Budweiser Brewing Group brings BEES ecommerce platform to UK

Budweiser Brewing Group has announced that AB InBev’s proprietary B2B ecommerce platform, BEES, is available in the UK. Using AB InBev’s global footprint and distribution network, it reaches business owners across the world, ultimately uplifting local economies by helping retailers do business smarter and better with technology.

BEES is an integrated order and delivery platform that empowers retailers with flexibility and insights they’ve never had before. The platform accelerates the digital journey for retailers, allowing business owners to browse for products, place orders, earn rewards, arrange deliveries, manage invoices, and access business insights all in one place.

While AB InBev doesn’t require retailers to use BEES, its high adoption rate remains consistent in its markets because of how the platform leverages AI and machine learning to both act upon insights and provide better customer service. Over 80 per cent of BEES customers make purchases each month that are influenced by its algorithms, with orders influenced by algorithms being three per cent larger on average than those built entirely from the catalog.

Key advantages of BEES for UK retailers include:

• Insights on business performance
• E-learning modules to upskill
• Personalized order recommendations to each customer, all powered by cutting-edge AI models.
• Revenue management to run autonomously via machine learning
• Convenience to order any time
• Transparency on pricing and promotions
• Simplicity in interacting with vendors
• Ability to provide consumers with a wider array of products, including international brands

First piloted in the Dominican Republic in 2020 and deployed at scale now across 17+ countries, BEES is serving over 2.8+ million active users from Tennessee to Tanzania, generating approximately 1.7 million orders each week. Just two years old, BEES has been growing globally at pace and ranks within the top 10 e-commerce marketplaces worldwide.

The UK is the first country to launch BEES in Europe. In the UK, BEES will first roll out to select on-trade venues and off-trade wholesalers where the company will have the opportunity to test and learn from the platform before continuing to scale. Moving forward, the BEES platform has ambitious plans to enhance features and functionality to offer multiple services to businesses.

“Technology is at the heart of AB InBev’s growth strategy, and bringing BEES to the UK is an exciting step in our company’s digital transformation,” said Brian Perkins, President, Western Europe & CEO, Budweiser Brewing Group. “As a member of the founding team of BEES, I watched the platform grow from day one. By harnessing the power of data and technology, we’re building shared prosperity for our business partners and our communities.”