Forecourt Retail Specialist Joins Experian

Global information solutions company Experian has acquired Catalist, a specialist in information on the retail petroleum and garage forecourt market. Catalist will become part of Experian's Business Strategies division.

Catalist maintains 'complete, consistent and current' information on petrol forecourt outlets, covering over 130,000 retail sites in more than 20 countries across four continents, with a team of c.200 surveyors. Data provided includes the daily fuel price, size of shop, range of facilities, size of forecourt, location attributes and number of pumps. It maintains complete databases in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In addition, sample databases are completed with full surveys planned or underway in China, Hungary, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore.

According to Charles Burton, MD of the Business Strategies division, the acquisition will enable Experian 'to expand its retail property offer into the new but important marketplace of fuel and convenience retailing... Catalist has a strong international presence and we aim to capitalise on our combined strengths throughout Europe and Asia Pacific with further expansion plans in North America.' The group's aim is to develop a worldwide retail and property offering.

Other recent buys for the acquisitive Experian include UK consulting and database provider ClarityBlue (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5104.htm ), European retail and property specialist FootFall Ltd (www.mrweb.com/drno/news5012.htm ), US-based Prediction Analytics (www.mrweb.com/drno/news4685.htm ), US online researcher Vente (www.mrweb.com/drno/news4484.htm ) and UK strategic consultancy The Future Foundation (www.mrweb.com/drno/news4134.htm ), following the major purchase of Simmons Research in the US in 2004 (www.mrweb.com/drno/news3486.htm ).

Catalist's web site is at www.catalist.com , and Experian's Business Strategies business at www.business-strategies.co.uk

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