In the UK, category development agency Counter Intelligence Retail (CIR) has appointed Deborah Binks as Senior Research Analyst and Nilesh Prajapati as Senior Category Development Analyst.
CIR works with retailers and brand owners to develop sales and merchandising strategies. To do this, the firm’s customer insight unit conducts store interviews and focus groups to observe and interpret shopper behaviour. The company has recently invested in new software to support its shopper observation and behaviour research.
Binks joins from UK shopper and consumer research agency Bezier, where she spent the last eight years studying and working in retail-based market research and developed specific skills in understanding and interpreting in-store shopper behaviour.
Prajapati has spent the past 14 years in commercial analyst roles at Nestlé UK. He has experience in category development and a clear understanding of brand, category and retail development.
In his new role, Prajapati will join the category development team, and will be responsible for optimising data to generate insight and recommendations. He will report to Kevin Brocklebank, who joined CIR in January after nearly eight years with World Duty Free.
CIR founder and Director Garry Stasiulevicuis said: ‘These appointments will significantly enhance our client-service offer and demonstrate our commitment to bringing experience and expertise to the business, ensuring we provide our clients with the best service available in the industry.’
In the UK, category development agency Counter Intelligence Retail (CIR) has appointed Deborah Binks as Senior Research Analyst and Nilesh Prajapati as Senior Category Development Analyst.