Manhattan Wins Kesko as Customer – Scandinavian Retail Giant Embraces Cloud-Native, AI-Driven Warehousing

MILAN and HELSINKI – October 13, 2026 – The race to modernize Europe's food retail supply chains has entered a new phase: Finnish retail group Kesko has selected Manhattan ActiveWarehouse™ from leading supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions provider Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH).

© ( Kesko)

The Nordic retail giant is replacing its previous grocery warehouse management system with its industry-leading, cloud-native warehouse management solution, including agent-based AI capabilities with Manhattan Active Agents and the Manhattan Agent Foundry™.

For Finland's second-largest food brand and one of the largest in Northern Europe, this investment reflects the growing strategic importance of operational agility. Digital and brick-and-mortar retail are increasingly intertwined, and retail logistics as a whole is undergoing a major transformation.

Due to the size of Kesko's grocery business, the project is notable in Finnish and European retail. In 2025, the division's net sales amounted to EUR 6.5 billion, and the comparable operating profit was EUR 418 million. Together, the K-food stores and Kespro form a large-scale food retail business.

"Our goal is to create a warehouse and technology infrastructure that evolves without the disruptions typically associated with enterprise software upgrades. At the same time, we want to harness the transformative power of agent-based AI to drive operational efficiencies and unlock previously unimagined opportunities," explains Pekka Tala, Director Strategic Programs, Grocery Trade Logistics at Kesko.

However, the significance of Kesko's decision goes beyond the realm of infrastructure, as retailers face increasingly fragmented consumer demands and rising expectations for fast and reliable order fulfillment. "If you break the promise of on-time and full delivery, a customer will simply look for an alternative – that adds a lot of pressure," adds Pekka Tala.

"Initially, we cover five distribution centers, followed by a greenfield site (in 2029–30) and a number of terminal hubs. For us, it is crucial that we can interpret and respond to operational signals in real time," says Pekka Tala.

Kesko plans to deploy Manhattan's Wave Coordinator, Labor and Warehouse

Associate agents and reviews other specially designed agents to support additional inbound operations with Agent Foundry.

Sebastien Lefebure, Senior Vice President EMEA Region at Manhattan, says: "Retailers are increasingly looking at warehouse projects as an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition. This project is more than just simply replacing an outdated warehouse management system; it is an opportunity to gain competitive advantage."

"The continuous innovation of Manhattan's cloud-native platform, combined with the power of AI integrated into the supply chain execution layer, is increasingly becoming the benchmark against which next-generation supply chain platforms will be measured. Kesko is leading the way in the application of this technology in the Nordic food retail sector," adds Sebastien Lefebure.

About Manhattan Associates:

Manhattan Associates is a global leader in supply chain commerce solutions with native AI capabilities. We design, build, and deliver best-in-class, AI-powered, cloud-based solutions that increase business resilience and efficiency. We enable companies to uniquely unify their front-end sales and back-end supply chains.

Our commitment to innovation, cloud-native platform, and API-first architecture create simpler experiences and faster ways to create value for our customers. We empower them to respond to new trends and global disruption with technical expertise and operational security, and turn challenges into competitive advantages.

For more information, see www.manh.com/de-de.

About Kesko

Kesko Corporation is a Finnish pioneer in the retail sector, operating in three core business areas: food retailing, construction and technical retail, and automotive retailing. In these areas, Kesko has strong market positions and expertise that drives long-term, profitable growth. Together with independent K retailers, Kesko forms K Group, which is considered the largest retail group in Finland and one of the largest in Northern Europe. K Group operates around 1,700 stores in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. By integrating extensive store networks with seamless online sales and digital services, Kesko offers a multichannel customer experience. K Group's total annual retail sales amount to around €15 billion to €16 billion, and the Group employs between 39,000 and 45,000 people.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Stefanie Haase

Manhattan Associates

Phone: +49 (0)1520 1024491

sthaase@manh.com

Torben Sachau

STROOMER Communications

Phone: +49 (0) 40 853133292

torben.sachau@stroomer.de