WhatsApp introduces new shopping features

New Delhi: WhatsApp on Wednesday announced two new features to make it easier for people to know whats available and for entrepreneurs to quickly sell their products on WhatsApp for Business. The company said that it is now providing businesses the ability to create and manage their catalog from WhatsApp web/desktop rather than just mobile phones.

"Since many businesses manage their inventory from a computer, this new option will make it quick and easy to add new items or services so their customers know what's available,' WhatsApp said in a statement. This will be helpful for businesses with big inventories like a restaurant or clothing store so they can manage their catalog from a bigger screen.

Currently, people can browse more than 8 million business catalogs on WhatsApp, including 1 million in India, to find something they might like to buy. The company introduced carts on WhatsApp during the holiday shopping season last year so people could browse a catalog, select multiple products and send the order as one message to the business.

Now, it is giving them the option to "hide" specific items from their catalog and easily show them again when they're back in stock or available to customers. "This feature is beginning to roll out to businesses around the world starting today," the company said.

According to a recent survey, 76 per cent of adults in India said "I am more likely to do business with/purchase from a company that I can contact via messaging than one that I cannot."