What IHL Group does

IHL Group (legal name IHL Services, Inc.) is a privately held global research and advisory firm founded in 1996 by Greg Buzek, headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, and focused exclusively on technologies for the retail and hospitality industries. The firm operates as an arms-length research house delivering methodology-disclosed, primary-source market intelligence to corporate managers who must make capital and platform decisions; its 11-50 person team of analysts collectively brings over 100 years of retail technology experience, including former product managers, sales leaders, and executives at retail technology suppliers.

The product portfolio is organized around three proprietary technology layers. At the data layer sits the Sophia customer intelligence system, which tracks more than 2 million data points, 500,000+ technology installations, 9,000+ retailers, manufacturers, and restaurant chains, and 16,000+ personnel across 300+ hardware, software, SaaS, and services categories, supported by the Sophia's Secret Search engine that monitors over 1,200 news, vendor, and retailer sites. At the advisory layer sit the Retail Executive Advisory Program (REAP), the Strategic Operations Exchange (SOE), Analyst on Call (15-hour retainer blocks), Ask the Analyst, Custom Research, and Product Development Advisory services. At the AI layer sit ClearSight AI (executive AI/ML deployment blueprints, launched 2024) and JustAskGreg.ai (a $29.95/month conversational AI retail analyst launched in December 2025 that democratizes access to IHL's research corpus for individual professionals).

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of one-time syndicated research sales (regional POS terminal studies at $5,395, mPOS market share at $6,000-$8,000, Sophia data services at $195-$10,000, AI Readiness Profiles at $199-$2,500), annual subscriptions (WorldView IT Spend Forecast at $1,500-$24,000, executive research subscriptions at $4,995-$5,395), recurring advisory retainers and analyst hours, free and sponsored research for lead generation, and the new product-led JustAskGreg.ai subscription. Customers include a blue-chip roster of enterprise technology vendors (Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Cisco, Intel, Dell, Samsung, Zebra Technologies, NCR Voyix, Agilysys), payments and telecom firms (Visa, American Express, AT&T), large retailers (Lowe's, Publix, TJX), and major food service operators (McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Coca-Cola), with the firm maintaining GDPR, CCPA, and SOC2-aligned compliance postures. The company remains entirely founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or M&A activity, and has pursued organic growth through product launches and strategic co-research partnerships (Brain Corp, Scandit, Cathy Hotka & Associates, RSR Research).

Name

IHL Group

Legal name

IHL Services, Inc.

Website

https://ihlservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IHL Group is a privately held, Franklin, Tennessee-based research and advisory firm founded in 1996 that provides methodology-disclosed market intelligence, syndicated research, and AI-powered advisory tools (Sophia, ClearSight AI, JustAskGreg.ai) to retail technology vendors, large retailers, and food service operators globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Technology Research and Advisory

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Competitive Intelligence & Benchmarking (BPAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Retail technology research
• Hospitality industry advisory
• Market intelligence services
• Retail IT forecasting
• Custom research consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Franklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Products & Reports: Syndicated research studies and market reports sold as one-time purchases or subscription-based products. Includes POS terminal market studies, mPOS market share analyses, AI readiness profiles, retail transformation studies, and shelf intelligence reports. Pricing ranges from $199 to $6,000+ depending on report scope and geography.
2. Executive Advisory Programs (REAP): Combination of executive level research studies, advisory inquiries, briefings, and Onsite days packaged for senior executives from retailers and vendors to receive the latest data from IHL's analysts.
3. Analyst on Call: Retainer-style service providing access to IHL analysts in 15-hour blocks for ongoing consultation on strategies, product plans, and competitive insights. Unused hours can be applied to other IHL services.
4. Ask the Analyst: Scheduled consultation service offering up to 2 hours of analyst time for market sounding, trend discussions, and impartial third-party expert opinions.
5. JustAskGreg.ai Subscription: AI analyst subscription service at $29.95/month providing 24/7 access to AI-powered retail analyst insights, deck/document critique, market sizing support, and IHL-inspired data call-outs.
6. Custom Research Engagements: Custom market research and analysis services for retail technology vendors, major retailers, and investment firms, including custom surveys, white papers, competitor analysis, and market opportunity identification.
7. Sophia Data Services: Lead generation and customer intelligence products including Sophia - Wisdom for IT (pricing $195-$10,000), trade show lists, and key IT decision maker information. Also includes IT spending analysis powered by Sophia.
8. Speaker's Bureau: Keynote speaking engagements and presentations for corporate events, trade shows, and internal sales meetings, providing retail technology trend expertise and custom presentations.
9. Free Research & Webinars: Free white papers and sponsored research distributed to generate leads and build awareness among key decision makers in the retail technology space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IHL Group is a global research and advisory firm selling proprietary retail and hospitality technology market intelligence. Its core offerings include syndicated research reports (POS, mPOS, IT spend forecasts), an AI-powered analyst platform (JustAskGreg.ai), enterprise advisory programs (REAP), executive AI deployment blueprints (ClearSight AI), and a customer intelligence database (Sophia) tracking technology installations across 9,000+ retailers. Services are delivered to retailers and technology vendors through direct analyst engagement, self-serve subscriptions, and custom consulting engagements.

