Case Study — Cosmetics
E-Retail Pricing Intelligence Across 12 European Markets
The Challenge
Our client had been working with the same pricing data vendor for over three years. The relationship had grown stale: no competitive bidding, significant data gaps on key retailers, and response times of up to two weeks when sites changed their structure.
The client's commercial teams were making pricing decisions based on incomplete market intelligence, particularly in fast-moving e-commerce channels where prices can shift daily.
Our Approach
We conducted a comprehensive market scan, identifying and evaluating eight providers with relevant capabilities in European e-retail pricing data. Our process included:
- Detailed requirements gathering with the client's pricing and revenue management teams
- Structured RFP process with clear evaluation criteria
- Parallel proof-of-concept testing with the top two candidates
- Commercial negotiation and contract transition support
The evaluation focused on three dimensions: data coverage and accuracy, technical reliability and freshness, and commercial terms including pricing and SLAs.
The Outcome
After a four-month process, the client transitioned to a new provider that offered superior coverage and significantly better commercial terms. The new vendor also committed to contractual SLAs that the previous provider had refused to guarantee.
Results
- 28% reduction in annual data spend
- 40+ new retailers added to coverage
- 24-hour issue resolution SLA (vs. 2 weeks previously)
The engagement demonstrated how market competition and structured procurement can deliver both cost savings and quality improvements—outcomes that are rarely achieved through simple renewal negotiations.