The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals is a Chicago-based nonprofit membership association serving over 10,000 retail and consumer goods professionals across 275 companies with training, certification, content, events, and a solutions marketplace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals does
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals (ARC), operating under the legacy CMA | SIMA brand, is a Chicago-based, U.S.-domiciled nonprofit professional membership association founded around 2005 that serves practitioners in retail, consumer goods, category management, and shopper insights. It claims 20 years of industry authority, a community of over 10,000 members drawn from 275 companies, and primary operations across the U.S. and Canada following the 2023 acquisition of the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA). Its purpose is to convene, educate, and credential category management and shopper insights professionals through membership, training, certification, events, and content.
ARC's core product surface centers on ARC Campus — a unified content library hub delivering expert whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and tools across Category Management, Shopper Insights, Space Planning, and Retail Health — supplemented by 55+ training courses and a three-tier certification program. Supporting offerings include ARC Advisors consulting, private networking groups, the ARCast podcast, the Retail Unfiltered speaker series, regional ARC Summit Series events, Mix & Mingle networking, and the flagship annual CMA | SIMA Conference. ARC also operates a Solutions Marketplace connecting members with retail technology vendors such as Datasembly, VideoMining, RELEX, and NIQ.
ARC generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring corporate and individual membership dues, event and conference registration fees, and training/certification fees. Go-to-market is community-led, combining direct membership sales (corporate and individual self-serve), content marketing via blog and newsletter, organic social (LinkedIn, YouTube), webinars, and in-person events. Sub-brands include ARC Campus, ARC Advisors, ARCast, and Retail Unfiltered, while operating divisions include CMA | SIMA and the wholly owned RDBA subsidiary serving retail dietitians.
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals
- 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
- The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals is a Chicago-based nonprofit membership association serving over 10,000 retail and consumer goods professionals across 275 companies with training, certification, content, events, and a solutions marketplace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Certification & Training Providers (Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard, Guide Training) (THAAAOAF)
Keywords
Where The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Association generates revenue through corporate and individual membership subscriptions providing access to resources, events, and community
- Event Registration: Revenue from annual conferences, regional events, webinars, and networking sessions
- Training and Certification: Professional development programs including 55+ training courses and 3 levels of certification
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ARC is a professional membership association that delivers category management and shopper insights resources, training, certification, events, and advisory services to retail and consumer goods professionals. Members access the ARC Campus content hub, 55+ training courses with 3 certification levels, an annual CMA|SIMA Conference, regional summits, networking groups, and a solutions marketplace connecting them to retail technology vendors.
Product overview
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals (ARC) operates primarily as a membership-based professional association rather than a software product company. ARC provides a unified platform centered on ARC Campus (an all-access content hub), supported by professional development services including Training & Certification (55+ courses, 3 certification levels), ARC Advisors consulting, and a Solutions Marketplace connecting members with solution providers. The association facilitates community building through events including the annual CMA|SIMA Conference, ARC Summit Series, Mix & Mingle networking events, and Retail Unfiltered live speaker series. Content offerings include ARCast podcasts, whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and industry research on topics like omnichannel strategy and wellness trends.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ARC Campus: All-access hub for Category Management, Shopper Insights, Space Planning and Retail Health content and resources.
- ARC Advisors
- ARCast
- Retail Unfiltered
Products and services
- ARC Campus An all-access hub providing a unified content library of expert whitepapers, playbooks, surveys, and tools for Category Management, Shopper Insights, Space Planning, and Retail Health professionals.
- ARC Advisors Consulting and advisory services providing strategic guidance from a team of experienced advisors to retail and consumer goods member organizations.
- Training & Certification Professional development program offering 55+ industry-specific training courses and 3 levels of certification for category management and shopper insights professionals.
- Solutions Marketplace Marketplace connecting members with solution providers offering retail technology, analytics, and consulting services, including vendors such as Datasembly, VideoMining, RELEX, and NIQ.
- ARC Summit Series Regional summit events bringing together retail and consumer goods professionals for targeted networking and learning.
- Mix & Mingle Casual networking events facilitating connections among category management and shopper insights professionals.
- Annual CMA|SIMA Conference Annual flagship conference bringing together the category management and shopper insights community for industry learning and networking.
- Job Postings Career services platform connecting employers with qualified category management and shopper insights professionals.
- Private Networking Groups Exclusive peer learning groups enabling professionals to connect and share insights within targeted communities.
- Corporate Membership Tailored corporate membership packages providing team-wide access to ARC Campus content, training, certification, events, and networking for retail and consumer goods companies.
- Individual Membership Self-serve individual professional membership providing access to ARC Campus content, training, certification, and networking for personal career development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10,000 members from 275 companies
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature3 records
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA)coreARC acquired The Retail Dietitians Business Alliance from Phil Lempert of Consumer Insight. The acquisition aims to expand ARC's efforts in supporting registered dietitians working within the grocery and retail sectors across the U.S. and Canada. RDBA was founded in 2012 and brings professional community building capabilities for retail dietitians.
- Phil Lempert (Consumer Insight)minorFounder of Retail Dietitians Business Alliance, Phil Lempert sold the RDBA to ARC. Phil Lempert operates Consumer Insight and is a recognized expert in consumer and retail trends.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals social profiles
Digital presenceThe Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals
What does The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals do?
ARC is a professional membership association that delivers category management and shopper insights resources, training, certification, events, and advisory services to retail and consumer goods professionals. Members access the ARC Campus content hub, 55+ training courses with 3 certification levels, an annual CMA|SIMA Conference, regional summits, networking groups, and a solutions marketplace connecting them to retail technology vendors.
Is The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals a public or private company?
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals founded?
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals based?
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are event Registration and training and Certification.
Does The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals.
What industry is The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals in?
The Association of Retail and Consumer Professionals's product category is Professional Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAF, Certification & Training Providers (Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard, Guide Training). Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 8600.