entry into new vertical or regional markets, while leveraging the core assets of Experian.
This press release can be downloaded from http://press.experian.com.
Bruno Rost
Experian Press Office, Business Strategies division
Embankment House, Electric Avenue, Nottingham NG80 1EH
Tel: 0115 968 5009 or mobile 07967 567012
bruno.rost@uk.experian.com
Prediction Analytics Inc (PAI) helps retail, restaurant and real estate professionals achieve optimum performance and maximum return on capital through the Retail Performance Modelling (RPM) platform. It enables clients to conduct predictive analyses on locations, marketing and operations in a way that delivers visibility into the multitude of variables that contribute to store performance. Users are able to interact with the RPM platform to conduct dynamic “what-if” scenarios enabling real-time decisions that impact results.
Since it was established in 1977, Texas-based PAI has advised major retailers around the world where it has evaluated over 100,000 locations for retail outlets and restaurants.
PAI’s acquisition by Experian combines new innovative approaches to predictive modelling with Experian’s extensive and unique retail data sources. An essential element of TAOS is the ability to forecast demand from a variety of different sources so that Experian data is incorporated into each TAOS system to support the modelling process.
The technology behind TAOS has been developed by mathematical psychologist Dr Richard Fenker, founder of PAI and ex-NASA scientist. Dr Richard Fenker has over 25 years experience providing modelling solutions to global retail organisations. ‘The Site Book’, written by Fenker, is Amazon.com’s bestselling book on retail site planning. TAOS uses a process of sophisticated forecast models originally developed for US government agencies including NASA, but which has since been adapted to the retail sector and used by major leading retail and restaurant chains in the United States.
Experian’s Business Strategies division provides an unrivalled understanding of consumers, markets and economies in the UK and around the world, past, present and future. The business is a market leader in consumer profiling and market segmentation, economic forecasting and public policy research, supporting businesses, policy makers and investors in making tactical and strategic decisions. As part of the Experian group, Business Strategies has access to a wealth of research data and innovative software solutions.
Experian’s Business Strategies business has wholly-owned operations in eight countries: UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Hong Kong – China. This is supplemented by franchise operations in eight other markets – Germany, Czech Republic, Ireland, Greece, USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It also owns the Future Foundation, a London-based international strategic marketing consultancy.
For more information about Experian Business Strategies go to www.business-strategies.co.uk.
Experian is the global leader in providing value-added information solutions to organisations and consumers. It has an unrivalled understanding of individuals, markets and economies around the world.
Experian provides information, analytics, decision-making solutions and processing services. It assists organisations understand their markets and customers and helps them find, develop and manage profitable customer relationships to make their businesses more profitable.
Experian promotes greater financial health among consumers by enabling them to understand, manage and protect their personal information and helping them control financial aspects of key life events.
Experian works with more than 50,000 clients across diverse industries, including financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, insurance, retail and catalogue, automotive, manufacturing, leisure, utilities, e-commerce, property and government. A subsidiary of GUS plc with headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and Costa Mesa, California, Experian’s 12,000 people in 28 countries support clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales are about £1.4 billion.
For more information, visit the company’s website on www.experian.com.
The word ‘Experian’ is a registered trademark in the EU and other countries and is owned by Experian Ltd and/or its associated companies.