Experian Buys Retail and Property Specialist

Information solutions giant Experian has acquired FootFall Ltd, a European supplier of customer counting technology and retail information integration services; and has appointed Mark Parise, previously IRI's President of Global Content Operations, as President of its Marketing Services business unit.

The FootFall acquisition will create a global retail and property intelligence group, offering worldwide retail property consultancy, customer data and analysis, and forming part of Experian's Business Strategies division.

Footfall was founded in 1991 and is based in Solihull, UK, operating in eleven countries including Spain, Hong Kong, France and Germany. In addition to providing retail property professionals with performance assessment and other measures, it works across a number of markets including leisure, airports and financial services. Its Retail FootFall Index (RFI) is a widely used benchmark for shopper visits, endorsed by the British Council of Shopping Centres and used by clients including the Bank of England, which employs it as an indicator as part of the MPC discussions to determine interest rate movements.

Charles Burton, MD of the Business Strategies division, says the acquisition will enable Experian to offer a complete retail property solution. 'In turn, FootFall can capitalise on our strengths throughout Europe and Asia to develop their pan-European and Asian retail and property offering.'


Parise brings more than 23 years' experience from the marketing services, consumer goods, retail, automobile and financial services industries in companies including General Electric and Chase Manhattan. He will operate out of Experian's Schaumburg, Ill., facility and will report directly to Deborah Zuccarini, group president of Experian Marketing Solutions. Parise is a graduate of Quincy College

According to Zuccarini, 'The Marketing Services business is a key component of our offering and Mark is an exceptional operating leader with an extensive background in database and technology services. As we expand our solutions into new channels and media, he will be a strong contributor to the strategic direction of our business.'

Marketing Services is one of four business units operating within the Marketing Solutions Group at Experian, which is a subsidiary of UK and California-based GUS plc.

Experian employs 12,000 people in 28 countries and has annual sales of more than $2.5 billion. It is online at www.experian.com . FootFall Ltd's web site is at www.footfall.com.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.