NFBA PACT TO LET MEMBERS USE IRI DATA BASE AT DISCOUNT RATES

CHRIS O'LEARY

RESTON, Va. -- The National Food Brokers Association here signed a contract that will enable its members to draw from a national marketing data base at discounted rates.

NFBA recently signed a deal with Information Resources Inc., Chicago, giving members access to IRI data bases at a 40% to 60% discount, beginning in January.

The program, part of NFBA's new Technology Resource Center initiative, was officially unveiled to food brokers at the association's annual convention in San Francisco last week. An IRI spokesman said 100 brokers could be on-line by the end of next year.

Instead of purchasing data piecemeal, or paying an annual $75,000 subscription rate for IRI data bases, NFBA members will be able to buy $5,000 or $10,000 "shares" from which they will draw to pay for accessing information.

"It allows access on a level playing field for any size broker," said a source in NFBA, who asked not to be identified. "You could be just a small two- to three-person operation, or you can be a multimarket regional broker with deep pockets. The program will suit you regardless of where you are on the spectrum."

No new technology investments will be required for brokers, who can opt to receive the information by fax or mail if their information systems are not capable of receiving it electronically.

Brokers who join the NFBA program will have entry into all of IRI's main services, including InfoScan Review, which has a typical subscription rate of $75,000 a year and allows access to 240 category data bases, and InfoScan Census, which tracks product movement on a store-by-store basis.