- Provides roadmap to how "value" can overplay price in today's current economic environment for manufacturers, marketers and retailers

NEW YORK, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hartman Group and GfK Custom Research North America today announced a strategic alliance to conduct a new study, Future Buy: The New Shopper Value Paradigm. The research will uncover business opportunities for companies looking to connect and remain relevant with shoppers in a retail marketplace currently being restructured by a confluence of forces that reach beyond the present economic maelstrom.

The collaboration blends Hartman Group consumer lifestyle and cultural anthropologists with GfK Custom Research North America innovation experts and consumer trends research to identify the factors and motivations underlying the fundamental shifts occurring in how people live, shop, work, travel and make buying decisions. The outcomes of the Future Buy syndicated study will arrive at what brand owners, marketers and retailers can do beyond discounting at the shelf.

"Our in-home/out-of-home focus is an excellent complement to the vast amount of quality marketplace data and information that GfK is known for. By looking through the lens of the consumer, our combined effort will reimagine the future of retail strategy," said Harvey Hartman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Hartman Group, Inc. "With the blurring of channels, some traditional retail venues are losing relevance as shoppers' needs, desires and tastes change. Our focus is to bring clarity and a new level of strategic understanding to what is now commonly referred to as shopper marketing."

"We are pleased to partner with The Hartman Group to bring a deeper dive to the shopper insights research space. Through this new alliance, we will offer a unique approach to understanding consumer behavior through the integration of science and creativity and help companies deliver winning innovation at the retail level," added Mike Kassab, Senior Vice President, Director of Innovation at GfK Custom Research North America.

Results from the first Future Buy: The New Shopper Value Paradigm will be available summer 2009. For more information on The Hartman Group-GfK Custom Research North America Future Buy syndicated study, please visit: www.hartman-group.com and/or www.gfkamerica.com.

About The Hartman Group

At The Hartman Group, located in Bellevue, Washington, leading-edge customized research and consulting blend to understand the subtle complexities of consumer behavior. Since 1989, The Hartman Group has been listening loudly to the underlying motivations and behaviors that move the needle for clients. To learn more about how The Hartman Group stays sharply focused on what's going on with consumers, visit: www.hartman-group.com.

About GfK Custom Research North America

Headquartered in New York, GfK Custom Research North America is part of GfK Group. With offices in Nuremberg, Germany, the GfK Group is fourth largest market research organization in the world. Its activities cover three business sectors: Custom Research, Retail and Media. With 115 companies covering over 100 countries, GfK Group has approximately 10,000 employees (as of September 30, 2008), 80% of which are based outside Germany. For more information visit: www.gfkamerica.com.

SOURCE GfK Custom Research North America