WhatsApp has become the primary purchasing channel for retailers with their suppliers. The purchasing tool, in addition to phone calls or email, has reached 39% of retailers, and 26% use automatic replenishment suggestions in their WhatsApp orders. This is according to a survey conducted by Yalo (an intelligent sales platform), applied during the APAS Show, with more than 170 supermarket and retail owners from different regions of Brazil. According to the survey, approximately 18% of retailers use websites or apps to place orders, while another 18% continue with in-person sales.
The digital presence of supermarkets and retailers appears at different stages: 44% maintain an updated website and active social media; 34% report a robust multi-channel strategy; 14% have a basic website; and 8% have no online presence.
In their relationship with customers, 48% sell through messaging apps, 39% use social media and email marketing for regular communication, and 5% interact only in person or by phone.
Promotions are also migrating to mobile phones, with 47% of retailers receiving personalized offers directly through WhatsApp; 26% find out via email or groups; 19% ask their representative when they need to buy; and 8% wait for notification from the representative themselves—a dynamic that limits the sales cadence.
The biggest bottleneck is in the back office, where 41% spend more than two hours a week just on replenishment requests; 30% between one and two hours; 20% less than one hour; and only 9% claim to have highly automated processes with little manual intervention.
“The research confirms what we see every day. The cell phone has become the digital gondola for Brazilian retailers. When customer service, orders, and promotions happen within the same conversation flow, sales are faster and with less friction,” explains Danilo Rocha, Sales Director in Brazil at Yalo. For him, the next step is to address the time lost in restocking: “If 41% still dedicate more than two hours a week to this routine, there is an immediate gain in automating recommendations, stock forecasts, and order approvals within WhatsApp itself. The key difference lies in transforming the tool into the main meeting point between industry and retail, as a complete platform for purchasing, sales, support, and data analysis.”
The Yalo executive emphasizes that the expansion of messaging app use in retail points to a great opportunity for optimization in the relationship between retailers and suppliers. “Instead of relying on traditional methods, the industry can use digitalization to implement solutions that automate inventory replenishment based on data, personalize promotions directly on the most used channels, and integrate all processes, from communication to order fulfillment. Automation, especially with the use of AI, can solve the bottleneck of time spent on manual tasks, increasing efficiency and enabling a more collaborative and agile operation, essential for the sector's digital transformation,” he concludes.
