CI
COMPANY

Circana

Circana is a retail, consumer and media measurement platform for enterprises.

Analyst Perspective

Circana is a private US-based data, analytics and market intelligence company serving brands, retailers, agencies and enterprise insight teams. Its core business is selling access to proprietary retail, shopper, panel, survey, loyalty, media and sales datasets through software platforms such as Liquid Data, alongside measurement products for audience targeting, campaign attribution, incrementality and market analysis. The company was created through the combination of IRI and The NPD Group and has since expanded its media measurement capabilities through the acquisitions of NCSolutions and Nielsen’s Marketing Mix Modeling business. The company makes money primarily from enterprise software subscriptions, data licensing and custom analytics engagements. Its customer base spans large CPG brands, retailers, category managers, supply chain teams, media planners and marketing analytics teams, with a smaller self-serve offering aimed at growing and mid-market CPG brands. Circana sits at the intersection of market research, retail intelligence and advertising measurement rather than operating as a media owner or ad buying platform.

Analyst Signal Briefing

Updated: 20 Aug 2026

Building on its role within Hellman & Friedman’s £1.5 billion ‘Ode’ enterprise AI venture, Circana is deepening its data integration with MiQ’s Sigma platform to enable AI-powered media planning. The firm continues to advocate for standardised taxonomies to ensure brand visibility within emerging ‘agentic commerce’ ecosystems, where AI agents increasingly drive purchasing decisions. While highlighting the US toy industry’s strongest first-half performance since 2020, Circana’s latest food and beverage outlooks maintain a cautious stance, forecasting a period of market rationalisation and moderate growth through 2027.

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Category Differentiation

Circana is not a retailer, media owner or DSP. It is a B2B data, market measurement and analytics provider focused on retail, consumer and advertising effectiveness intelligence.

Circana: About

Circana aggregates large proprietary datasets across retail sales, shopper behaviour, panel research, media exposure and loyalty signals, then packages those datasets into enterprise analytics software and data products. It creates value by turning fragmented market and consumer data into decision support for pricing, assortment, category management, supply chain planning, audience targeting and campaign measurement. Revenue is generated through recurring platform access, premium data modules, licensed audience and measurement products, and bespoke analytics or advisory work for enterprise clients.

How Circana Works & Monetises

Business model analysis and core revenue streams

Circana monetises mainly through annual or recurring SaaS subscriptions to analytics platforms such as Liquid Data, Liquid Data Engage, Liquid Data Collaborate and Liquid Data Go. It also generates revenue from licensing proprietary data assets, audience products and campaign measurement solutions, including targeting, attribution and lift analysis. A further layer of monetisation comes from custom analytics, modelling and consulting-style work, especially in market measurement, consumer insights and media effectiveness.

Revenue Channels

Enterprise analytics platform subscriptionsSoftware Subscription
Data licensing and audience productsPay-per-Use
Custom analytics and advisory engagementsService Fee
Measurement and modelling solutionsSoftware Subscription

Side-by-Side Comparisons

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Circana: Key Competitors & Alternatives

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Recent Signals (Circana)

DigidayAug 21, 2026

Ignore Easy Answers for Nike’s Decline

A Digiday analysis (Aug 21, 2026) argues Nike has failed to capitalise on a resurging U.S. running market despite overall category growth. The article notes the U.S. running equipment market was valued at $12.9 billion and that performance footwear sales rose 13% in H1 2026, yet competitors such as On, Hoka and Brooks have outperformed Nike — Brooks reported a 14% revenue increase in the first half of 2026. The piece frames this as a marketing and competitive-positioning issue rather than a single obvious cause.

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Modern RetailAug 20, 2026

Neutrogena Faces Backlash Over Hayden Panettiere Split

Neutrogena has faced a sustained social-media backlash following the Aug. 16, 2026 death of actress and former brand ambassador Hayden Panettiere, who in May accused the company of ending a roughly decade-long partnership after she disclosed postpartum depression. PeakMetrics recorded a 47,661% surge in online conversation and rising boycott intent amid criticism of Neutrogena's earlier silence; the brand disabled comments on its Instagram condolence post. On Aug. 20 Neutrogena issued a statement expressing sadness, acknowledging it had not sufficiently supported Panettiere, calling her a valued member of its community and pledging a meaningful investment to expand access to postpartum depression care. Parent company Kenvue has seen market and share impacts, and PR experts including Kelcey Kintner say social listening and crisis communications will shape the fallout.

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Retail DiveAug 19, 2026

Kohl's launches another back-to-school deals promotion

Kohl’s launched a new set of back-to-school promotions on Aug. 19, 2026, cutting prices up to 50% across school supplies, apparel and beauty items and offering $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent, plus a weekend giveaway of $5–$100 in Kohl’s Cash while supplies last. The retailer earlier promoted “thousands of products under $25” for the season. Placer.ai data cited in the story shows Q2 store visits fell 1.4% year-over-year (improving from a near-8% decline in Q1). Analysts and market research firms (Morgan Stanley, Circana, NRF) offer mixed outlooks for the back-to-school season, with NRF forecasting nearly 10% sales growth to $43.3 billion but some firms urging caution.

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Circana: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Circana?

Circana is a private B2B data and analytics company that provides retail, consumer and media measurement products to brands, retailers, agencies and enterprise insight teams.

Who uses Circana?

Its users include enterprise CPG brands, retailers, suppliers, category managers, consumer insights teams, advertisers, agencies and marketing analytics teams, with some products also aimed at midsize CPG brands.

How does Circana make money?

Circana makes money through recurring software subscriptions, data licensing, audience and measurement products, and custom analytics or consulting engagements.

Company Facts

Founded
2023
Headquarters
203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60601
Core Segment
Data Provider / Broker
Company Size
>5,000
Official Link
circana.com