Retail News CRM

Tag: b2b ecommerce

  • BuyBuyCart Launches BuyBuyWholesale to Digitise Franchise Ordering

    BuyBuyCart Launches BuyBuyWholesale to Digitise Franchise Ordering

    New Delhi supermarket chain BuyBuyCart launched BuyBuyWholesale.com this week to streamline wholesale distribution and franchise operations across its retail network.

    The dedicated B2B portal operates as 1 centralised system for franchise partners to place regular and replenishment orders directly, while tracking SKU-level sales data.

    Centralising store inventory orders

    Led by Director and Co-founder Ashish Pandey, BuyBuyCart uses the platform to monitor wholesale demand, value- and quantity-based analysis, and ground sales performance alongside its physical store and Amazon channels.

    Analytical tracking built into the software breaks down orders by quantity, total transaction value, and specific franchise location. Sales teams continue to handle account support in local territories. Meanwhile, the backend system logs transactional flow.

    Tracking field sales and store demand

    Digital franchise procurement allows supermarket networks in India to cut order turnaround times and reduce inventory stockouts across regional clusters. Centralised visibility on SKU movement helps retail operators identify fast-moving daily essentials early. Teams then route stock to franchise shelves before local inventory runs dry.

    “The launch of BuyBuyWholesale.com is an important step in building a more connected and data-driven B2B ecosystem for BuyBuyCart. We are already seeing orders come through the platform, while our sales team continues to support partners on the ground. Our next focus is to make the platform increasingly useful for our franchise partners by enabling them to manage their regular and refill orders directly. Over time, we see BuyBuyWholesale.com becoming a central platform connecting our wholesale, sales, and franchise operations.”

    Shifting franchise logistics online

    For independent franchise owners, automated replenishment removes friction from weekly distributor negotiations and standardises pricing across territories. Field adoption presents the main operational risk. Regional store managers accustomed to manual phone orders and informal credit terms must adapt to disciplined digital checkout cycles.

    Rival supermarket chains across South Asia increasingly deploy proprietary wholesale portals to bind franchise partners to exclusive supply chains. Locking store procurement into an in-house platform protects private-label volume from third-party wholesale cash-and-carry distributors.

    Expanding private-label distribution

    BuyBuyCart built its core retail operation around a multi-region franchise supermarket footprint, selling packaged groceries, household essentials, and proprietary private-label lines. Alongside physical brick-and-mortar stores, the company distributes goods directly to consumers through its official website and third-party marketplaces including Amazon.

    Next, the rollout will focus on opening direct recurring refill features for all active franchise stores and integrating additional wholesale tracking tools into the live portal.

  • Metcash Expands Coveo AI Partnership for AskRoss Portal

    Metcash Expands Coveo AI Partnership for AskRoss Portal

    Wholesale distributor Metcash expanded its partnership with Coveo on September 29, 2026, to bring generative artificial intelligence conversational experiences to its AskRoss business-to-business customer communications portal.

    The expansion builds on Metcash’s existing deployment of Coveo alongside technology partner Publicis Sapient, with retail general manager Madeleine Fitzpatrick noting the system will allow partners to self-serve routine needs and access support.

    Upgrading the AskROSS Merchant Network

    Metcash runs supply chains that underpin thousands of independent Australian storefronts, including IGA supermarkets, Mitre 10 hardware outlets and Cellarbrations bottle shops. The updated AskROSS platform allows store owners to query inventory rules, stock availability and operational support in natural language instead of hunting through manual menus.

    Support personnel inside Metcash will receive identical conversational search tools within their internal agent interfaces. That setup gives both store owners and backend staff the same reference data during ordering disputes or stock inquiries.

    “Retailers can now ask questions in natural language and receive fast, trusted answers that help them make better decisions,” said Madeleine Fitzpatrick, general manager of retail at Metcash.

    The Wholesale Shift to Machine Search

    Wholesale distribution in Australia operates on thin margins and dense product catalogues. Independent grocers ordering through Metcash deal with tens of thousands of fast-moving consumer goods lines where supply snarls or incorrect pack sizes quickly erode shopkeeper profits.

    For independent operators, moving administrative queries from call desks to automated natural language search cuts administrative overhead during peak morning restocking hours. For Metcash, routing routine catalog queries into automated self-service frees internal account teams to focus on commercial contract disputes and wholesale supplier terms.

    Integration Across Sorted and Distribution Systems

    Publicis Sapient served as the systems integrator on the project, working with Metcash over two years to build the data foundation across the distributor’s commerce architecture. The AskROSS rollout follows an earlier integration of Coveo search tools across Metcash’s digital wholesale marketplace, Sorted.

    Competitors across Australasia are making parallel investments to automate merchant portals. Woolworths and Coles have both poured capital into automated supply interfaces and predictive fulfillment systems, forcing Metcash to upgrade its digital interfaces to retain independent supermarket owners who can switch wholesale agreements.

    Building Out Enterprise AI Portals

    Metcash first integrated Coveo indexing tools into its Sorted marketplace to streamline catalogue searches across thousands of supplier stock keeping units. Expanding that index into merchant communications deepens Metcash’s multi-year digital transformation program across its food and liquor divisions.

    The deployment moves next into Metcash’s central support agent network, where internal service desks are scheduled to adopt conversational search assistance across upcoming trading cycles.