Insight Report 6 minutes PremiumQuick Take: Technology Platforms’ Status as “Digital Gatekeepers” Set to Fuel Further Retail-Tech Collaborations Coresight Research July 5, 2018 Executive SummaryMore and more international retailers are collaborating with, or investing in, digital platform operators. We see these platform operators as “digital gatekeepers,” in that they hold the keys to growth for retailers in certain channels and markets. Technology platforms hold the keys to two growth opportunities for retailers: the emerging retail channel of voice commerce and the retail markets of China and India. These platforms act as intermediaries, disrupting the traditional retailer-consumer relationship. Unlike legacy digital channels, the voice channel is created and curated by two tech giants, Amazon and Google. Retailers therefore face talking (literally) to their customers through one of these intermediaries. In China, Alibaba Group and JD.com dominate e-commerce. Names such as Macy’s, Aldi and Costco have collaborated with Alibaba Group, while Walmart has recently expanded its strategic partnership with JD.com. In India, marketplace sites are a dominant e-commerce format, as reflected by Walmart’s acquisition of a majority stake in the Flipkart marketplace site in May 2018. The competitive advantages enjoyed by these platform operators look likely to fuel further collaboration with retailers in 2018 and into 2019. This report is for paying subscribers only. Already a paying subscriber? Please log in to see the entire report.If you wish to learn more about our subscription plans and become a paying subscriber, click here. This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Weekly US and UK Store Openings and Closures Tracker 2023, Week 48: Wilko’s Loss Is Poundland’s GainGroceryshop 2023 Day Three: Opportunities in Grocery in 2023 and BeyondFive Ways AI Is Being Used in Drugstore RetailShoptalk Europe 2023 Wrap-Up: Exploring the Role of Key Technologies and Channels in the Future of Retail—Autonomous Stores, Generative AI, Retail Media and More