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WhatsApp marketing for retailers.

With SmartChat, you send your customers a WhatsApp message about what's going on in your store: the open Sunday, the school backpack days in spring or your wedding registry for couples.

WhatsApp newsletter from a department store: the Christmas world is open

Bright shop with shelves and counter, image in the newsletter

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Show your shelf the way it looks in the store. You take a photo with your phone or use an image from your website.

👋 Hello Gabriele, 🎄 from November 14, our Christmas world awaits you on the ground floor. ✨ You'll find glass baubles, warm white string lights and hand-painted nativity figures from the Ore Mountains. 🕯️ New in our range are fill-it-yourself advent calendars, made of wood or fabric, with 24 small bags and embroidered numbers. 🎁 We wrap every gift for you at the checkout for free , with a ribbon and greeting card if you like. 🛒 In December, we're open Saturdays until 6 pm open so you can shop without stress. 👉 It's best to come early, the most popular pieces sell out fast.
08:45

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SmartChat AI learns your range from your website and writes the message from it. Opening hours and new arrivals are in bold.

View the Christmas world

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One click takes your customer to the Christmas world on your website. They don't have to type in an address.

SmartChat gets in touch automatically with your customers.

Welcome, pickup, consultation appointment: These messages run without you once you've set them up.

As soon as a customer confirms
Neatly folded towels in various colors stacked on retail shelves inside a store.
🛍️ Thank you, your sign-up is confirmed.🏬 Our department store carries three floors of household goods, toys, stationery and gifts.📣 You'll hear from us about open Sundays, new departments and the school backpack days.☕ In the café on the first floor you'll find cake from a pastry shop around the corner.🎀 At Christmas, we pack your purchases at no extra charge on.🕘 Our doors open on weekdays at 9 am and close at 7 pm.📍 You'll find us right on the market square, across from the fountain.16:06
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Welcome after confirmation

Every new contact gets a thank-you message right after confirming, with the opening hours and what to expect from you.

As soon as the goods have arrived
Close-up view of coffee beans being ground in an espresso machine, highlighting the rich texture and detail.
👋 Hello Martin,📦 your ordered coffee grinder due when arrived today.🏷️ It's waiting with your name on it at the information desk on the ground floor, right next to the entrance.💶 You've already paid, all that's left is the pickup. Just bring the receipt.⏳ We'll hold it two weeks back.☕ Matching coffee beans from a local roastery are right next to it on the shelf.🅿️ In front of the department store there are short-term parking spaces for a quick stop.13:20

Order is ready for pickup

If your cash register or inventory system reports an arrived order to SmartChat, the message goes to your customer immediately. They only set off when the goods are really there.

1 day before the appointment
Tan leather bag in focus with students studying in the background.
👋 Hello Ute,📅 tomorrow at 10:30 am is your bedding consultation with us.🛏️ Together we'll find the right duvet and the right pillow, depending on whether you tend to feel cold at night or warm up quickly.🧺 We'll have the models from your request ready, plus two similar ones to compare.📍 We'll meet in the bedding department on the second floor, right next to the towels.🕐 Plan half an hour , and you can try out different pillows in peace.📲 Doesn't the time work anymore? Just write us a quick message here.17:00
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Reminder for the consultation appointment

SmartChat takes the appointment from your calendar and reminds on the day before. If someone cancels, you pass the time slot on to the next customer.

This is how you collect contacts for your business.

Your customers sign up themselves: through your website, a link or the QR code, for example in the shop window or on the carrier bag. Only once they confirm in WhatsApp do you send them your newsletter.

  1. 1

    Your customer scans the QR code

    Print it on receipts and carrier bags or stick it in the shop window. Then even people walking by after closing time can scan it. SmartChat creates the code for your landing page.

    News from the department store
  2. 2

    Your customer enters first name and phone number

    A small window appears on the landing page. SmartChat asks for nothing more than these two details.

    Real sign-up popup on the Kaufhaus Wiedemann landing page, mobile view: headline Never miss offers and news again, first name Christine and phone number entered, button Sign up
  3. 3

    Your customer confirms in WhatsApp

    They click Confirm and they're in. That's how double opt-in works: only their own consent in WhatsApp makes them a subscriber.

