We frequently get emails from readers saying “I’m new to Nielsen/IRI/SPINS data. You have so many relevant articles, but where should I start?” In honor of back-to-school season, this post will lay out a route for mastering the basics via posts from this blog. At the very bottom, you’ll find a “reading list” with all the recommended links in one long list.
How is syndicated data defined and where does it come from?
I suggest anyone brand new start with a series of three posts. It provides an overview of the CPG data landscape and where lays out where syndicated data fits in.
- The first post provides the big picture summary
- The second post dives into more detail on retailer vs. syndicated data
- The third post covers store/POS vs. household/panel data
How is syndicated data organized and why should I care?
Syndicated data is organized into four dimensions: product, market, period, and fact. For household panel data there is a fifth aspect: buyer group. Here’s why understanding and thinking about this structure will help anyone working with retail data (even if you don’t aspire to be a hands on data analyst):
- It provides a framework for thinking about the type of data. Retail sales data can be confusing and the large datasets can be overwhelming. This will help, I promise.
- If you are buying data, the more detail you have on each dimension, the higher your costs. Thinking through what you really need for each dimension will help you determine and keep to a budget.
- If each of these dimensions isn’t clearly identified in your dataset, analysis or presentation, you’ll be missing a key piece of information. You won’t be able to interpret the data or back up your findings.
Read this post to get an overview of the four primary dimension. If you want to dig in further (and I suggest you do of course because I’m a data nerd), here are detailed posts on three of the elements: product, market, and period. The market and period articles both have a part 2, linked within those posts. For a little more detail on products, here is some extra credit reading. Reading on the fourth dimension, fact, is covered below. The fifth (panel data only) dimension, buyer groups, is not something we’ve written about but we’re planning a more detailed series on household panel data for 2019 so stay tuned.
Note that the rest of this article focuses on syndicated store data, not panel data.
What does syndicated store data measure?
In a nutshell: sales, distribution, price, and trade promotion. That’s it. If that’s all you needed to know, great – on to the next topic. If you want a longer explication, here you go.
What are the most important syndicated store data facts?
There are hundreds of facts available from Nielsen/IRI/SPINS. You won’t ever need most of them. Plus most fall into a few logical groups. To learn the definitions for key facts in each group, read these four posts: Sales, Distribution, Velocity, and Retail Price.
But what about trade promotion?
Trade promotion isn’t a big factor for every product. But if one of your main motivations for purchasing data is to dig into trade promotion effectiveness, these posts will get you started on the basics:
- A guide to how trade merchandising is defined
- An explanation of the crucial difference between two types of trade promotion measures
- A deep dive on promoted price
What can I do with syndicated store data?
If you want to see syndicated data in action, here are several business analysis examples to whet your appetite. These examples don’t go beyond the content covered in this post.
- Identifying distribution opportunities
- How to quantify the value of those distribution opportunities
- What a ranking report looks like (note that this post isn’t technically about ranking reports but it involves working with one)
Feeling better grounded? I hope so!
Still have questions? Post them below or email us and we’ll try to help fill in the gaps.
Want to dig into some more topics? Check out this quiz to see what you do and don’t know at this point, then follow the links to learn more about new topics.
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Summary of all links above, in reading order:
Basic Overview
CPG Fundamentals: What is Syndicated Retail Sales Data?
What’s the Best Data Source: Retailer Direct or Syndicated Nielsen/IRI Data?
What’s Your Data Focus: Retail Store Data or Shopper Panel Data?
Data Structure & What’s Measured
The 4 Key Dimensions In Every Nielsen/IRI Database
How to Define Your Product Category (And Why It Might Be Harder Than You Think)
Product Attributes: The Key to Meaningful Analysis
Timing is Everything: Which Time Periods Should You Get on Your Database? (has a part 2, linked within the post)
CPG Syndicated Data Markets: Part 1 – The Big Picture (has a part 2, linked within the post)
What Is (and Isn’t) Measured by Syndicated Data
Key Database Facts
Sales: Business is Good! (Or Is It?): Ways to Measure Sales
Distribution: The 2nd Most Important Measure: % ACV Distribution (has a part 2, linked within the post)
Velocity: How Well Your Product REALLY Sells
Retail Price: Q. What’s your retail price? A. It depends!
Trade Promotion:
The Beginner’s Guide to Trade Merchandising Measurement
Presence vs. Impact: Why Non-Promoted Sales ≠ Base Sales
Promoted Price – It Pays To Look Deeper
Business Application Examples
How To Identify Distribution Opportunities When Your Brand Is Already “Everywhere”
Size of the Prize: How Much Is One More Point of Distribution Worth?
8 Questions to Ask When Combining Multiple Data Sources
Just wanted to point out you missed a whole chunk of syndicated data – ours – Shopper Intelligence!
Thanks for mentioning your company! The data that we generally talk about is behavioral – what are people actually doing, what is happening in-store. Your product supplements that and gets behind the why of the behavior. This is definitely a helpful addition to understanding the business and consumers/shoppers motivation. Your solution is a good option for companies that may not be able to afford their on custom primary research.
Yes it is. But more than that its very insightful for everyone to see the relativity of all categories benchmarked across the store – so you can talk to the retail buyer in their business context…..I guess we have a terminology problem since “syndicated” hasn’t been associated with “why” metrics – until now! Thanks for the response! Roger
Could you provide resources for reviewing the geographic regions / zip codes covered by different data companies? Is there a map where the available markets are broken down visually? I’d like to find out how many & which geographic markets/areas include retailers where we sell our product.
Who do we reach out to at Nielsen when we want to get pricing information for purchasing data? I think I’m going to the wrong part of their website, I never seem to get a response from someone who can help with purchasing scan data.
Thank you so much.
The data suppliers (Nielsen/IRI/SPINS) do have maps that show which counties are included in their 50+ syndicated markets but, as far as I know, those maps are not publicly available. The maps typically include a list of retailers in each market and their relative size. Keep in mind that this data covers Food-Mass-Drug-Club channels, with Costco and C-Stores being available from IRI at an extra cost.
Please fill out the Contact link and reference this comment and I can give you some specific people to contact at the suppliers.
This site is a great resource!
What if someone wants to sell their data to IRI or AC Neislen? Any insider scoop to where they start?
Generally, Nielsen and Circana (new name for IRI) don’t buy data from retailers. They swap raw data for clean data and software so the retailers have better analytic capability. Most of their data comes directly from retailers but they do have partnerships with other types of companies as well. I don’t have any insider scoop whatsoever so I would say just reach out to whoever works with retailers (as opposed to manufacturers) or potential data partners and see if there is interest. Good luck!