Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Yonkers, NY, that produces independent product reviews, ratings, and buying guides for approximately 5 million paying consumer members and the broader public. It monetizes primarily through subscription membership, with supplementary affiliate revenue and philanthropic grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersYonkers, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Consumer Reports does
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit consumer-product testing and advocacy organization founded in 1936 (formerly operating as Consumers Union), headquartered in Yonkers, NY, with an employee base of roughly 501-1,000 and an active paid membership of approximately 5 million consumers. The organization produces independent product reviews, ratings, and buying guides across categories such as vehicles (380K survey respondents), printers (69K), insurance (40K), tires (24K), and cruises (18K), supported by an in-house testing infrastructure and a proprietary first-party consumer-survey data asset. Its core technology surface comprises the consumerreports.org web property, the newly launched AskCR AI assistant, and the underlying survey, testing, and ratings pipelines that convert member-reported experience into published ratings.
The organization's business model rests on a paid membership subscription as the primary revenue engine, supplemented by affiliate and commission revenue from purchase referrals and by philanthropic grants from foundations including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (~$1.15M in 2022 and ~$1.0M in 2019) and Craig Newmark Philanthropies ($6.0M in 2019). Members pay recurring subscription fees (commonly in the $30-$50/year band for digital access) for unlimited access to reviews, ratings, and guidance, while non-members access a subset of content via the public website. Recent activity indicates a deliberate strategic refresh: a $3M brand campaign in March 2026, the AskCR AI product launch, partnerships with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab (Loyal Agents) and Yuka (food testing), and policy advocacy on surveillance pricing through the Maryland Protection from Predatory Pricing Act and an investigation into Uber and Lyft's AI-driven pricing.
Consumer Reports firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Consumer Reports
- Legal name
- Consumer Reports, Inc.
- Website
- https://consumerreports.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Yonkers, NY, that produces independent product reviews, ratings, and buying guides for approximately 5 million paying consumer members and the broader public. It monetizes primarily through subscription membership, with supplementary affiliate revenue and philanthropic grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Consumer Reports industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Product Ratings and Reviews
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE)
Keywords
Where Consumer Reports is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yonkers
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Consumer Reports business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Consumer Reports generates revenue primarily through membership subscriptions, offering digital access to ratings, reviews, and exclusive content for approximately 5 million paying members.
- Affiliate/Commission Revenue: When members shop through retailer links on the Consumer Reports website, the organization earns affiliate commissions, though stated that 100% of these fees support the nonprofit mission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Consumer Reports product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit member organization that independently purchases products through retail channels, conducts laboratory and real-world testing across hundreds of data points, and combines test results with large-scale member surveys to publish ratings, reviews, and buying guidance for more than 8,500–10,000 products and services. It supplements ratings with consumer advocacy, investigative journalism, and policy campaigns aimed at improving product safety, pricing fairness, and consumer rights.
Product overview
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive product intelligence platform centered on independent, lab-tested ratings and reviews. The core product is its extensive ratings database covering over 10,000 products across major categories including Appliances (kitchen, laundry, heating/cooling), Cars (new/used vehicles, hybrids/EVs), Electronics (TVs, phones, computers), Health (beauty, exercise, food), Home & Garden (bedding, lawn equipment), Money (banking, insurance), and Babies & Kids (strollers, car seats). The platform operates on a membership model, providing members access to AskCR (AI chatbot assistant), Car Recall Tracker, Food Safety Alerts, Security Planner, Permission Slip data management tools, and buying guides. Consumer Reports also conducts investigative journalism on consumer protection issues and advocates for policy changes at federal and state levels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Product Ratings & Reviews Independent, lab-tested ratings and reviews for over 8,500–10,000 products and services across major consumer categories including appliances, electronics, cars, health, home and garden, food, money, and baby products, available to Consumer Reports members.
- AskCR AI-powered chat assistant that helps members get personalized answers to product questions, safety concerns, and buying guidance using Consumer Reports' testing database.
- Car Recall Tracker Tool allowing members to track vehicle recalls and stay informed about safety issues affecting their vehicles.
- Car Buying & Pricing Tools Build and Buy car buying service, used car marketplace, trade-in value estimator, and new car deals to help consumers purchase vehicles at optimal prices.
- Food Safety Alerts Real-time alerts about food safety issues, recalls, and contamination warnings for member protection.
- Security Planner Cybersecurity guidance tool helping consumers protect their personal data and devices from online threats.
- Permission Slip Tool helping consumers manage and control data collection permissions across various services and platforms.
- Consumer Reports Mobile App Mobile application providing members with access to ratings, reviews, and Consumer Reports expertise on the go, including AskCR chat support.
- Insurance Comparisons Ratings and reviews for car insurance, homeowners insurance, pet insurance, and other insurance products to help consumers find appropriate coverage.
- Baby Formula Safety Testing Independent testing of infant formulas for heavy metal safety, providing parents with guidance on product safety.
