Wabi
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched2 / 4
Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Wabi was Coca-Cola's e-commerce ecosystem for digitising traditional retail. It started in Latin America (Buenos Aires) as both B2C and B2B: the B2C side let neighbourhood shops take proximity orders, while Wabi2b - the B2B marketplace arm - let FMCG wholesalers and distributors sell directly to retailers and traditional stores. The venture was a joint effort between The Coca-Cola Company and bottlers such as Coca-Cola Hellenic, and at its peak operated in around 14 countries across Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
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03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Origins
Wabi emerges in Latin America, starting in Buenos Aires and expanding across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and other markets as a platform for neighbourhood shops.
- Nigeria launch
Wabi2b, the B2B marketplace arm, launches in Nigeria to digitise traditional trade channels, backed by Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Hellenic.
- Scale
The Wabi2b marketplace operates across 15 countries with gross merchandise value reportedly exceeding $400 million in 2022.
- Africa pullback
In January 2023, Wabi shuts down operations in five African markets, including Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, to focus on core markets in Latin America and the Middle East.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.