When did WhatsApp channels become like collecting football stickers? That’s what it must feel like for retailers nowadays as they collect wholesaler WhatsApps like priceless shinies – Bestway? Got. Booker? Got. Red Bull? Need.
It’s fast becoming the go-to channel for every wholesaler and supplier worth their salt in the convenience channel, while it’s spreading in foodservice too. It’s no surprise really, with 90% of UK adults saying they’d used WhatsApp* and people so frequently glued to their phones.
The latest marker of WhatsApp’s impact in the sector was at February’s Co-Driver launch for Red Bull. The category management initiative is designed to help convenience retailers to navigate changing soft drinks trends and drive sales.
And their primary method for sharing advice? WhatsApp, of course. Retailers just need to scan a QR code or visit a link to a ProConnect registration page and they can be plugged in to a direct feed of Red Bull knowledge and insight.
They are the first major supplier to launch a WhatsApp Business API channel of this kind in the sector, almost certainly being inspired by the open rates achieved by the likes of Bestway, Booker and Parfetts using the technology.
So now suppliers are muscling in on the audience too, where will it end?
“Big brands like Red Bull speaking publicly about their WhatsApp Business API usage is likely to accelerate adoption across the sector,” explains b2b.store CEO Rob Mannion, whose company is a leading provider of the messaging tool to the sector.
“It makes sense. High message open rates combined with significant redemption and sales directly linked to communications sent directly to retailers is ROI that’s difficult to ignore.
“Suppliers are already familiar with WhatsApp Business API’s impact as part of their work with wholesalers – and have been sending messages via those wholesale partners for a couple of years now. Results are strong, particularly in terms of speed-to-read and scale of reach. Many suppliers now see WhatsApp as a must-have addition to their trade marketing mix.
“The next step is more suppliers setting up direct-to-retailer channels of their own, giving them greater control over data, segmentation and campaign performance. We’re already hearing from multiple suppliers interested in running their own WhatsApp Business API pilots.”
It isn’t just the big boys getting in on the WhatsApp craze. Dozens of wholesalers of different sizes are using WhatsApp Business API, many using b2b.store’s ProConnect. That might seem unusual considering there are free WhatsApp versions out there to be used, but Mannion says that’s down to how scalable paid-for platforms are.
“Adoption continues to grow across all business sizes because the cost model scales. There is a fixed Meta message cost, with platform licence fees layered on top,” he explains.
“This makes WhatsApp Business API services, such as b2b.store’s ProConnect, accessible to wholesalers of different sizes, as costs align directly with usage volume rather than requiring large upfront investment.
For smaller wholesalers in particular, the ability to reach a high percentage of their customer base instantly, without expanding headcount, means it’s a tool they can afford to bring into the business.”
ProConnect’s wholesale customers have consistently registered message open rates of north of 80%, with more than two thirds of those opens coming within 24 hours of the message being sent.
With the right messaging strategy, that sort of engagement can be harnessed to drive ROI. Bestway, for example, regularly sends supplier messages on their channel, whereas b2b.store have a case study on their website showing how a medium-sized wholesaler made more than £4,500 from a single WhatsApp message to a few hundred retailers.
“At its essence, WhatsApp is a communications tool, so a good content strategy is key to getting the best results,” Mannion adds. “We do offer support for this, but having clear KPIs is important to understand how you should approach messaging.
“But when there’s a clear aim and good execution, we often see results – whether that’s to drive more footfall to depot, increase a brand’s perfect score rating or generate ROI directly from WhatsApp messages.” But it’s not just the promise of eyes on messages that makes WhatsApp Business API so appealing. It provides a more premium service than free versions, which are phone based, have limits on the number of messages that can be sent at once and offer no analytics to track engagement.
With development from a clued-up WhatsApp service provider, it can also be adapted to provide even more functions – making it more akin to email clients, such as Mailchimp than the WhatsApp we all use on our phones.
“It’s the power WhatsApp Business API provides that is driving this trend, that’s why we’ve honed in on this sector with ProConnect to provide features that are tailored for businesses working in it,” says Mannion. “Users of ProConnect can schedule messages or segment their audience, while also getting AI support from our B2B Agent to help with message creation, campaign strategy and data analysis.
“The real money shot, though, is in the message functionality we offer. ProConnect offers the ability to send enhanced messages that allow retailers or foodservice operators to place orders, register for events, carry out photo compliance checks of claim redemptions – it’s this sort of thing we hear resonating with suppliers, in particular.
“We’re also adding two-way messaging, which allows wholesalers to communicate with customers without the need for extra head count. The AI-supported messaging system will answer common customer questions and offer advice that will inspire incremental sales. It’s incredibly exciting.”
It’s no wonder WhatsApp is increasingly becoming the communication method of choice, adding to – and replacing in some instances – traditional tools, such as category websites, apps, emails, SMS and field teams.
One of the most common issues suppliers and large wholesalers have is how to share category information with customers. They build websites and apps and fill them with content that is of high value, but struggle to drive sustained traffic, but Mannion says he is now seeing WhatsApp being considered as a better way to distribute that same messaging instead – just as Red Bull are doing with Co-Driver.
“A series of WhatsApp messages can have just as much impact, if not more, than websites and apps, and takes a fraction of the cost and time to set up,” says the b2b.store CEO.
“It’s a subtle change to strategy that drives big results and while I can’t comment on any specific brand usage, we are hearing a lot of suppliers coming to us with similar problems that they want to solve.
“WhatsApp is also a great companion for field teams, providing a low-cost way to achieve more consistent communication with retailers that isn’t solely reliant on the regular cycle reps follow.
“We have adapted our ProConnect WhatsApp service to carry out compliance checks on retailers too, meaning they can send pictures that are immediately checked for range and merchandising compliance.”
With that in mind, there’s no reason to see industry WhatsApp Business API usage do anything more than grow further as the brands that can say they’ve ‘got’ a channel steadily outgrow the ones that ‘need’ them. Sources: *Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025 (May 2025)
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