How WhatsApp could change the way wholesalers operate

Rob Mannion is the chief executive of b2b.store

e’ve all read the predictions. Grand visions of wholesale’s future punctuated with fully automated warehouses, beacons sending personalised offers to customers as they walk around depots and robot delivery drivers – well, maybe not the last one.

But while there might be a time when one of those come true, it turns out the more immediate future of wholesale could be found in something most of us use every day: WhatsApp.

The messaging app is a powerful tool, and while many of us are more familiar with the consumer version, it’s the use of it in a professional sense that could transform the way wholesalers operate.

Ostensibly, WhatsApp is a method of communication, but adapted in the right way, it can reach into almost every part of a wholesaler’s business, from advertising and credit control, to ordering and marketing.

Almost everyone uses WhatsApp on a daily basis, but they’re only familiar with the consumer version – used to its full potential, though, WhatsApp could be a game-changer for wholesalers.

Some businesses have tentatively explored WhatsApp by creating groups of customers and sharing messages with them, but

Wit creates an environment that’s like the wild west, where anyone can reply in full view of everybody else in the group.

The consumer WhatsApp is great for social messaging, but it’s the upgraded, paid-for version – WhatsApp Business API –that has greater functionality and potential for personalisation.

As part of b2b.store’s vision, WhatsApp can be adapted to become a one-stop shop for wholesalers that includes one-tap ‘add to basket’ buttons on promotions or adverts shared in messages, one-tap reordering and automatic credit control management. By integrating WhatsApp with existing e-commerce or accounting software and assigning customers to phone numbers, several business functions could be funnelled through one channel.

While b2b.store’s development is working towards the full-service capabilities, its phase-one B2B WhatsApp module already encompasses much of this and is currently earning traction with wholesalers and buying groups – particularly for sharing marketing collateral, promotions and content to customers.

Early adopters to B2B WhatsApp are already seeing a glimpse of what WhatsApp can achieve, with 29% of messages read within the first 10 minutes of being sent and rising to 55% within the first hour.

“We see WhatsApp as a great means to get messages out to customers quickly in a secure environment that can track engagement through read receipts and clicks,” says Sugro’s head of commercial and marketing, Yulia Petitt.

“The benefit of using WhatsApp in comparison to other communication methods, such as SMS and email, is that we can send a variety of multi-format messages to customers at scale on a platform that we know the vast majority of people are using regularly throughout the day. The challenge is always guaranteeing that we get eyes on messages and promotions we send, so WhatsApp ticks this box in a way we haven’t been able to previously.”

The numbers reflect that assertion. In Statista’s Global Consumer Survey, 80% of UK phone owners selected WhatsApp as their most-regularly-used messaging service due to its immediacy and the ability to send multi-format messages at no extra cost. WhatsApp is ubiquitous, so it’s the place to be.

For a business, WhatsApp is even more valuable than that. The ability to have two-way interactions with customers – and the potential to introduce automated chatbots to deal with common queries – can improve commu- nication and efficiency through the business. The functionality to drive customers directly to special deals or brand-exclusive pages within e-commerce platforms could also become additional revenue drivers for wholesalers.

Segmenting customers by region or sector could mean the quality or success rate of each communication is much higher and ensure only relevant messages are sent, which is crucial for prolonged engagement.

HOW COULD WHATSAPP HELP WHOLESALERS?

Advertising

Instantly deliver product offers, promotions and exclusive supplier deals to customers at scale without the need for them to be on your e-commerce platform.

Deep links

Product lists can be sent to retailers within a message including a link to an e-commerce platform for purchase, potentially opening new revenue streams with suppliers.

Add product to basket

With personalisation, promotions and new products sent by B2B WhatsApp are joined by a button prompting customers to ‘add to my basket’ with one simple tap.

Product brochures

99.75% retention rate of people in the channels, indicating that it’s a communication method wholesalers’ customers are happy to receive material on.

“When I first heard about B2B WhatsApp, I started thinking about the app I have on my phone and that a retailer channel would just become another group that sends lots of messages to people,” says Aled Roberts, director at Welsh wholesaler R&I Jones.

99.75% The retention rate since launch of B2B WhatsApp

Since launch, early adopters of

“But the idea isn’t about bombarding customers with lots of messages, it’s about sending updates that have real value – whether that’s an important information thing or sending a suppliersponsored message with an over-and-above deal that entices a highly engaged channel to buy a certain product.”

The first phase of B2B WhatsApp is already making a splash in the sector, with several wholesalers and buying groups starting on their journey to harness the power of the software in different ways.

And as b2b.store moves into the next phase of its development, B2B WhatsApp’s influence could grow even further.

WhatsApp fits wholesalers’ businesses perfectly and it’s really exciting to be leading the way in this space. We’ve been working with the technology in this way for several months and have an excellent understanding of where this could go and have a roadmap in place of how to get there. This could have a genuinely transformational impact on the sector. l

Save money on print or mailers by sending latest fliers by WhatsApp, with customers able to access and browse from the app.

Credit control

Let customers view and manage their account, with open banking instant-payment capabilities and automated payment reminders set up with personalisation linking a phone number to a customer account.

Reordering

Send automated reordering messages to prompt customers to place repeat orders with a single tap, with messages sent a fixed period of time after previous transaction to increase likelihood of a positive outcome.