Product details

Google had made its first foray into the metaphorical grocery arena by inking a strategic deal with the French major Carrefour to sell groceries online. The French supermarket chain was facing tough competition in the home market where rivals had unveiled a number of e-Commerce initiatives and offensives. Amazon had signed a pact with rival Casino Group to sell groceries through its prime services and another big French grocery chain, Leclerc had launched home delivery services in France. In a move to fend off competition from local players and global giants like Amazon, Carrefour was embarking on a digital transformation with Google to enhance its in-store and online experience on its home turf. As per the deal, Google would bring in its technological expertise in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and new consumer shopping interfaces using Google Home and Google Assistant. Carrefour, in turn, would bring its product knowledge and expertise in sales and logistics. While the mutual objective of this partnership was to combine the capabilities of both the companies, it remained to be seen if the collaboration fostered novel and innovative shopping experiences. Would the Google tie-up help in the creation of new channels to reach customers online and synergise a long-awaited digital transformation for Carrefour? Would this online grocery market venture pay off for the technology partner Google?