Instant messaging platform WhatsApp has taken another step to make buying and selling seamless, and has introduced ‘carts’ on the app. The Facebook-backed app has been trying to become the go-to store counter to discuss products, share catalogues and coordinate sales.
According to WhatsApp, carts would be beneficial especially for businesses that typically sell multiple items at once, like a local restaurant or clothing store.
With carts, users can browse a catalog, select multiple products and send the order as a message to the business. Once users find the items they want, just tap “add to cart”. Here’s an excerpt from the company’s official blog post on how this feature works
How to add products to cart:
Open WhatsApp
Go to your chat or business profile of the business you’d like to order from.
Tap on the shopping button icon listed next to their name to access their catalogue.
Once the catalogue opens, browse through the products you’d like to order.
Tap on the product you like.
Tap ADD TO CART on product if you’d like to order.
Alternatively, you can also tap MESSAGE BUSINESS if you’d like to ask a specific question about the product.
Once the cart is complete, it sends it as a message to the business owner.
Once sent, the user will be able to see the details of the order by tapping on the view cart button in their chat window with the seller. As of today,
WhatsApp claims that globally more than 175 million people message a WhatsApp Business account every day and more than 3 million in India view a business catalogue each month. The team further adds that the need for digital tools to shop has only increased during the pandemic.
Carts are now live globally and WhatsApp has timed the launch for the holiday season.First Published: Dec 9, 2020 4:06 PM IST
