Category Management Association

What Category Management Association does

Category Management Association (CMA | SIMA) is a Chicago-based professional association operating as a division of the nonprofit Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals (ARC). Founded in 2005, it serves category management, shopper insights, space planning, and retail professionals through a unified platform-plus-services model. The core offering is ARC Campus, a WordPress-built all-access content hub that consolidates whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and training resources across category management, shopper insights, space planning, and retail health. ARC Campus is supplemented by 55+ industry-specific training courses, a three-tier certification program, and a range of event formats including a flagship Annual Conference, ARC Summit Series regional summits, Mix & Mingle networking events, and a steady cadence of vendor-hosted webinars.

The association generates revenue primarily through recurring membership subscriptions across three tiers — corporate, individual, and university — supplemented by event and conference registration fees, certification and training program revenue, and one-time sales of digital resources through a Resource Shop. Membership packages serve a community of more than 10,000 professionals drawn from 275 corporate organizations spanning major consumer packaged goods manufacturers (e.g., Nestlé, PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Unilever, Campbell's, Clorox, Hershey, Tyson, Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, General Mills), leading retailers (e.g., Walmart, Target, Kroger, Home Depot, Lowe's, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Albertsons), and an expanding roster of technology and analytics vendors (e.g., NielsenIQ, Datasembly, Blue Yonder, RELEX, VideoMining). Sub-brands including ARC Advisors, ARCast podcast, Retail Unfiltered speaker series, and the Solutions Marketplace extend the offering beyond traditional association services.

Name

Category Management Association

Legal name

The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals

Website

https://catman.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Category Management Association (CMA | SIMA) is a Chicago-based professional association that provides membership, training, certification, events, and content (via the ARC Campus platform) to category management and shopper insights professionals at CPG companies, retailers, and analytics vendors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Category Management & Assortment Strategy Services (CRAOAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Category Management & Retail Analytics (MPAAAJAI), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Category management training
• Shopper insights association
• Retail professional development
• CPG certification programs
• Industry membership community

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Membership: Annual membership fees for organizations providing access to resources, events, networking, and professional development for team members.
2. Individual Membership: Personal membership subscriptions for individual professionals at all career levels.
3. Training and Certification: Over 55 industry-specific training courses and 3 levels of certification programs.
4. Events and Conferences: Annual Conference (cmasimaconference.com), regional summits, webinars, Mix & Mingle networking events, and ARC Summit Series.
5. Digital Products: Digital assets including whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and other resources from the Resource Shop. Digital assets are non-refundable per refund policy.
6. University Programs: Membership programs for academic institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Category Management Association (CMA | SIMA) is a professional association that delivers category management and shopper insights training, certification, content, events, and community to retail and consumer goods professionals. It monetizes through corporate, individual, and university memberships that grant access to the ARC Campus content library, 55+ training courses, three certification levels, the Annual Conference, regional summits, webinars, and a Solutions Marketplace.

Product overview

Category Management Association (CMA | SIMA) is a professional association that operates as a unified platform-plus-services model rather than a single software product. The core platform is ARC Campus, an all-access content library serving as the central hub for whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and training resources. This platform is complemented by three levels of professional certification programs and over 55 training courses. The association organizes the Annual Conference as its flagship in-person event, alongside regular webinars hosted by solution providers. The Solutions Marketplace connects members with technology vendors, while ARCast provides podcast content. Membership tiers include Corporate, Individual, and University programs, each offering tailored access to the association's resources and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARC Campus: All-access content hub for Category Management, Shopper Insights, Space Planning and Retail Health resources
• ARC Advisors
• ARC Summit Series
• Retail Unfiltered

Products and services

• ARC Campus An all-access content library platform providing members with unified access to expert-authored whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and training resources across Category Management, Shopper Insights, Space Planning, and Retail Health.
• Professional Certification Programs Three-level industry certification program providing credentials for category management and shopper insights professionals for career advancement.
• Training Courses A catalog of over 55 industry-specific training courses covering category management, shopper insights, space planning, and related retail disciplines, available to members for professional development.
• CMA | SIMA Annual Conference The flagship annual in-person conference bringing together retail and consumer goods professionals for networking, education, and industry insights.
• ARC Summit Series Intimate, hands-on regional summits focused on topics such as omnichannel strategy and unified shopper experience, conducted in partnership with industry experts including retail safari components at member locations.
• Mix & Mingle Networking Events Informal in-person networking events held in various locations, providing members with opportunities to build professional relationships across the retail and CPG community.
• Webinar Series Recurring live and recorded webinar sessions hosted by industry experts and solution providers on category management, shopper insights, space planning, and retail strategy topics.
• Retail Unfiltered Speaker Series A live speaker series diving deep into forces shaping the future of consumer and retail, featuring 20-25 minute expert talks followed by open Q&A sessions.
• ARCast Podcast Podcast and audio content series providing industry insights and expert discussions on retail, category management, and shopper insights topics.
• Corporate Membership Team-based annual membership package granting organizations access to the ARC Campus content library, training courses, certification programs, events, and networking opportunities for multiple employees.
• Individual Membership Personal annual membership subscription granting individual practitioners access to exclusive insights, content resources, events, and professional development opportunities.
• University Program Academic membership program providing universities with access to industry curriculum resources and connections for students studying category management and related disciplines.
• Solutions Marketplace A directory marketplace connecting association members with vetted solution providers offering technology and services for category management, shopper insights, and retail execution.
• ARC Advisors Consulting and advisory services division providing category management and shopper insights expertise and engagements to organizations on a fee-for-service basis.
• Resource Shop Digital storefront selling individual whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and other downloadable industry resources on a non-refundable basis through PayPal checkout.

