Fnac Darty Forms a New Partnership with Google on Data and Cloud to Accelerate its Digital Trajectory and the Execution of its Strategic Plan

IVRY, Calif. and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fnac Darty today announced a new partnership with Google that is intended to accelerate Fnac Darty's digital transformation, increase the Group's innovation capabilities through data, and offer customers enhanced products, services and experiences at a time when commerce is undergoing radical change.

The partnership introduces three new innovative streams:

• Deployment of Google Cloud Retail Search solution on fnac.com and darty.com websites.

Fnac Darty is the first retailer in France to implement this new Google Cloud solution, a move which aims to set new standards in terms of online and mobile shopping experiences. The Group is aiming to improve its websites' performance by creating a smoother process for customers to search for and discover products, and by making results more relevant. For Fnac Darty, making constant improvements to its website search engine has always been a priority, and having access to Google Cloud's technological expertise in this area will give customers a simpler, more customized and enhanced online shopping experience. fnac.com and darty.com intend to deliver increased conversation rates while also offering greater customer satisfaction.      

• Integration of data analytics, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Google's technology will help improve operational efficiency and customer experience, as well as support Fnac Darty's innovation on new services for customers. There are numerous use cases, all bringing significant added value to the Group and its customers, including managing promotions more effectively, forecasting demand, preventing customer churn, improving methods for prioritizing after-sales customer service actions, and defining customer value measurement as a key management metric.
• Training and culture programs on data and AI, with Google's expertise. Fnac Darty's teams will benefit from Google training sessions aimed at enhancing the Group's digital and data culture. It will also support their broader usage of AI and their willingness and ability to innovate in the market.

These three innovation streams will be conducted in conjunction with the accelerated migration of Fnac Darty's data to Google's cloud infrastructure.

This partnership is the next step in Fnac Darty's successful and innovative relationship with Google. The two companies have shared values 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 of Fnac Darty, said: "As a committed player, we care about our customers and want to help them make informed decisions. Through this collaboration on data and cloud with Google, which is the first-of-its-kind in the French retail sector, our customers will enjoy a more fluid, customized and distinctive online shopping experience. It will improve the performance of our websites through an AI-driven web experience that is ever more immersive and effective. As a result, the partnership will allow us to accelerate our digital transformation and continue to deliver on our Everyday plan."

Thomas Kurian, CEO at Google Cloud, said: "Fnac Darty is an iconic brand and an innovator in the retail market. Google and Fnac Darty are long-time partners, and we're proud today to expand our work together through new cloud innovations in data and analytics, artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies, which will support new omnichannel strategies and customer experiences. Together, we can help define the retail industry of tomorrow."

About Fnac Darty
Operating in twelve countries, Fnac Darty is a European leader in the retail of entertainment and leisure products, consumer electronics and household appliances. The Group, which has around 25,000 employees, had a multi-format network of 936 stores at the end of September 2021, including 769 in France, and is ranked as France's second most visited e-commerce site (more than 29 million unique visitors per month) with its 3 merchant sites, fnac.com, darty.com and natureetdecouvertes.com. A leading omnichannel player, Fnac Darty's revenue was nearly €7.5 billion in 2020, approximately 29% of which was realized online. For more information: www.fnacdarty.com

About Google
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

SOURCE Google Inc.