Digitalisation as a challenge & opportunity for wholesale trade

Whether it's flowers, fruit or household goods - wholesale is facing change. Digitalisation poses challenges for many companies. Processes have to become more efficient to meet the high expectations of customers and communication plays a central role.
  • Christina Wendt
  • 6/27/2022
  • 4 min reading time
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The aftermath of unanswered customer messages

Digitalisation does not stop at wholesale. Topics like customer communication and shopping experience are taking centre stage. Entrepreneurs like Thomas Theiselmann know how important the relationship with customers is and how difficult communication can be. For Theiselmann OHG, intensive and individual support for the target group is very important. The company wants to be accessible to customers on all important channels. Taking care of several channels at the same time and in the best possible way puts the employees under increasing pressure.

Exchanges via email are tiresome and slow. Taking telephone orders costs important staff resources. If the time pressure and the flood of messages become too high, requests get lost and, in the worst case, remain unanswered. Poor communication leaves customers frustrated and has a negative impact on the relationship.

It is difficult to keep track of all channels. Obviously, it's very annoying when customers have to wait a long time for an answer or the message is completely lost.
Thomas Theiselmann, Theiselmann OHG
Thomas Theiselmann, Theiselmann OHG

Communication is becoming increasingly digital. A trend that goes far beyond private conversations. Messengers like WhatsApp are also gaining more and more importance in terms of commercial use. More than 50 million companies worldwide already use WhatsApp to communicate with customers.

Companies like fruit and vegetable wholesaler Fruveg want to take advantage of this opportunity. For Seyit Hekimoglu, the WhatsApp business app is not an ideal solution. The WhatsApp Business App cannot be managed by several employees and the use is limited to one mobile phone number. Apart from that, the WhatsApp Business App is not compatible with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation and thus not an optimal solution for wholesalers.

We receive a lot of requests and orders. This volume is simply not manageable for us with the limited usability of the WhatsApp Business App.
Seyit Hekimoglu, Fruveg & Ataturabi GmbH
Seyit Hekimoglu, Fruveg & Ataturabi GmbH

An additional challenge lies in the low conversion of B2B newsletters. To keep customers informed about offers and news, many companies use classic email newsletters. In the midst of numerous other emails and overcrowded inboxes, newsletters tend to go unnoticed. The opening rates are around 20% and the click rate is not particularly high either.

This is why wholesalers choose Superchat

Companies like Fruveg, Osterkamp and Theiselmann are not intimidated by the challenges. With Superchat's messaging platform, these companies stand out from the competition and offer their customers outstanding experiences.

We want to offer our customers a first-class service. With Superchat, messages immediately reach the right person and we can respond quickly.
Jan-Henric Osterkamp, Osterkamp Blumengroßhandel
Jan-Henric Osterkamp, Osterkamp Blumengroßhandel

Especially in wholesale, it is important to be available to customers without any problems. Quick feedback is expected, especially regarding the availability of certain goods. The universal inbox of Superchat merges all relevant communication channels and reduces the workload of employees. The software can be used by several people at the same time and from multiple devices. Whether you are in the office or in the warehouse, you can always be reached by your customers.

Via Superchat's messaging platform, you use the WhatsApp Business API in a GDPR-compliant way and with multiple users at the same time. This ensures maximum transparency within the team and forgotten messages are a thing of the past. The result: efficient processes, intuitive use and happy customers.

Save time and money with WhatsApp templates

Fast processes and excellent communication are vital in the wholesale business. Speed is of the essence in most cases, and today's customers expect convenient and fast order fulfilment. With Superchat's platform, companies simplify communication with clients and at the same time relieve the workload of employees.

With one log-in, all relevant communication channels are managed. WhatsApp templates save companies time and resources. Information on delivery, payment or complications are sent via templates.

Example template for WhatsApp 📱

Hello {{ firstName }} {{ lastName }},

Your order has been shipped and is currently on its way to you. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Kind regards, {{ currentUserFullName }}

New products have been released? There are special promotions? Surplus stock is to be sold? Wholesale companies keep customers up to date via the WhatsApp newsletter. Compared to the classic email newsletter, the opening rate for WhatsApp messages is over 90%. A rate that traditional newsletters cannot compete with.

This is not the only reason why WhatsApp is suited as a sales channel. With Superchat, companies have the chance to support customers at every point of the customer journey.

Customers want to reorder certain products? An included WhatsApp QR code makes reordering easier than ever before. The QR code takes customers directly to a pre-written WhatsApp message that can be used to reorder requested products.

WhatsApp has become one of the most important channels for us. We use Superchat to answer requests rapidly and we even accept incoming orders.
Jan-Henric Osterkamp, Blumengroßhandel Osterkamp
Jan-Henric Osterkamp, Blumengroßhandel Osterkamp

In the unified inbox, messages are simply assigned to responsible representatives, regardless of the channel through which the message is received. The mobile app enables customer support from any location and at any time, no matter if you are in the office or in the warehouse.

Additional information is communicated within the team via internal notes. The employees of Blumengroßhandel Osterkamp use the internal notes to record particularities about the order or special requests. Orders are no longer lost, important information is preserved and customers receive the service they expect and deserve.

Osterkamp-Großhandel-Vertical.jpeg

Messaging is an opportunity to reinvent your business

Companies like Fruveg, Blumenhandel Osterkamp or Theiselmann OHG show what successful and modern customer communication looks like. Through simple contact options, streamlined messaging and convenient ordering options, these companies create appealing customer experiences.

The Superchat solution allows you to log in to all relevant channels. Messages are collected in one inbox and your employees work together as a team to answer customer messages individually. Communication is accelerated and at the same time more personal. An optimal foundation for a long-term and loyal relationship between you and your customers. This trust and loyalty is exactly what is important in the industry.

Digitalisation is an opportunity for retailers to reinvent themselves. Use this opportunity to stand out from your competition and offer your target group an excellent customer experience.

Convince yourself and test Superchat for free
Sie möchten Superchat selbst entdecken? Erstellen Sie jetzt Ihren kostenlosen Account und erkunden Sie die Messaging Plattform von Superchat.
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Is Superchat the right choice for you?

  • Are you in charge of multiple communication channels and your inbox is cluttered?
  • Are you concerned about GDPR-compliant customer communication, e.g. WhatsApp?
  • Do you have several employees and are looking for a solution that makes your communication more efficient?
  • Are online reviews important to you, but have not yet managed to implement a process that works long-term?

Do you answer at least one of the questions with yes? Then book a free consultation appointment with a wholesale messaging expert directly.

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Christina Wendt
Christina Wendt
Christina is one of our messaging experts and content specialist at Superchat. Besides communication and marketing related topics, she has an excellent knowledge of the Berlin food scene.