TESCO ­ has held auctions via the WWRE e-marketplace for more than a year. Director of supply chain development Barry Knichel reckons at least 10% of procurement could ultimately be e-tendered: "It's a more disciplined way of doing business." There are plans for a rollout to central Europe. SAINSBURY ­ has run auctions via e-marketplace GNX for 18 months, says general manager for b2b John Padgett. "We haven't found anything we can't do an auction on. It's a fantastically efficient tool and we're still finding out where we can go with this ­ potentially it's billions." ASDA ­ has held auctions using an inhouse platform for a year on most product categories, says business development manager Will Andrews. "It's a cold but clean way of negotiating ­ it makes for a real level playing field." SAFEWAY ­ has made "significant savings" since it started to use the WWRE auction tool, says print packaging manager Kim Phillips. "The great thing about auctions is the speed and the way they standardise product specs." Safeway has participated in joint auctions with other WWRE members on goods not for resale. CO-OPERATIVE GROUP ­ has been conducting pilots with Barclays b2b since March. Group general manager, category buying, David Messom says 10% of buying at CRTG could be put up for e-tender: "The opportunities are endless." NISA CBC ­ has run own label auctions on the Barclays platform for nine months on all categories except frozen food, says CBC md Neil Turton. "We are at the point of integrating auctions within the standard trading culture rather than being one off events." Average savings have been 9%. MORRISONS ­ is keeping tight lipped about e-tendering plans, but a spokeswoman confirms the company has conducted several pilot auctions to test the technology. SPAR ­ is considering putting own label contracts up for tender after the success of reverse auctions run by Spar Austria and Spar International, says trading director Tom Davies. "We don't take off the shelf specs for most of our own label. However, auctions are brilliant for cheapest on display items." {{FEATURES }}

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