Circana
Retail, consumer and media measurement platform for enterprises.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- CIRCANA, LLC
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- 203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60601
- Company size
- >5,000
- Market role
- Data Provider / Broker
- Official website
- circana.com
What Circana does
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.
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.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
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.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Under CEO Stuart Aitken, Circana has continued to expand its analytics and measurement capabilities by introducing an AI-powered Analysis Builder for the Unify+ platform and launching Liquid Mix in partnership with Google Meridian. These platform enhancements align with ongoing strategic collaborations, including a partnership with DoorDash to validate incremental sales for CPG brands. Additionally, the firm has published consumer research and holiday media reports to assist advertisers in navigating tightening household spending patterns.
Business model & monetisation
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.
- Enterprise analytics platform subscriptions
- Software Subscription
- Data licensing and audience products
- Pay-per-Use
- Custom analytics and advisory engagements
- Service Fee
- Measurement and modelling solutions
- Software Subscription
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Products & market categories
Competitors & alternatives
- GfK - An NIQ Company
Consumer intelligence and market measurement for enterprise decision-making.
- Numerator
Consumer purchase data and market intelligence for brands and retailers.
- Médiamétrie
French audience measurement provider for TV, audio and digital media.
- Nielsen
Media measurement, ad intelligence, and content data provider.
- Attain
Commerce data platform for targeting, insights and purchase-based measurement.
Side-by-side comparisons
Featured market maps
- Retail Media & Commerce Advertising Ecosystem 2026
A structural mapping of the global Retail Media and Commerce Advertising ecosystem in 2026, spanning retail media networks, monetization ad tech, commerce DSPs, in-store digital signage, social commerce extensions, and clean room analytics.
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
Circana Forecasts U.S. Home Market Growth as Consumers Invest in Products That Help Them Save Money and Simplify Life
Recorded impact score: 3.5/5
The news feed has been updated with several new press releases and articles, including a forecast on U.S. home market growth, a holiday media report, and a partnership announcement with DoorDash.
Circana 2026 Holiday Media Report Reveals How Advertisers Can Act on Demand Before Purchase
Recorded impact score: 3.5/5
Circana's news page now features a new press release about the 2026 Holiday Media Report, along with several other new articles and product announcements, including the AI-powered Analysis Builder for Unify+ and Liquid Mix with Google Meridian.
Evolving Commerce Funnel Demands Unified Measurement
Measurement · Recorded impact score: 3/5
Circana discusses the shift from siloed attribution to unified, incrementality-based measurement as social and agentic commerce reshape the purchasing journey. Platforms like TikTok Shop, which generated $11 billion in Q1 2026, enable simultaneous discovery and purchase, while AI agents are increasingly used for search and recommendations. These changes cause signal loss and challenge closed-loop measurement, as agentic transactions may lack traditional ad tech signals. Circana emphasizes the growing importance of purchase data as the source of truth, enabling brands to accurately assess new-to-brand performance and optimize across the full funnel. The article underscores the need for third-party measurement partners to navigate fragmentation and gain a unified view of campaign effectiveness.
- TikTok Shop generated $11 billion in Q1 2026, accounting for 1% of total retail sales and 3% of e-commerce sales, according to Circana data.
- Circana survey found 70% of consumers use AI agents for search and 48% for recommendations in e-commerce.
Retail Media Must Prove Incrementality for Broader Budgets
Retail Media · Recorded impact score: 3/5
Retail media is maturing beyond its role as a performance channel for capturing existing demand. At Ascendant Network's inaugural SHOWCASE upfront, the industry discussed the need for retail media to create demand, not just capture it. Key themes included the shift from closed-loop attribution to incrementality measurement, and the need for standardized metrics across commerce media networks to allow advertisers to compare performance. DoorDash Ads highlighted a partnership with Circana showing that 56% of its buyers were net-new customers for a major beverage brand. DoorDash also earned certification from the Alliance for Audited Media for its incrementality measurement, underscoring the push for independent validation and accountability to compete for broader marketing budgets.
- Ascendant Network held its inaugural Retail + Commerce Media Upfront called SHOWCASE in September 2026.
- DoorDash collaborated with Circana to measure incremental in-store sales driven by advertising.
Circana Enhances Unify+ with AI-Powered Analysis Builder
Recorded impact score: 4/5
Circana has announced the launch of an AI-powered Analysis Builder for its Unify+ platform, aimed at providing faster and more intuitive reporting. This announcement was made by President & CEO Stuart Aitken.
Explore company relationships
Questions about Circana
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.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
19 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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