RetailNext, an analytics solution for brick-and-mortar retailers, has acquired Retail Performance, a UK-based people-counting and footfall solution from market research group, Ipsos. The deal strategically positions RetailNext for further rapid growth in the UK and European retail intelligence space, and coincides with the company’s opening of new offices, headcount expansion, and onboarding of major new customers.

As part of the acquisition, RetailNext will open new offices in both the UK and the Philippines and will add around 40 employees to its headcount. Current Retail Performance customers will continue to receive the same service they currently enjoy and will also benefit from access to RetailNext’s in-store sensors, analytics, and AI-augmented intelligence capabilities.

Retail Performance is an Ipsos offer which tracks over 1 billion customer visits per year across more than 4,500 retail locations in 50 countries. With a team of retail experts and a portfolio of long-standing client relationships, Retail Performance augments RetailNext’s existing capabilities to give global retail brands reliable and actionable customer intelligence needed to manage staffing, optimize business processes, and elevate the customer experience.

By acquiring Retail Performance, RetailNext deepens its presence in the UK market, cementing its strategic growth into the British and European retail sectors and expanding the company’s global footprint. RetailNext’s industry-leading retail intelligence solutions are already trusted by over 400 retail brands, and its M&A-driven expansion strategy will unlock new possibilities for the evolving needs of the retail industry.

As part of the deal, Ipsos also becomes a minority shareholder in RetailNext, to explore future solutions in global retail and consumer services.

Alexei Agratchev, RetailNext CEO, said, “RetailNext is growing fast, and carefully planned acquisitions and partnerships will continue to be central to our growth strategy as we build out global bandwidth and bring our best-of-breed retail solutions into new markets. Retail Performance is a leader in the footfall-tracking space, and we’re thrilled to be welcoming them into the family as we expand our mission in the UK and beyond.”

Craig Bradley, Ipsos’ Global Head of Channel Performance added, “We are delighted to have cemented this future partnership with RetailNext. The partnership ensures Ipsos retail clients will continue to have access to footfall data and puts us in a strong position to expand Ipsos’ Channel Performance services and bring solutions to market which reinvent retail analytics and insight.”