YouGov completes the acquisition of GfK’s CPS

YouGov plc (AIM: YOU) ("YouGov"), the international market research and data analytics group, is pleased to announce the completion of its acquisition of the Consumer Panel Services of GfK GmbH ("CPS GfK"). CPS GfK is an established leader in household purchase data, with panels across 18 European countries, consisting of over 100,000 households.

As announced on 6 July 2023, YouGov agreed to acquire CPS GfK in an all-cash transaction for a headline purchase price of €315 million. The transaction was financed with proceeds from the equity raise completed in July 2023 and our new €280 million term loan facility as announced on 2 October 2023. YouGov's investment into a carefully planned and considered integration programme will ensure a seamless transition for CPS GfK clients and colleagues and enable both companies to capitalise on each other's strengths from day one.

CPS GfK's capabilities are strategically aligned with YouGov, adding highly engaged panels across the European market and technology to capture and analyse consumer purchasing data. The acquisition will support our continued growth by expanding our combined offering to existing clients in our current markets, as well as the opportunity to win new clients and roll out into new markets, including in the US which remains our key strategic growth focus. YouGov has a long history of investing in innovative, new technologies and products to drive long-term growth and continuing that journey with CPS GfK will help our combined business to realise our vision of becoming a leading provider of shopper, marketing and opinion data.

Steve Hatch, CEO of YouGov, commented:

"We are excited to welcome CPS GfK and its brilliant team to the YouGov fold. The completion of this transaction is a notable step in fulfilling our mission as a company to give the world a voice and to help organisations of all types make better decisions by creating value for people and organisations around the world.

"This acquisition enhances our customer value proposition with one of the richest behavioral data sets on FMCG and Retail consumer insights. Together, we're able to help our clients perfect the full shopper journey - across advertising, location, and media - by understanding what consumers think, feel and buy. This unmatched combination enables us to create more value for our clients and partners than ever before and we look forward to working closely with the CPS GfK team and clients."

Stefan Heremans, President, CPS GfK:

"For over 60 years, CPS GfK has provided clients with insight into what shoppers buy and why they buy it. As we become part of the YouGov family, our clients can expect the same quality data they have always enjoyed. We are now excited that we will further deepen their relationships with us through YouGov's exceptional data on consumer opinions, motivations, wants and media habits.

"CPS GfK and YouGov have a lot in common - including our high-quality panels where millions of people share their data with us every hour of every day and our industry-leading data which provide clients with certainty. We look forward to investment in our platforms, products and panellists, to give our clients the most comprehensive view of the consumer journey across the region. We're excited for this new chapter in our long history that creates more value for people and for businesses around the world."

YouGov will update the medium-term financial guidance, as set out at its Capital Markets Day in May 2023, to reflect this acquisition in due course.