Metcash and Coveo expand strategic cooperation to create a new generation of AI experience for B2B retail customers
Coveo and Publicis Sapient join forces to help leading Australian wholesalers introduce a new generation of AI in their communication with retailers, driving search and conversational experiences, accelerating content retrieval, enhancing productivity, and better serving their B2B customers.
Montreal and Sydney, September 22, 2026 / CNW / -- Coveo (TSX : CVO) Today, it was announced that Metcash, a leading Australian wholesale distributor, has expanded its collaboration with Coveo to introduce AI-powered conversational experiences into its B2B customer communication portal.
Unlike traditional keyword-based searches, Coveo's conversational search is capable of understanding the intent behind each query, helping customers solve everyday problems through self-service. Before long, similarly credible and relevant guidance will also appear directly on the work interface of customer service staff, assisting the support team in helping customers more efficiently.
Metcash General Manager of Retail Business Madeleine Fitzpatrick states:
This announcement is built upon the successful collaboration we have already had with Coveo. By introducing conversational search into our B2B customer communication platform AskROSS, we are transforming the way we support retailers, providing them with a modern, generative AI digital experience. By integrating generative AI directly into our customer communication platform, retailers can find answers more quickly and easily, handle routine needs on their own, and get support when needed. This marks an important step forward in providing a more modern, intelligent, and customer-centric experience. Retailers can now ask questions in natural language and receive fast, credible answers that help them make better decisions. This means less time spent searching for information, more time devoted to serving customers, and an overall experience that is simpler and more intuitive.
This expansion is built upon the success of the existing deployments of Metcash and Coveo. These deployments have covered other areas of the company's business, including its online B2B market Sorted. Over the past two years, the enterprise AI platform and service provider Publicis Sapient have been collaborating with Metcash to help define the future retailer experience, as well as to support the content and services that underpin this experience.
Coveo General Manager of Asia-Pacific Region Alexander Mahr indicates:
“Metcash has a deep commitment to the independent retailers it serves in Australia. We are proud to be partners in this mission of Metcash. Metcash's continuous investment in Coveo reflects its clear focus on providing retail networks with reliable generative AI experiences, helping teams find information more quickly, make better decisions, and ultimately provide better services to customers. We are delighted to support one of Australia's leading wholesalers in continuing to innovate through AI.”
Publicis Sapient The person in charge of consulting in Australia Cassandra Kelsall states:
Our collaboration with Metcash has always been based on a simple goal: to make it easier for independent retailers in Australia to operate and grow their businesses. This new phase of partnership with Coveo brings AI into the most critical moments of retailers' daily operations, helping them find answers more quickly and obtain the right support when needed. AI has real potential in the field of B2B, from agency-based commerce to AI-driven search, as it is capable of transforming complex information and systems into tangible value.
About Metcash
Metcash ( ASX : MTS ) is a leading wholesaler and service provider for food, beverages, hardware, and other independent businesses in Australia. In addition to operating as an integrated wholesaler and large-scale logistics operator, the company is also owner of retail brands, major retailers, franchisors, and retail media. For more information, please visit: www.metcash.com
About Publicis Sapient
Publicis Sapient is the global technology center for Publicis Groupe, providing enterprise AI platforms and services. With over 30 years of experience in digital business transformation, the company helps its clients to change the way they operate and serve their customers, unlocking new value and thriving in a world driven by AI. Its platforms Sapient Slingshot, Sapient Bodhi, and Sapient Sustain leverage AI built on a strong corporate foundation to assist organizations in modernizing legacy technology systems, creating proxy-based solutions, and automating IT operations. The combination of the AI platform with the team's professional capabilities enables the company to deliver faster and more effective results that meet the unique needs of each client's business, industry, and requirements. For more information, please visit publicissapient.com.
About Coveo
Coveo brings a better AI relevance to every touchpoint, changing the way companies connect with their customers and employees in order to maximize business outcomes.
Relevance means moving from a “population profile” to a “specific individual.” That is, the degree of fit between the content, products, recommendations, and suggestions presented to online users within a company and their context, needs, preferences, behaviors, and intentions, thereby establishing the gold standard for a competitive experience. Everyone’s journey is unique, and only AI can address the complexity of customizing experiences for a vast and diverse audience as well as a vast and varied range of content and products.
To stay informed about the latest news and content related to Coveo, you can subscribe to the Coveo blog and follow its LinkedIn and YouTube.
Forward-looking Information
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