AI

Revolutionizing Retail Ordering: Coca-Cola’s AI Advancements in Malaysia

Published

3 hours ago

September 8, 2026

Coca-Cola uses AI to improve retailer ordering in Malaysia

Coca-Cola has implemented artificial intelligence (AI) to assist Malaysian retailers in determining which products to order and in what quantities. This AI-driven system, known as Coke Buddy, analyzes various factors such as past orders, ordering patterns, seasonality, weather conditions, and purchasing behaviors of similar businesses to make personalized recommendations.

Currently, Coke Buddy supports approximately 39,000 retail outlets in Malaysia. It serves as a self-ordering platform that enables retailers to make purchases through the app, website, or WhatsApp. The platform offers personalized order suggestions and order tracking features for added convenience.

The Perfect Basket feature within Coke Buddy takes the analysis a step further by recommending both products and quantities before a retailer finalizes their order. Retailers have the autonomy to review these suggestions and make informed decisions based on their preferences.

Guidance for Retailer Orders

In addition to utilizing past purchase history, Perfect Basket incorporates signals like seasonality, weather patterns, ordering frequency, and purchasing trends to enhance its recommendations. By providing these suggestions upfront, the feature streamlines the ordering process for retailers.

Upon receiving recommendations through Perfect Basket, retailers can proceed with their orders through Coke Buddy. Coca-Cola Refreshments Malaysia or its suppliers handle the fulfillment process as per existing sales and distribution agreements.

Coca-Cola ensures that its sales teams continue to engage with retailers even with the digital ordering system in place. Retailers retain control over their purchasing decisions while benefiting from the AI-driven recommendations.

During the Perfect Basket, Perfect Ride campaign conducted from January to April 2026, Coca-Cola observed a significant adoption rate of the recommendation feature among participating outlets in Malaysia. Over 4,000 retailers actively engaged with the feature, resulting in improved sales revenue growth.

The campaign highlighted the success of Perfect Basket, with 83% of participating outlets incorporating the recommendations into their orders. This positive impact on sales revenue underscores the value of AI-driven suggestions in the retail sector.

Expansion Beyond Malaysia

Coca-Cola has extended its AI-based suggested-order capabilities to other regions within its bottling network. By leveraging customer data, external insights, and AI algorithms, the company aims to enhance predictive order recommendations for retailers globally.

The integration of AI in the sales process enables retailers to receive timely order suggestions and make adjustments without the need for direct salesperson interactions. This streamlined approach enhances efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Coca-Cola’s strategic use of AI-generated orders has proven successful in driving sales growth. Previous pilots demonstrated that retailers were more inclined to purchase recommended products, showcasing the effectiveness of data-driven recommendations.

In a separate initiative focusing on demand prediction, Coca-Cola combined historical sales data with weather and geolocation information to optimize replenishment recommendations. This data-driven approach led to increased sales and operational efficiency.

Perfect Basket continues to evolve post-campaign, with Coca-Cola emphasizing ongoing development based on retailer feedback and data insights. The company remains committed to enhancing the Coke Buddy platform to support retailers’ needs effectively.

(Photo by Mahbod Akhzami)

Discover more about AI and big data from industry experts at the AI & Big Data Expo in Amsterdam, California, and London. This comprehensive event, part of TechEx, offers valuable insights for technology enthusiasts. Co-located with the Cyber Security & Cloud Expo, this event is a must-attend for tech enthusiasts.