Brands launch mini shops on comparison sites

Thursday, March 8, 2012 - 14:39 by Simon Crisp

Many companies behind some of the biggest consumer brands around are eschewing traditional retail outlets in favour of promoting products directly to consumers through comparison sites, according to Marketing Week.

MySupermarket has become the testing ground for many brands, including Kellogg and Nivea, with various products being squeezed into miniature online stores, where consumers can find out more information and compare prices across a number of retailers.

This of course means that the consumers ultimately end up using familiar platforms for safe shopping online at the end of it,as the comparison site itself does not act as a first party retail service. However, it is something of a coup for MySupermarket, as it means that users will be encouraged to return more regularly to check up on the offers and products being promoted by their favourite brands.

Nivea's own store has only been available to use for a few days but it has already acquired thousands of direct subscribers, according to a statement from MySupermarket. With 252 different products contained within its segment of the site, it is easy for users to rate which online retailers have the best offers and prices available at any given time.

The benefit for brands is that with retailers taken out of the equation, they can get far more information about the shopping habits of their customers. Previously, it was difficult for brands to find out figures relating to sales and habits because retailers acted as the middle man, even in the world of safe shopping online.

MySupermarket is a growing site, although it remains a relatively small part of the UK's e-commerce market as a whole, with two million regular visitors from across the country. This puts it as the 728th most popular site for British consumers.