Sonepar now runs predictive AI models across businesses that produce 95% of its revenue. Two of the first three uses serve sales: product recommendations drawn from customers’ purchase histories, and automatic email categorization so sales teams can prioritize customer requests. Distribution Strategy Group reports no results yet.
What the article says
Distribution Strategy Group reported on September 25 that Sonepar’s predictive models now support businesses representing 95% of its revenue. The Paris-based electrical distributor had €33.6 billion in 2025 sales and operates in 40 countries through 90 brands, with 180 distribution centers and 46,000 employees. The company identified three initial applications: personalized product recommendations, automatic email categorization and carbon-data calculations. The recommendations draw on customers’ purchasing habits and histories; the email categorization lets sales teams prioritize customer requests. The article calls the rollout a move “from individual AI applications toward shared infrastructure” and reports no measured results.
Why it matters at the top of the house
Two of the three starting points sit on the commercial side: what to recommend to a customer, and which customer request gets answered first. Sonepar is putting 90 brands on shared infrastructure to do it. A manufacturer with one brand and one CRM has less to unify, and the same two starting points: the recommendation and the inbox. The article reports the rollout, not what it has returned.
Source: Distribution Strategy Group, “Sonepar Extends AI Models Across Businesses Representing 95% of Revenue,” by Mark Brohan, September 25, 2026. The Marketing Table shares the link and a note on why it matters; the article and its copyright belong to the publisher.
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