01
Order and delivery updates
Sends order, dispatch and delivery updates as approved templates to customers who opted in, and answers “where is my order?” from your order data.
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WhatsApp chatbot for retail
A WhatsApp chatbot for retail that answers customers where they already message
Let customers check stock, track an order or book a personal shopping slot on WhatsApp, without your staff leaving the shop floor to reply. We build a custom WhatsApp chatbot for UK retailers on the WhatsApp Business Platform, connected to your stock, orders and booking diary, with a person a tap away.
Thanks, that’s with us.
A senior engineer reads every enquiry and will reply as soon as they can.
Want to take it further now?
Book a time that suits you, or send a message on WhatsApp.
- Built on the WhatsApp Business Platform, with opt-in and approved templates handled properly
- Connected to your stock and orders: Shopify, EPOS or your own system
- Built to support UK GDPR requirements, with retention set by you
4.8★
From 944 Fiverr reviews
100%
Job Success on Upwork
Test number
You try it on WhatsApp before customers do
2020
Building software since
Technologies we build with
- WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API)
- Twilio
- 360dialog
- Message templates
- OpenAI GPT
- Anthropic Claude
- Google Gemini
- Product information
- Policies and opening hours
- pgvector
- Pinecone
- Shopify and Shopify POS
- WooCommerce
- Lightspeed
- Square
- Your EPOS API
- Google Calendar
- Microsoft Outlook
- Calendly
- Your booking system
- Zendesk
- Gorgias
- HubSpot
- Klaviyo
- n8n
- Make
Quick answer
What is a WhatsApp chatbot for retail?
A WhatsApp chatbot for retail is an assistant on your shop’s WhatsApp number that answers customers in natural language and acts on your systems: checking whether an item is in stock at a branch, telling a customer their click-and-collect order is ready, booking a fitting or personal shopping appointment, or explaining how to return something. It runs on the WhatsApp Business Platform, the API version of WhatsApp Business built for automated messaging, rather than on the free WhatsApp Business app.
WhatsApp has rules, and we build to them. You need a customer’s opt-in before you send them messages they have not asked for in the chat. When a customer messages you, you can reply freely for 24 hours from their last message; outside that window you can only send message templates that Meta has approved, such as “your order is ready to collect”. Meta charges for some template messages, and we estimate those in your quote. WhatsApp’s business terms also expect the assistant to serve your customers’ questions about your business, not act as a general-purpose AI chat, so we keep it focused on your shop.
It suits independent shops with one busy phone, multi-store retailers who want one number routed to the right branch, and online retailers whose customers prefer WhatsApp to email. Staff see every conversation in a shared inbox or helpdesk and can step in at any point. If your main need is chat on your website, see our AI chatbot for ecommerce; for WhatsApp in other sectors, see our WhatsApp chatbot service.
What it handles
What our retail WhatsApp chatbot does
Each chatbot is built around how your shops and stock work. These are the jobs retailers usually give it first.
02
Click-and-collect
Tells customers when their order is ready, which branch to collect from and its opening hours, and answers collection questions from your policy.
03
Stock checks by branch
Checks stock for a product, size or colour at each branch where your EPOS or store system shares it, and can hold an item where your process allows.
04
Back-in-stock alerts, with opt-in
Records a customer’s request to hear when an item returns, sends one approved template when it lands, and honours opt-outs.
05
Appointments and personal shopping
Books fittings, personal shopping, repairs or consultations into your booking tool or calendar, and sends a reminder the day before.
06
Returns and exchanges
Explains your returns policy, checks the order and tells the customer how to return in store or by post, passing faulty-goods claims to a person.
07
Product and shop questions
Answers questions about products, sizes, opening hours, parking and delivery from information you approve, and says when it doesn’t know.
08
Hand-off to the right branch
Passes complaints, special orders and anything sensitive to the right branch or person in your shared inbox, with the chat history attached.
Why retail WhatsApp gets messy
Customers already message you on WhatsApp. Nobody owns the replies.
In many shops, WhatsApp lives on one phone behind the till. Messages wait until someone is free, and nobody else can see what was promised.
