British advertising group WPP has bid for a majority stake in Dunnhumby, the customer data business put up for sale by Tesco.

Dunnhumby, which gathers and analyses data from almost 1 billion shoppers globally to help companies create customer loyalty and personalisation programmes, has been put up for sale as part of a drive by Tesco's new boss, Dave Lewis, to slash costs and sell assets to mend the group's finances.

Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, is pursuing the sale of a majority stake, rather than an outright exit or flotation, according to reports. That source had said six or seven parties, including private equity-led bidding groups, had shown a serious interest in the business.

WPP, which has increased its presence in market research and analytics, declined to comment.– (Reuters)