Retailers Are Moving to WhatsApp. Can They Avoid Turning It into Spam?
In this CX Today interview, Rhys Fisher, Associate Editor at CX Today, speaks with Kim Johal, Retail Specialist at Infobip, about WhatsApp’s growing role in UK retail customer engagement. Infobip’s research points to a shift away from one-way notifications and toward richer conversations across service, shopping, loyalty, and returns. Johal explains why the next challenge for retailers is not sending more messages, but making every interaction feel relevant enough to deserve a place in a customer’s inbox. WhatsApp is already in shoppers’ pockets. Retailers are now racing to make it part of the customer journey. But there is a fine line between a useful conversation and another message a customer wants to mute. Johal discusses why WhatsApp is gaining traction across UK retail, and how AI, customer data, and rich messaging channels could reshape everything from product discovery to returns. They cover: • Why consumers are moving away from phone calls and toward conversational channels that support text, images, updates, and real-time service. • Why personalization needs to go beyond “Hi, first name,” using consented behavioral data to make a message timely and useful. • How agentic AI can support product availability, sizing questions, store locations, returns, and purchase decisions without forcing customers through a rigid chatbot flow. • Why future retail engagement may be driven by customer preference across WhatsApp, Apple Business Messenger, and RCS, rather than a brand deciding where the conversation happens. Johal also explains why returns are becoming an important AI use case. Better sizing, product guidance, and purchase support can help customers make more confident choices before they buy. For retail and CX leaders, start by identifying where customers already ask for help, then connect those moments across service, commerce, and loyalty.
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