Instant messaging will soon make it possible to shop online, without leaving the application.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, has announced the integration of an online store on its instant messaging application. In India, users of the platform can now shop in the store of JioMart, one of the largest chain stores in the country, without leaving the messaging application. A first.
Everything is done here through a discussion between a human and a “bot”, a robot with which the user interacts textually. Once the conversation has started, the user can add products to their basket, explore the catalog and place an order in a few clicks.
“Chat-based experiences are going to become a staple in the years to come,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement.
With this integration, Meta shows its desire to gradually transform WhatsApp into a real entertainment platform, on which users will of course be able to exchange messages with each other, but also, in the long term, play games, place orders, and carry out all kinds of activities. activities thanks to the integration of external modules.
WeChat, one of WhatsApp’s competitors in Asia, already offers similar functions. The messaging application allows you to order concert tickets, pay rent, and shop from the app.
For Meta and WhatsApp, India, therefore, represents a test market for this new feature, which could eventually land in other countries, with other partnerships. The country is “ultra-connected” and consumers use their smartphones a lot to order online.