Named customers36 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• InContext SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025InContext Solutions, global leader in 3D simulation software for retail, partnered with r4 Technologies to create a hyperlocal merchandising SaaS AI offering. InContext provides ShopperMX virtual visualization platform for shopper insights, visual merchandising, retail execution and virtual commerce. CMA hosts content and events featuring InContext Solutions.
• r4 TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2025r4 Technologies partnered with InContext Solutions to create a hyperlocal merchandising SaaS AI offering. r4 provides XEM (Cross-Enterprise Management) AI software. Founded in 2013 by priceline founders. CMA hosts content featuring r4 Technologies.
• firstmovrcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstmovr is a key partner for the ARC Summit Series, providing the 4-step framework for omnichannel category reviews. Chris Perry, Chief Learning Officer at firstmovr, leads workshops at ARC Summits including retail safari components at major retailers.
• The Presentation CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for business communication and storytelling workshops. Joint workshop 'From Ideas to Impact: Transform Business Communication Through Storytelling' held at University of Arkansas. Provides practical storytelling framework for category insights and strategic recommendations.
• Optima RetailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimon Dunn, Managing Director of Optima Retail, featured in Retail Unfiltered webinar series discussing Future of Category Management research. Optima Retail conducts the Future of Category research program with over 200 participants across UK, US, ANZ and Europe.
• Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals (ARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA | SIMA is a division of the Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals (ARC). ARC provides the parent organizational structure and brand for the category management and shopper insights association.
• Space Planning AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated association under ARC umbrella (spaceplanning.global). Offers 25% member discount for CMA|SIMA members on Space Planning events. Affiliated professional community for space planning professionals.
• Retail Health AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated association under ARC umbrella (retailhealth.global). Affiliated professional community for retail health and wellness professionals.
• PDI TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPDI Technologies hosts webinars through CMA platform on topics including independent convenience data and category strategies. Webinar presenters include Nat Keller (VP Strategic Accounts), Ryan Griffin (VP Sales), Matthew Carey (Senior Manager Analytics).
• HarmonyaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHarmonya hosts webinars through CMA platform. Data intelligence company focused on category management and retail analytics.
• Shopper IntelligenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopper Intelligence hosts webinars through CMA platform. Company focused on shopper insights and consumer behavior analytics.
• NIQ (NielsenIQ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNIQ hosts webinars through CMA platform. Global leader in consumer intelligence providing retail measurement and analytics.
• VideoMiningminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVideoMining hosts webinars through CMA platform. AI-powered behavioral shopper insights company. CEO Rajeev Sharma presents on behavioral data and category management topics.
• RELEX SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRELEX Solutions hosts webinars through CMA platform on space planning and category strategy topics. Mark Pettigrew, VP Product Space & Assortment, presents on connecting category strategy to shelf execution.
• Vista GrandeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVista Grande hosts Spanish-language webinars (Webinar en Español) through CMA platform. Strategy firm focused on Latin American markets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA): PLMA is a trade association serving the private label industry with a similar membership-based model serving retailers and CPG manufacturers. Both organizations monetize through corporate/individual memberships, conferences, and educational content for the same buyer personas (retail category managers, CPG brand teams), making them directly comparable in business model and target customer.
• Consumer Brands Association: Consumer Brands Association (formerly GMA) is the leading trade association for CPG manufacturers in the U.S. It serves many of the same enterprise members (PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra) through corporate membership, advocacy, conferences, and industry research, making it the closest direct peer in terms of membership base, content offerings, and event portfolio.
• Food Industry Association (FMI): FMI is the trade association for the food retail industry, serving grocers and food retailers (many of which are CMA|SIMA members, including Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Meijer). Both associations monetize via corporate membership, host annual conferences, publish industry education, and address category management, supply chain, and shopper issues.
• National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS): NACDS is the trade association for chain drug stores and their supplier partners (Walgreens, CVS, etc., are CMA|SIMA members). It shares the same model: corporate membership, an annual conference, retailer/supplier collaboration programs, and industry education relevant to category management and shopper insights in drug retail.
• The Partnering Group: The Partnering Group is a category management and shopper insights consulting firm serving CPG manufacturers and retailers. Both organizations offer category management training, advisory services (overlapping with ARC Advisors), and capability-building content for the same buyer base.

Broad incumbents

• Circana: Circana (the merged IRI and NPD) is a broad data and analytics incumbent serving CPG and retail with category management, shopper insights, and retail measurement solutions. Although not a membership association, Circana competes with CMA|SIMA content/training for the same corporate training budgets and overlaps in adjacent retail intelligence and analytics services.
• Shoptalk: Shoptalk is a large retail and e-commerce conference and media business serving retailers, brands, and technology providers. It competes directly with the CMA|SIMA Annual Conference and webinar series for the same corporate event/training budgets and overlapping speaker/sponsor ecosystem.
• Kantar: Kantar is a global data, insights, and consulting company serving CPG and retail with category management, shopper insights, and consumer research. It overlaps with CMA|SIMA in education and benchmarking content, and competes for similar corporate training and thought leadership budgets.
• Winsight (Informa Markets): Winsight, part of Informa Markets, produces retail and foodservice media, conferences, and research (e.g., Convenience Store News, Restaurant Business). It competes with CMA|SIMA events and content for the same CPG/retail attendee and sponsor dollars, particularly in the convenience channel where CMA|SIMA also operates.

Emerging players

• Brick Meets Click: Brick Meets Click is an emerging research and advisory firm focused on omnichannel grocery, shopper behavior, and digital retail insights. It publishes industry research and provides advisory that overlaps with CMA|SIMA content and ARC Advisors' consulting offerings for grocery and CPG clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RetailConsumerProfessionals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/category-management-association
• Facebookfacebook.com/CategoryManagementAssociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Category Management Association