RetailTechNews rounds up some of the biggest stories in the European retail technology space. In this week’s edition: Tesco/Carrefour Partnership Under Scrutiny from French Regulator; New Product Discovery Platform ‘Product Guru’; and More Than Half of Shopping Searches Start at Amazon.

Tesco/Carrefour Partnership Under Scrutiny from French Regulator

After announcing a strategic purchasing alliance, British retailer Tesco and French supermarket outlet Carrefour have come under scrutiny from the French regulatory authorities. The Autorité de la Concurrence wants to investigate the impact of the purchasing alliance in terms of supplier reaction and consumer behaviour.

The regulator is planning to conduct interviews with competitors of Tesco and Carrefour, as well as suppliers, in order to understand the effect of the alliance on the market – which is expected to be considerable due to the size of the two supermarket giants. 

The planned three-year partnership of Tesco and Carrefour includes teaming up to negotiate better prices from suppliers when buying own-brand products, the companies recently announced. Other retailers had already blazed the trail, with German Edeka and Swiss Co-op partnering against Nestle.

New Product Discovery Platform ‘Product Guru’

Six months after founding, Product Guru launches a new product discovery platform that offers showcase opportunities to suppliers, and discovery options for retailers, by providing in-depth product information about the items on offer. 

“Although there has been a significant change of pace in the technology used within the retail sector, the use of the technology used in finding the products that drive the market has really remained at a stand-still. With more and more small, specialist suppliers driving the innovation in the sector, it has been harder than ever for buyers to be able to consider all options. This was why I created Product Guru”, explains Simon Coyle, director and founder, Product Guru. “The platform allows suppliers that might normally have struggled to secure the attention of buyers to ensure their products are visible and ready to be considered.”

The platform was built with ease of access and quick product overviews in mind, Coyle says, as well as uncomplicated buying options and access from any device. 

The platform is free to buyers and retailers, while suppliers can avail of a subscription for performance analytics and retailers’ category review dates.

More Than Half of Shopping Searches Start at Amazon

Prime Day tech debacle or not, Amazon seems to be the favourite starting point for consumers’ product searches. According to data by e-commerce consultants Salmon, 51% of consumers start their search journey on Amazon. Google is the starting point for only 16% of consumers. 

When it comes to completing the purchase, 55% of consumers buy their desired item on Amazon, too, proving the point that the entry point to a shopping journey is usually also where customers finalise their purchase. Shoppers who don’t start their journey on Amazon or Google are more likely to shop on: eBay (11%), a retailer’s website (7%), the brand’s own website (6%), or social media sites (3%).

In the U.S., Amazon’s retail dominance is apparent in the fact that 52% of online spend goes through Amazon. In the UK, Amazon’s share of online spend is 35%. According to the study, consumers are well aware of the level of innovation shown by retailers, with 72% of consumers more likely to shop with retailers that are digitally innovative; 72% of consumers also state that retailers should be more innovative in their use of digital technology to improve their overall shopping experience. Other factors influencing the purchasing decisions are price (64%) and free delivery (54%).

“While Amazon’s dominance of the online retail market is no secret, few could have predicted how it has become not only the starting point in the online shopping journey, but also the predominant channel for product purchase”, says Hugh Fletcher, global head of innovation and consultancy, Salmon. “It’s clear that Amazon has set the standard for consumer expectations with its focus on price, delivery, and innovation.”

The study surveyed more than 3,500 online shoppers in the U.S. and UK.