Czech Acquisition for Panels Firm Norstat

Norstat has acquired Prague-based panel provider National Sample, thus expanding its proprietary panel coverage in Central and Eastern Europe with the addition of five new markets.

National Sample was founded in 2012 as European National Panels, and operates online panels in seven European countries: Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Last year it completed more than 3 million interviews across 3,000 projects, and entered its first Asian market with the launch of a panel in Thailand.

The buy means Norstat now operates proprietary panels in 45 countries, including all the Nordic and Baltic countries, Europe's big 5 except for Spain, and in Poland, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria and North Macedonia. Outside Europe, its offer covers Brazil, the USA, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and now Thailand. National Sample brings it local office support in Czechia and further strengthens its panels in Czechia and Poland.

The firms say National Sample's 'robust sample standards' are a good match for Norstat's strong focus on data quality, while the acquired company's clients will benefit from Norstat's extensive global operations, and its branded digital products & solutions, including Express, Dashboards, Studio, and MyNorstat.

Tomáš Říha (pictured), Managing Director of National Sample will now report directly to Tue Meier-Poulsen, Regional Director at Norstat, and says of the deal: 'We have built National Sample with a strong focus on quality, transparency and client service. Joining Norstat is, simply, a great cultural and organisational fit, and it gives our clients access to extensive sample provision throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as innovative digital products & solutions.'

Norstat CEO Erling J.B. Eriksen comments: 'We are delighted to finalise the acquisition of National Sample, which marks a key step in our journey to becoming a leading data collection company in Central and Eastern Europe. We see strong demand for high-quality data across these markets, and National Sample's people, technology, and proprietary panels are perfectly positioned to support our ambitious growth strategy. We look forward to working closely with Tomáš Říha and the team to meet increasing client demand for data across these markets.'

The firms are online at www.norstatgroup.com and www.nationalsample.com .