- Consumer Advocacy Campaigns Policy advocacy on consumer safety, digital privacy, financial fairness, food safety, and sustainability issues at federal and state levels.
- Investigative Reporting In-depth investigative journalism on consumer issues including AI-driven pricing, food contaminants, product safety, and financial practices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Consumer Reports investigations have led to regulatory changes, including FTC enforcement actions against Instacart ($60 million settlement), state legislation on surveillance pricing in Maryland and Connecticut, and FDA framework changes for food chemical safety.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Consumer Reports
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Consumer Reports technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Consumer Reports partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- YukaminorConsumer Reports partnered with the product transparency app Yuka to test 40 popular processed foods and drinks for food additives and contaminants linked to potential health concerns.
- Made Safe and Made WiseminorConsumer Reports partnered with Made Safe and Made Wise to evaluate 31 disposable diapers for safety and sustainability, analyzing ingredients for potential health and environmental risks.
- Groundwork CollaborativecoreConsumer Reports collaborated with Groundwork Collaborative on investigations into Instacart's AI-driven pricing practices, finding that algorithmic pricing charged different customers different prices for identical groceries.
- More Perfect UnionminorConsumer Reports partnered with More Perfect Union in the joint investigation with Groundwork Collaborative exposing Instacart's hidden price experiments.
- Silent Spring InstituteminorConsumer Reports worked with Silent Spring Institute, a Black-led environmental health research organization, on braiding hair product testing investigations.
- Stanford Digital Economy LabminorStanford Digital Economy Lab and Consumer Reports Innovation Lab are collaborating on the Loyal Agents initiative to develop trustworthy AI agents that act transparently and in consumers' best interests.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Consumer Reports competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- J.D. Power: J.D. Power is a closely comparable data-driven consumer research firm best known for automotive quality, dependability, and customer satisfaction studies sold to consumers and automakers—mirroring CR's automotive reliability work and member-survey methodology.
- Good Housekeeping Institute: The Good Housekeeping Institute operates a parallel product testing lab and the well-known 'Good Housekeeping Seal,' serving the same household consumer review and ratings market that CR dominates in appliances and home goods.
- Wirecutter (The New York Times): Wirecutter is a product-recommendation property of The New York Times that competes directly with CR for consumer mindshare on appliances, electronics, and home goods, though it relies on editorial testing rather than lab-only methodology.
- CNET: CNET is a large-scale digital product review publisher focused on consumer electronics, appliances, and home technology—a core vertical for Consumer Reports and the most significant free-advertiser-supported alternative.
- Reviewed (USA Today / Gannett): Reviewed is Gannett's product testing and review vertical covering appliances, electronics, and home goods using a lab-and-editorial model directly comparable to Consumer Reports' testing practice.
- Edmunds: Edmunds is an automotive research and car-buying platform that overlaps with CR's car reviews, pricing tools, and reliability data, especially through its consumer-facing new and used vehicle comparison content.
- Kelley Blue Book: Kelley Blue Book is the dominant U.S. vehicle valuation and research brand, overlapping with CR's car research, Build & Buy, and trade-in tools in the automotive vertical.
Regional players
- Which?: Which? is the UK's leading independent consumer advocacy and product testing organization with the same nonprofit, membership-funded model as CR, providing a useful international comparison and a potential cross-border benchmark.
Broad incumbents
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL): UL is a global safety certification and standards organization that conducts independent product safety testing—an adjacent but broader incumbent that overlaps with CR's safety testing and investigative work in food, baby products, and electronics.
Emerging players
- Trustpilot: Trustpilot operates an open consumer review platform used to evaluate retailers, services, and products, representing the user-generated-content model that competes with CR's expert-led review approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Consumer Reports social profiles
Digital presenceConsumer Reports financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Consumer Reports leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Consumer Reports funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Consumer Reports M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Consumer Reports
What does Consumer Reports do?
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit member organization that independently purchases products through retail channels, conducts laboratory and real-world testing across hundreds of data points, and combines test results with large-scale member surveys to publish ratings, reviews, and buying guidance for more than 8,500–10,000 products and services. It supplements ratings with consumer advocacy, investigative journalism, and policy campaigns aimed at improving product safety, pricing fairness, and consumer rights.
Is Consumer Reports a public or private company?
Consumer Reports is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Consumer Reports founded?
Consumer Reports was founded in 1936. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Consumer Reports based?
Consumer Reports is headquartered in Yonkers, United States, in the North America region.
How does Consumer Reports make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are affiliate/Commission Revenue.
Who are Consumer Reports's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are J.D. Power, Good Housekeeping Institute, Wirecutter (The New York Times), CNET, Reviewed (USA Today / Gannett), Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book. Which? is listed as a regional player. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is listed as a broad incumbent. Trustpilot is listed as an emerging player.
Does Consumer Reports have an API?
No public API is recorded for Consumer Reports.
What industry is Consumer Reports in?
Consumer Reports's product category is Consumer Product Ratings and Reviews. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAOAE, Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators.