In January 2026, IQFM acquired a 60% stake in ABR SESTA, taking a controlling interest in the research agency specializing in retail and consumer research. Since March 2026, ABR SESTA has been operating within the IQFM Group. The transaction combines research and analytical competencies with field operations and sales execution – from identifying challenges to measuring results.

The next stage of development for the IQFM Group

The IQFM Group has been growing consistently for over a decade. The starting point was field marketing services and activities carried out at points of sale. Over time, the offer was expanded to include employee outsourcing provided by FMP and contests, lotteries, activation, and loyalty programs run by the Aktywacje company.

The acquisition of the controlling stake in ABR SESTA complements this model with competencies that emerge both before the launch of field activities and after their completion: diagnosis of the market situation, research, data analysis, recommendations, and measurement of results. Thanks to this, the Group can support clients throughout the entire process – from accurately defining a business problem to assessing the effectiveness of implementation.

Why ABR SESTA?

For nearly 30 years, ABR SESTA has been supporting organizations in making business decisions. It designs and conducts research, and then translates the results into in-depth analyses and recommendations. The company specializes, among other things, in retail research, monitoring product presence, prices and promotions, Mystery Shopper projects, as well as consumer and international research.

The team combines research expertise with technological solutions supporting the entire project cycle – from translating a business problem into research questions, through execution, to result interpretation and implementation conclusions. ABR SESTA works with over 100 clients annually, and its experts operate in accordance with industry standards and research ethics, being members of ESOMAR and PTBRiO.

From data to result: data-driven field marketing

With the accession of ABR SESTA to the IQFM Group in March 2026, the combination of data, decisions, and field operations becomes the foundation of the data-driven field marketing model. Data is not a goal in itself here. It is meant to lead to a decision that can be efficiently implemented and then evaluated based on a measurable effect.

In practice, this process can be broken down into four steps:

  • DATA – ABR SESTA collects and analyzes information about the market, points of sale, and consumers.
  • DECISION – teams translate research results into recommendations and the selection of appropriate tools.
  • ACTION – IQFM integrates and executes field operations and sales support activities.
  • RESULT – results are measured, compared with assumptions, and used for further optimization.

What does the transaction mean for clients?

The joint offer of IQFM and ABR SESTA allows combining market knowledge with execution in a single process. Depending on the client's needs, the Group can:

  • diagnose the situation in the sales channel and consumer behavior,
  • select tools and methods of operation based on research,
  • conduct pro-sales activities in the field,
  • measure their results and indicate areas for optimization.

Combining research facilities with extensive field teams also creates the potential for shortening implementation time and running projects more efficiently. The first joint activities following the transaction confirmed that resource integration can streamline field execution for clients utilizing the competencies of both companies.

Strengthening competencies on both sides

For ABR SESTA, joining the IQFM Group means access to capital facilities, field teams, and relationships with over 120 Group clients. IQFM gains an experienced research team capable of collecting data, assessing its quality, and translating it into useful insights. Conditions are created on both sides to develop tools, strengthen competencies, and scale up projects.

Directions of further development

The shared priorities of IQFM and ABR SESTA include:

  • the development of retail audit and Mystery Shopper services, as well as research supporting assortment and pricing strategies,
  • consumer research and international projects,
  • more efficient use of data through modeling, translating them into insights, and AI applications,
  • supporting marketing and sales activities in online channels.

The direction remains consistent with the mission of the IQFM Group: increasing client sales through effective, cost-efficient activities based on accurately defined needs. The result is a coherent data-driven field marketing process: DATA → DECISION → ACTION → RESULT.