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CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. has launched a new consumer insights subsidiary after revising its partnership in analytics firm dunnhumbyUSA. The new subsidiary is called 84.51°, a reference to the longitude of the new company’s location in downtown Cincinnati.
Kroger Co. has launched a new consumer insights subsidiary after revising its partnership in analytics firm dunnhumbyUSA. The new subsidiary is called 84.51°, a reference to the longitude of the new company’s location in downtown Cincinnati.
About 500 former dunnhumbyUSA employees will work for 84.51°, which will continue to collect and analyze customer data that can guide business strategy for Kroger.
Stuart Aitken was named chief executive officer of 84.51°. Aitken is the former chief of dunnhumbyUSA.
Kroger and London-based dunnhumby Ltd. formed dunnhumbyUSA as a joint venture in 2003. Dunnhumby Ltd. is a subsidiary of struggling British retailer Tesco PLC, which announced earlier this year it was considering selling off the unit as it looks to lower its debt.
Kroger says that it will continue to have access to dunnhumby’s analytic tools under a licensing agreement, and that dunnhumby will no longer have access to Kroger’s customer data.
"Kroger and dunnhumby revolutionized retailing in the United States by focusing on the customer, and we intend to do it again with 84.51°," Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s CEO, announced today. "The ability to combine what we already know with other partners is exciting and will speed up innovation. We expect these innovations to grow our business and deliver a world-class customer experience."
Dunnhumby will continue to operate in the United States out of offices in Cincinnati, New York, Boston, Chicago and Sacramento, Calif.