WhatsApp on a shop phone
- Stock questions wait until someone can walk the shop floor
- Messages after closing sit unread until the next morning
- Click-and-collect customers ring to ask if their order is ready
- Each branch answers the same question differently
- Nobody can see who promised what to which customer
- Back-in-stock requests are written on a notepad and forgotten
With a retail WhatsApp chatbot
- Stock checked from your system while the customer waits
- Routine questions answered after closing, from your own information
- Customers told when their order is ready to collect
- The same answers from every branch
- Every conversation visible in one shared inbox
- Back-in-stock alerts sent automatically to customers who asked
See how it would work for you
Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll walk you through how a WhatsApp chatbot would handle your stock, order and booking messages, and tell you honestly if it won’t help.
Examples
WhatsApp chatbot use cases for UK retailers
Illustrative examples of what we build, not client results.
“Do you have this in a 12?”
Checks Shopify POS stock by size and colour when a customer sends a photo or product name, and offers to hold it until closing where the owner allows.
Aim: fewer calls and messages that need someone to check the rail
One number for every branch
Works out which branch the customer means, checks that branch’s stock and opening hours, and passes the chat to that branch’s team when a person is needed.
Aim: the same answers from every branch
Service and repair bookings
Books services into the workshop diary, sends a reminder template the day before and tells the customer when the bike is ready to collect.
Aim: mechanics stay on the bikes, not the phone
Delivery slots and lead times
Answers lead-time questions for made-to-order items, confirms delivery slots and sends a reminder template the day before delivery to customers who opted in.
Aim: fewer failed deliveries because nobody was home
Back-in-stock alerts by size
Records which size the customer wants and their opt-in, then sends one approved template when that size is back, not when any size returns.
Aim: alerts that match what the customer asked for
Click-and-collect ready notices
Tells customers their order is packed and ready, with the branch, opening hours and what to bring, and answers “can someone else collect it?” from the shop’s policy.
Aim: collections picked up sooner, with fewer calls
Fitting appointments
Books fittings and alterations into the diary, explains what to bring and how long it takes, and passes design questions to the stylist.
Aim: appointments booked without phone tag
Repair status and returns
Gives repair status from the job system, explains the returns and warranty process set out in the shop’s policy and passes disputes to the manager.
Aim: status questions answered without a call
How we work
How we build your retail WhatsApp chatbot
Six steps from first conversation to a chatbot that keeps improving. You test it on WhatsApp before any customer does.
Discovery
We look at what customers message about, where your stock, orders and bookings live, and what must always go to a person.
Week 1Design
We write the conversation flows, opt-in wording, templates and hand-off rules for each branch. You approve them before anything is built.
Weeks 1–2Build
We set up your number on the WhatsApp Business Platform, submit templates for Meta approval, and connect your store, EPOS, booking tool and inbox.
Weeks 2–4Train
We load your product information, policies and opening hours, then test it on real past messages, including awkward ones, and fix what it gets wrong.
Weeks 2–4Launch
It goes live, often for one branch or out of hours first, while your team watches the conversations closely.
Typically week 5Optimise
We review conversations, update its knowledge for new stock and seasons, and add flows as you learn what customers ask. Optional monthly support covers this.
Ongoing
Clear scope · Regular demos · Full handover
Is it right for you?
When a WhatsApp chatbot is worth it for a retailer, and when it isn’t
We would rather tell you now than build something your customers don’t use.
Worth it when…
- Customers already message you on WhatsApp, or ask to
- Staff leave customers in the shop to answer messages
- Stock and orders live in a system with an API
- You offer click-and-collect, bookings or made-to-order items
- You have more than one branch answering the same questions
Not worth it when…
- You get a handful of WhatsApp messages a week
- Stock is tracked on paper and can’t be connected
- You mainly want to send marketing blasts to people who haven’t opted in
- Most messages are bespoke orders that need a conversation
- You want it live tomorrow with no testing
Make the right choice
WhatsApp chatbot vs WhatsApp Business app vs SMS and email
An honest comparison. Many retailers combine them: WhatsApp for conversations and updates, email for receipts and marketing.
| What matters | Custom WhatsApp chatbot | WhatsApp Business app | SMS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers questions automatically | Yes, from your own data | Greeting, away messages and quick replies | Only if you build it | Auto-reply only |
| Checks stock and orders | Connected to your systems | Staff look it up | Only if you build it | Staff look it up |
| Several staff and branches | Yes, through a shared inbox | A small number of linked devices | Depends on the provider | Yes |
| Messages outside a conversation | Meta-approved templates to opted-in customers | Manual messages | With consent | With consent |
| Two-way conversation | Yes | Yes | Limited | Slow |
| Who sets it up | We build and maintain it | You, on a phone | You or a provider | You or a provider |
| How you pay | Setup fee, optional support, Meta and AI usage | Free app | Per message | Platform subscription |
Pricing
How much does a WhatsApp chatbot for retail cost?
