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PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J. – Market Performance Group (MPG) — a leading end-to-end, strategy & services omnichannel commerce agency — announced today that it has acquired Cyrus Advisors and Select Sales & Marketing Group, two boutique retail consulting firms, well-respected for their retail prowess. These acquisitions further build on MPG’s significant, best-in-class Omnichannel Strategy & Services capabilities, the company said. Like MPG, both companies have built strong reputations for their success in helping brands innovate, operate, and grow in the omnichannel marketplace.
“Given the omnichannel importance of both Walmart and Sam’s Club, we are highly focused on the tremendous growth opportunities available with these leading retailers,” said MPG chief executive officer George Cleary. “By adding the talent and expertise of Cyrus Advisors and Select Sales & Marketing Group to our already formidable team led by Todd Matherly, we can create valuable new growth opportunities for our brand partners.”
Located in Bentonville, Ark., and Charlotte, N. C., Cyrus Advisors was founded in 2015 by Ben Thankachan, a former Merchant and Vice President at Walmart/Sam’s Club. He left Walmart to join a private equity firm as an executive leading the sales, strategy, marketing, and operations for early-stage food and beverage brands. That private equity experience coupled with the merchandising background gained at Walmart has enabled Cyrus Advisors to create great success for many clients. The Cyrus Advisors’ team consists of top omnichannel strategists with retail merchandising backgrounds, who echo Thankachan’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for delivering profitable, sustainable growth. Steeped in Walmart and Sam’s Club experience, they are exceptionally skilled in helping emerging CPG brands pinpoint the appropriate retail opportunities to best compete versus “Goliath” brands in this complex space, while making it easy for retailers to want to grow with these partners. They pride themselves in helping brands to differentiate themselves utilizing compelling storytelling and relevant positioning that enables them to stand out at critical points along their brand lifecycle.
Also with a keen focus on Walmart and Sam’s Club, Select Sales & Marketing Group drives branded and private label CPG product growth through innovative thinking and performance-driving omnichannel strategies. The Bentonville firm was founded in 2006 by CPG industry veteran Joe Murphy; Murphy has more than two decades of retail and Walmart-specific experience, including Carnation/Nestle Foods, Schwarzkopf & Henkel, Rubbermaid Home Products, and Premier Retail Networks, among others. Known for their customer focus, deep industry relationships and operational expertise, the Select Sales & Marketing Group team has had great success building emerging brands and driving scale for major brands at Walmart and Sam’s Club.
“We’re excited to expand our MPG team with proven leaders like Joe Murphy, Ben Thankachan and their talented teams; together, we can best service Walmart, Sam’s Club and other retailers while providing suppliers with the best strategic solutions, ” added Cleary. “We continue to be driven by an unrelenting commitment to support our clients with the top talent, service, client intimacy, and industry influence needed to ensure success in the rapidly evolving omnichannel marketplace.”
