Wholesalers back WhatsApp orders

Store owners will soon be able to place orders, track deliveries and manage invoices from their wholesaler via WhatsApp, according to b2b.store. 

The digital firm for wholesalers including Bestway, Parfetts and Filshill is predicting changes affecting how store owners will work with cash and carries. 

Chief executive Rob Mannion told Better Retailing the rise of ‘open banking’ online and in cash and carry is likely to replace card payments, fuelled by the ability to avoid card fees. “It’s essentially a bank transfer,” he said. 

While some have implemented the payment method, Mannion said wholesalers are in the testing stages before wider rollouts, often accompanied by incentives for stores. 

Separately, b2b.store is making WhatsApp a way for wholesalers, including Bestway, to work with shops. He said around half of shops receiving promotions via Whatsapp read them within the hour. “We will see retailers conducting the transaction from within WhatsApp. A reminder message arrives and they can press a button to reorder what was ordered previously. From a retailer perspective, it is a fast way of reordering.”