NUREMBERG (dpa-AFX) – The long-awaited merger of the British-American market research company NielsenIQ with the Nuremberg consumer research company GfK is wrapped up. Both companies announced the merger on Tuesday. Previously, GfK sold its market research panel GfK CP, which is going to YouGov. As a result, GfK also loses 15 percent of its annual sales of around one billion US dollars.
Together, GfK and NielsenIQ claim to have “the world’s most comprehensive and clearest view of consumer buying behavior”. The combined company will have sales of over $4 billion and more than 30,000 customers in over 100 countries. Company headquarters are to be in Geneva, Nuremberg and Chicago.
Nuremberg-based GfK is particularly well-known for its monthly study on consumer behavior in Germany – often referred to as the “consumer climate index”. “We are thrilled to combine the strengths of these two great companies to shape the future of consumer intelligence,” Nielsen CEO Jim Peck said Tuesday. He should also lead the joint company./dm/DP/jha