Affinity Group, a North American sales and marketing agency serving retail and foodservice brands, has acquired Mascari NXT, an AI and data integration company, in a move aimed at modernizing how food industry sales teams identify opportunities, engage customers, and execute across channels.
Under the deal, Mascari NXT will operate as a subsidiary under the name “Mascari NXT, An Affinity Group Company.” Affinity Group described the transaction as a long-term strategic investment intended to combine its field-based sales expertise and customer relationships with Mascari NXT’s AI-driven analytics and integration capabilities.
The companies said the combination is designed to introduce an advanced “AI-powered selling” approach that improves the speed and precision of commercial decision-making, while maintaining a human-led sales model supported by better data and automation. Affinity Group also said the integration of Mascari NXT’s technology is expected to expand the organization’s customer reach by more than 50%, increasing access to foodservice operators and other buyers across market channels.
Mascari NXT’s platform is positioned as a sales enablement and intelligence layer that connects disparate data sources, surfaces insights for front-line teams, and supports faster action—from targeting and planning to brand engagement and conversion. Affinity Group said the technology will help clients gain clearer visibility into customer needs and purchasing behavior, strengthen brand impact, and accelerate growth through more consistent execution.
Affinity Group CEO Enzo Dentico framed the acquisition as a response to shifting market expectations, where customers and brands are increasingly demanding faster insights and more measurable outcomes. He said the company’s focus remains on improving results for clients while supporting the teams responsible for driving those results in-market.
Mascari NXT President Chuck Mascari said the transaction aligns the two organizations around a shared objective: equipping sales teams with practical tools that improve performance while keeping client and employee success at the center of the strategy.
Affinity Group said it expects the acquisition to help “redefine” sales and marketing workflows across food industry channels by pairing human relationships with digital precision. The company also positioned the move as an early step toward broader adoption of AI-driven selling in a sector that has historically relied heavily on relationship-based selling and manual processes.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
KEY QUOTES
“Everything we do is focused on delivering better results for our clients.”
Enzo Dentico, CEO, Affinity Group
“We’re setting a new standard for the future.”
Chuck Mascari, President, Mascari NXT