Product overview

IHL Group offers a comprehensive portfolio of retail and hospitality technology research and advisory products organized around a core data platform (Sophia database) that tracks over 2 million technology installations across 9,000+ retailers. The primary offerings include: (1) AI-powered advisory tools including JustAskGreg.ai (on-demand AI analyst at $29.95/month) and ClearSight AI (enterprise AI deployment blueprints); (2) subscription-based Research & Advisory programs including the Retail Executive Advisory Program (REAP) and Strategic Operations Exchange (SOE); (3) syndicated market research including WorldView global IT spend forecasts, regional POS terminal studies, and mPOS market share analysis; (4) data services including Sophia customer intelligence, trade show lead generation, and Key Retail Decision Makers database; and (5) consulting services including Analyst on Call, Ask the Analyst, Custom Research, Product Development Advisory, and Speaker's Bureau. The product portfolio serves retail technology vendors and retailers seeking market intelligence, competitive analysis, and strategic advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JustAskGreg.ai: AI-powered retail analyst platform providing on-demand access to retail technology research and insights, modeled on Greg Buzek's 30+ years of analyst experience.
• ClearSight AI
• Sophia
• WorldView

Products and services

• JustAskGreg.ai AI-powered retail analyst platform providing on-demand access to retail technology research and insights, modeled on 30+ years of IHL analyst expertise. Delivers instant feedback on account plans, GTM strategy, product ideas, and market sizing through conversational AI at $29.95/month.
• ClearSight AI Executive advisor AI system creating customized blueprints for AI/ML and Generative AI deployment, helping retail organizations maximize success by focusing AI investments on areas that best support their specific business strategy.
• Sophia - Wisdom for Retail/IT

Quantifiable outcome

• Retailers currently using RFID show 71% higher sales growth than non-RFID peers
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brain CorpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025IHL Group partnered with Brain Corp to conduct joint research on retail inventory accuracy and robotics. The research revealed that 67% of major U.S. retailers experience frequent inventory inaccuracies affecting relationships with consumer brands, and 72% of retailers are prepared to implement in-store robots to improve shelf accuracy.
• ScanditcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025IHL Group partnered with Scandit to research shelf intelligence as a strategic imperative for retailers. The research revealed that shelf intelligence has become a strategic priority for retailers, with significant investments in inventory accuracy technologies across the US and EMEA, and AI spending projected to grow 29% from 2025 to 2026.
• Cathy Hotka & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCathy Hotka & Associates is retail's only marketing and communications firm focused solely on retail technology decision-makers. The partnership connects people who want to get closer to retail CIOs and works closely with those CIOs, technology firms, magazines, associations, and analysts to create results.
• RSR ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetail Systems Research (RSR) provides insight into business and technology challenges facing the retail industry ecosystem, offering thought leadership and advice on navigating challenges for specific companies and the industry at large. IHL partners with RSR to provide comprehensive retail technology coverage.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gregbuzek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gregbuzek

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 IHL Group