Inmar acquires Willard Bishop

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Inmar Inc., a technology company that operates intelligent commerce networks, said it acquired Willard Bishop, Long Grove, Ill., a food retail consultancy. Together the companies will deliver the industry’s most cohesive and complete access to consumer products data, analysis and insights.  

Manufacturers and retailers alike are challenged to achieve organic growth and are recognizing that the insights needed to achieve growth going forward lie in large part within the application of data generated throughout the product lifecycle — from concept and planning through final disposition. The combination of Inmar’s real-time data in promotions, supply chain and healthcare and Willard Bishop’s operational, consulting and strategic expertise in food retailing will deliver powerful solutions for manufacturers and retailers, Inmar said.

“Through this strategic acquisition, Inmar is taking responsibility for providing the comprehensive access to data analytics and information that will help our industry grow in a rapidly changing digital environment,” said David Mounts, chairman and CEO, Inmar. “The innovation enabled by joining Inmar and Willard Bishop will be transformative.”

Both Inmar and Willard Bishop have been trusted for decades to provide data and insights to the consumer packaged goods industry. Inmar is an established source for its Coupon Trends and Shopper Promotion Impact reports. Willard Bishop’s SuperStudy reports provide the most comprehensive information about total store performance and, through the SuperStudy eCommerce report, Willard Bishop also provides the industry’s first comprehensive study of online grocery shopping, Inmar said.

"Many companies have jumped on the big-data bandwagon," said Jim Hertel, managing partner, Willard Bishop. "However, there is significant latency in a company’s ability to extract actionable insights from these massive datasets.

“Inmar’s acquisition combines our 40 years of manufacturer and retailer domain expertise, and our analytical tools, with their intelligent commerce networks and unrivaled processing capabilities," he continued. "Together we will bring a new level of insight and understanding to the extended value chain, while providing trading partners with a deeper understanding of shopper behavior — all delivered in real-time or near-time.”