NPD and Parkod Europe Partner to Offer POS Information

Port Washington, NY-based marketing data firm The NPD Group and Paris-based products database Parkod Europe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will lead to a strategic partnership to provide beauty retailers and manufacturers with access to new levels of market information.

Executives said the venture will help identify key market developments and trends. France will be the first to receive this selective beauty point-of-sales tracking. Discussions are underway to expand the tracking to include Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK.

The service of the joint venture will be modeled after NPD BeautyTrends, NPD’s U.S.-based retail tracking service. In France, the service will provide point-of-sale results on what consumers are buying, where they are buying, and how this is changing over time, allowing retailers and manufacturers to assess and improve their market position.

“Coupling Parkod Europe’s widely used product classification methodology and data collection capabilities with NPD’s reporting and analytical systems and methods will enable us to create a much clearer picture for French beauty retailers and manufacturers, as well as our global clients, so that they can better view the French selective market, identify opportunities, and build their businesses both in France and globally,” said Tod Johnson, chief executive officer, The NPD Group, Inc.

“France is the next logical step in expanding our service,” noted Timra L. Carlson, president, NPD Beauty division.