Fnac Darty: Transforming omnichannel services with Google Cloud
About Fnac Darty
Fnac Darty is a major European retailer in entertainment and leisure products, as well as consumer electronics and domestic appliances. It has 25,000 employees, operates 957 stores worldwide, and has 27 million monthly unique visitors to its e-commerce sites. One of its key goals is to help consumers adopt more sustainable consumption habits.
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Contact usFnac Darty is the first retailer in France to adopt Retail Search, partnering with Google Cloud to transform its customer experiences and leveraging AI and data to support its omnichannel approach.
Google Cloud results
- Delivers an improved customer experience with more relevant and personalized web and mobile search results using Retail Search
- Improves ROI for omnichannel campaigns by integrating omnichannel data
- Optimizes back-office processes and after-sales support by leveraging AI
- Powers an innovative scoring tool with BigQuery, to help customers make more sustainable choices
Service visits reduced by 50% with AI triage
In 2021, French consumers spent 129 billion euros online, and according to forecasters, the shift to e-commerce accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay. For retailers to successfully make the most of this opportunity they need to make sure their digital growth is profitable, with digital and physical experiences both playing key factors.
Fnac Darty has long been leading the way for its customers when it comes to delivering an omnichannel experience integrating online and offline services. Its in-store sales assistants, for example, are equipped with tablets, so they're always able to assist customers in finding the right product from the millions listed on Fnac.com and darty.com, if it's not available on the shelves. It has also mobilized its network of 500 stores across France to offer multiple delivery options, including click and collect, courier delivery in under two hours, and joint Fnac/Darty collection points.
The company had already decided to embed this omnichannel approach at every level of its operations several years ago, from its IT services to its executive management. Since then, the share of its e-commerce sales has continued to grow, and in 2021, sales online made up 26% of its total revenue, with 50% of those being click-and-collect. As part of its ‘Everyday’ strategy, launched in 2021, its plan is to generate at least 30% of its revenue online by 2025, and to make it easier for consumers to make sustainable choices.
To achieve this, it has become the first retailer in France to sign a new strategic partnership with Google Cloud to implement Retail Search, accelerating its digital transformation, and offering its customers enhanced services and experiences.
"We want Fnac Darty to become a reference point in retail, and our ambition, together with Google Cloud, is to set new standards for omnichannel retail," says Olivier Theulle, Chief e-commerce and Digital Officer at Fnac Darty. "Previously, e-commerce acted as a support for our stores, and now we want the relationship between the two to be reciprocal."
"We want Fnac Darty to become a reference point in retail, and our ambition together with Google Cloud is to set new standards for omnichannel retail. Previously, e-commerce acted as a support for our stores, and now we want the relationship between the two to be reciprocal."
—Olivier Theulle, Chief e-commerce & Digital Officer, Fnac DartyOptimizing omnichannel campaigns with Google Ads
Prior to signing its partnership with Google Cloud, Fnac Darty had already been working with Google as a marketing partner, with Google Ads. And, to create new opportunities for growth, the company decided to take the next step by integrating Google Cloud tools alongside its existing Google Ads services. The group focused on three key innovative streams: the deployment of Retail Search, the integration of data analytics using AI and machine learning, and the delivery of enhanced training on data and AI for Fnac Darty's teams. The key overall goals were enhanced customer conversion rates and improved customer satisfaction.
Helping customers to make the right choices
Across its websites, Fnac Darty has around 20 million active product options, with more than a million searches carried out every day. Making it as simple as possible for customers to locate the product they need has always been a priority for the group, as one out of every two web visitors uses its web search functions.
Retail Search will help Fnac.om and Darty.com to deliver more relevant and more personalized results for its shoppers, improving both web and mobile retail journeys. "Google Cloud Retail Search enables us to integrate the semantic, contextual and visual aspects of searching into our websites," says Thuelle. "That will help us to really understand the customer's intention, and enrich their whole shopping experience."
Fnac Darty is also supporting its customers in making more sustainable choices with its After-Sales Support Barometer, powered by BigQuery. This presents data on the longevity of products in a way that's easy to access and understand. As the leader in French product repairs, with a team of 3,000 specialists repairing around 2 million products each year, it's a key tool for Fnac Darty's drive to put sustainability first.
"Google Cloud Retail Search enables us to integrate the semantic, contextual and visual aspects of searching into our websites. That will help us to really understand the customer's intention, and enrich their whole shopping experience."
—Olivier Theulle, Chief e-commerce & Digital Officer, Fnac DartyGaining a more complete vision with omnichannel data
Fnac Darty has already integrated its Store Visits data into its Google Cloud data infrastructure, enabling it to better measure the direct impact of its ad campaigns in the physical world, and adapt its investments to optimize its omnichannel ROI. The next step is to integrate its store sales, traffic, and margins data in order to have an even more complete omnichannel vision, leveraging its existing data infrastructure, which uses Cloud Storage, Compute Engine and BigQuery.
Another key aspect of the partnership with Google Cloud is the integration of AI into its back-office operations with Vertex AI. Using machine-learning, Fnac Darty will be able to manage promotions more effectively, as well as better forecast demand, prevent customer churn, and adopt customer value as a key management metric.
One use case that's already achieving results is the use of AI to assess after-sales customer service actions, for customers requiring help with appliances after their purchase. "Since implementing the AI solution, Fnac Darty is able to better assess which requests can be solved remotely, and which require an in-person visit," says Thuelle. "We've been able to reduce the number of in-person after-sales visits required by 50%, while maintaining the same levels of customer satisfaction."
Taking the next step in a successful partnership
To ensure employees are up to speed with the changes taking place in the group's digital and data culture, Fnac Darty's Data and Marketing teams will benefit from training programmes, such as Data Day, which will, in turn, help to drive innovation within the teams. But operational teams at all levels will also benefit from training, including retail teams working on the shop floors.
"With our Google Cloud partnership, our hope is that data will be used at every level of the company," says Thuelle. "That will help us to develop new omnichannel services, and achieve our goal of 30% e-commerce sales by 2025."
"This partnership is a new step in Fnac Darty’s successful and innovative relationship with Google," concludes Enrique Martinez, CEO of Fnac Darty. "The two companies share a cultural proximity and are pooling their expertise in customized and differentiated services, cutting-edge marketing and advertising technologies, and consumer technology, with a clear omnichannel approach."
"This partnership is a new step in Fnac Darty’s successful and innovative relationship with Google. The two companies share a cultural proximity and are pooling their expertise in customized and differentiated services, cutting-edge marketing and advertising technologies, and consumer technology, with a clear omnichannel approach."
—Enrique Martinez, CEO, Fnac DartyTell us your challenge. We're here to help.
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About Fnac Darty
Fnac Darty is a major European retailer in entertainment and leisure products, as well as consumer electronics and domestic appliances. It has 25,000 employees, operates 957 stores worldwide, and has 27 million monthly unique visitors to its e-commerce sites. One of its key goals is to help consumers adopt more sustainable consumption habits.