NPD Buys Leisure Trends Sports Research Business

Consumer specialist The NPD Group is to acquire the retail sales tracking and consumer research business of Boulder, Colorado-based sports and recreation researcher Leisure Trends. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Leisure Trends' Customer Relationship Management business is not included in the transaction and is being spun off as a separate company called Ascent CRM.

In a statement, NPD said the combined businesses will provide 'the most comprehensive' sales information available to the sports and recreation industries. The new business will also offer access to proprietary online panels - including The Most Active Americans Panel and The Core Athlete Outdoor Enthusiast Panel - tapping the opinions of more than two million individuals for insight into consumer behavior and preferences.

As part of the deal, Jim Kelley has been named President of 'Leisure Trends, an NPD company', and will work closely with Mike Kuhl, President of NPD's Sports practice. Charlie Cooper, formerly President of Leisure Trends, will work for NPD until the end of the year.

All three will report to Dennis Brown (pictured), NPD's Group President, Americas, who comments: 'Combining our complementary strengths will give us a new business greater than the sum of the parts. Leisure Trends has deep ties in the industry, with strong retail partnerships and access to the 'alpha consumer'. As we integrate our businesses, we will be able to offer new solutions for our clients as well as establish a strong platform for international growth.'

The transaction is expected to close on or before October 31, 2013.

Web sites: www.npd.com and www.leisuretrends.com .