    👋 Hello Christine,🏬 here you'll hear about open Sundays, new departments and our promotion days.✅ Do you want to receive these messages? Then click the button below: Confirm.🔒 You can unsubscribe at any time. Just write STOP.16:05
    Confirm
    Confirm16:05
  4. 4

    You have the proof

    For every contact, SmartChat records when and where they gave consent. You download this proof as a PDF.

    Contact Christine in SmartChat, mobile view: status Confirmed, sign-up history, consent confirmed in WhatsApp and button Download proof

SmartChat AI answers questions about your business.

When a customer writes but nobody in your business can be reached, SmartChat AI replies fully automatically for you. It answers with the knowledge it has learned from your website and your documents. If it has no source, it hands over to you.

Inbox in SmartChat: SmartChat AI answers the WhatsApp question of a Kaufhaus Wiedemann customer

  • Even after closing time

    SmartChat AI answers questions in the evening or on Sunday right away, while your business is closed.

  • Every language

    SmartChat AI replies in the language your customer writes in. Even vacationers in your town understand the message right away.

  • Your sales team

    Questions about stock or special requests are answered by your team themselves in the inbox.

Frequently asked questions about WhatsApp marketing for retailers.

May I just message my customers in the store on WhatsApp?

Only if they have agreed. Your customer signs up themselves, through your website, a link or the QR code in the shop window, and confirms once in WhatsApp. SmartChat stores this consent as proof and sends newsletters only to confirmed contacts.

Where do I put the QR code in my store?

Anywhere your customers stop for a moment: at the information desk, on the receipt, on the shopping bag or in the shop window. SmartChat creates the code for your landing page, and you print it as often as you like.

Does SmartChat AI know what is currently in stock in my store?

No. SmartChat is not a cash register or inventory management program. SmartChat AI knows your range from your website and from the documents you upload. If a customer asks about stock levels, your team answers in the inbox.

Can I tell customers on WhatsApp that their order is ready for pickup?

Yes. You write to your customer directly from the inbox. It works automatically with an automation, if your cash register or inventory system reports arrived goods to SmartChat via a webhook. A webhook is a message that one program automatically sends to another.

Do I have to write the messages for my store myself?

No. You tell SmartChat AI the topic, for example the open Sunday or the new kitchen department. SmartChat AI writes the newsletter to suit your store, you read it and send it with one click.

Can my sales staff answer in the inbox too?

Yes. All WhatsApp conversations come together in one inbox, and your team answers from there. Free has 1 seat, Starter 3, Basic 6 and Pro 12.

I have two branches. How do I set that up?

You connect one phone number per SmartChat account. If both branches should have their own number, you set up two accounts and switch between them with one login. With a shared number, you reach the customers of both branches from one account.

Do I need a new phone number for my store?

No. You send with your store's number. You connect it to SmartChat and verify it with the code from Meta, the company behind WhatsApp.

Do tourists understand SmartChat AI's answers too?

Yes. SmartChat AI replies in the language your customer writes in. If a vacationer writes in Italian, they get the answer in Italian.

What does WhatsApp marketing cost for my store?

SmartChat Free costs 0 €, with no time limit and no credit card, with 100 messages one time only. Starter costs 299 € per month with 3,000 messages, Basic 499 € with 6,000 and Pro 999 € with unlimited messages. Sending costs no credits. All prices plus VAT, details under Pricing.

What does Meta charge for my shop's WhatsApp messages?

Meta bills you directly for the fees for WhatsApp messages. For this, you add a payment method in your Meta account. You pay SmartChat only for your plan. You can find the exact prices here.

How many automations do I have as a retailer?

Custom automations are available from Basic. Basic includes 3 automations, 1 of which is the fixed double opt-in automation, and Pro includes unlimited automations. Free and Starter only have this fixed automation for new contacts. A custom automation runs on its own, for example the reminder the day before a consultation appointment.

How long does it take until my business is up and running with SmartChat?

You give SmartChat AI the address of your website. In 60 seconds, your WhatsApp marketing system, your landing page and your QR code are ready. Then you connect your phone number and send your first newsletter.

How does a customer unsubscribe from my business's WhatsApp newsletter?

Anyone who has confirmed your newsletter writes STOP into the WhatsApp chat with your business. From then on, SmartChat sends them nothing more, and SmartChat lists them as unsubscribed in your contact list.

WhatsApp marketing for your business in 60 seconds.

SmartChat AI analyzes your website. In 60 seconds, your landing page and QR code are ready. Free costs 0 € and needs no credit card.

Try for free