Kraft Heinz and BEES broaden partnership to drive sales in LATAM

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Rafa Oliveira, EVP and President, The Kraft Heinz Company

The Kraft Heinz Company and BEES yesterday announced an expanded partnership to propel the B2B marketplace, with the ambition to unlock 1 million potential new points of sale across LATAM for the Company, specifically to enhance its footprint in Mexico, Colombia and Peru. The new LATAM deal is designed to be the catalyst to help Kraft Heinz realize its Emerging Markets strategy by increasing points of distribution and expanding the number of items available to retailers in the region.

BEES, created by AB InBev in 2019, is an e-commerce platform that accelerates the digital journey for retailers across AB InBev’s global footprint and distribution network. The technology empowers business owners to browse for products, place orders, earn rewards in applicable markets, arrange deliveries, manage invoices, and access business insights all in one place. Originally built as an in-house solution for AB InBev, BEES has recently welcomed other CPG companies to list their products within its marketplace. Growing rapidly since launch, BEES is now active in 20 countries, with 3.1 million monthly active users, and has captured more than 32 billion USD in gross merchandise value.

“Emerging Markets are key to our growth strategy, and we’re leaning into smart partnerships and smart investments to drive this forward. BEES is the perfect partner because it offers the reliability and credibility of AB InBev’s distribution network, particularly in countries where we have huge potential to grow, while also allowing us to customize our approach on a market-by-market basis serving the needs of regional retailers,” said Rafa Oliveira, EVP and President, International Markets, The Kraft Heinz Company. “To be successful in countries like Mexico, we have to use technology to increase sales force impact, and we believe BEES is poised to be a game-changer for us.”

Through this partnership, BEES will enable businesses in the region – grocery store chains, foodservice organizations, small “mom & pop” shops – to browse, order and stock a variety of Kraft Heinz products at the click of a button, while providing Kraft Heinz access to retailers previously unreached by the Company.

Nick Caton, Chief B2B Officer, AB InBev

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kraft Heinz to the BEES marketplace to not only grow their presence and performance in Latin America but improve the livelihoods of retailers in those countries as well,” said Nick Caton, Chief B2B Officer, AB InBev. “The partnership will bring great brands like Kraft® Mac & Cheese and Heinz® Tomato Ketchup to the BEES marketplace, making it easier than ever for store owners to order what they need. Together we’re accelerating digital transformation and helping local businesses thrive.”

Following the initial pilots in Colombia, Peru and Mexico, the companies plan to expand into Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Panama and other countries across LATAM.

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