(AOF) – Kraft Heinz and Bees announced an expanded partnership to promote the B2B market, with the ambition to unlock 1 million potential new points of sale in the LATAM (Latin America) region for the company, in particular to strengthen its presence in Mexico, Colombia and Peru. The new LATAM agreement is designed to help Kraft Heinz roll out its emerging markets strategy by increasing distribution points 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. With this platform equipped with state-of-the-art technology, it allows you to search for products, place orders, earn rewards in the relevant markets, arrange deliveries, manage invoices and access commercial information.
Bees will enable grocery chains, foodservice organizations and small family stores in Latin America to stock up on Kraft Heinz products with the click of a button, while enabling the food group to reach new retailers.
AOF – LEARN MORE
Find out more about the Agrifood sector
Soaring energy prices and a call for help
In the past, energy represented a fixed cost of 3% of turnover. This year, this percentage rises to 5% or even 7% for VSEs-SMEs, according to Ania (National Association of Food Industries). Professionals are very worried because until the end of 2022 they generally benefit from coverage to cushion these increases. However, they have not been renewed for 2023 and after. Consequently, 25 of the main inter-professional organizations (Intercereals, Inaporc, Semae, etc.) are calling on the State for help in the face of the erosion of their margins and their capacity to investment.
The State has proposed several devices, including an “electricity damper”, which are deemed insufficient. The organizations also deplore the failure of European negotiations to achieve a tariff shield to avoid distortions of competition. Agriculture and agri-food require a maximum ceiling price of €180/MWh, while many companies buy at prices above €500/MWh on the French market.