Cost depends on how many systems it connects to, how many branches it covers and how many flows it handles. You get a written quote with scope and exclusions agreed up front.
Free consultation
Free
30 minutes
We look at how customers contact you and where your stock and orders live, tell you honestly what a chatbot could handle and follow up with a written estimate.
Get a quote →Retail WhatsApp chatbot setup
From £5,000
Typically 3–5 weeks
WhatsApp Business Platform set-up, templates, conversation flows, your product information, stock, order and booking connections, testing and launch.
Get a quote →Monthly support
From £200/month
Optional retainer
Conversation reviews, seasonal and stock updates, new templates and flows, and technical monitoring.
Get a quote →Meta’s WhatsApp template charges and AI model usage are billed by those providers and estimated in your quote. Prices exclude VAT.
Technology
The technology behind a retail WhatsApp chatbot, in plain English
Four parts work together on every message. The WhatsApp Business Platform is Meta’s API for businesses, reached directly through Meta’s Cloud API or through a provider such as Twilio; it carries the messages and enforces the opt-in and template rules. A large language model, the same kind of AI behind ChatGPT and Claude, works out what the customer wants. Retrieval over your own data (often called RAG) means it answers from your product information and policies, not from the internet. APIs connect it to your store, EPOS and booking tool so it can check stock, find an order or book a slot.
- WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API)
- Twilio
- 360dialog
- Message templates
Understanding: language models
- OpenAI GPT
- Anthropic Claude
- Google Gemini
Your knowledge (RAG)
- Product information
- Policies and opening hours
- pgvector
- Pinecone
Stock and orders
- Shopify and Shopify POS
- WooCommerce
- Lightspeed
- Square
- Your EPOS API
Bookings
- Google Calendar
- Microsoft Outlook
- Calendly
- Your booking system
Inbox and marketing
- Zendesk
- Gorgias
- HubSpot
- Klaviyo
- n8n
- Make
Who it’s for
WhatsApp chatbots for UK retailers
What customers message about differs by what you sell, so the flows and hand-off rules do too.
Independent shopsStock questions, holds and opening hours.Fashion & clothingSizes by branch, back-in-stock and exchanges.Furniture & homewareLead times, delivery slots and reminders.Pet shopsStock, repeat orders and grooming bookings.Bike shopsWorkshop bookings and ready-to-collect updates.Online retailersOrder updates and returns on WhatsApp and web chat.
FAQ
WhatsApp chatbot for retail FAQs
Straight answers to what buyers ask before they sign.
Still have a question?
Ask us directly. A senior engineer reads every question.
Ask about your projectHow much does a WhatsApp chatbot for retail cost?
A custom retail WhatsApp chatbot from SpiderHunts starts from £5,000 to set up, with optional monthly support from £200. Meta charges for some template messages and AI usage is billed by the provider; both are estimated in your quote. The cost depends mainly on how many systems it connects to and how many branches it covers.
Can we message customers on WhatsApp whenever we like?
No. Customers must opt in before you send them messages they have not asked for. When a customer messages you, you can reply freely for 24 hours from their last message. Outside that window you can only send templates Meta has approved, such as order updates or back-in-stock alerts, and customers can opt out at any time.
Can we keep our existing WhatsApp number?
Usually. A number already used on the WhatsApp Business app can normally be moved onto the WhatsApp Business Platform, but the options and what changes in the app depend on your set-up. Some retailers prefer a new dedicated number for the chatbot. We check this with you during discovery, before anything is switched over.
Can it check stock in our shops?
Yes, if your stock lives in a system with an API, such as Shopify POS, Lightspeed, Square or your own EPOS. It checks by product, size and branch, and can offer to hold an item where your process allows. If stock is only in a spreadsheet or on paper, we’ll say whether connecting it is worth it.
Is a WhatsApp chatbot UK GDPR compliant?
It can be built to support UK GDPR requirements, but compliance depends on how you use it. We record each customer’s opt-in, honour opt-outs, send only the data needed to the AI model, set retention with you and agree data processing terms in writing. Meta’s own WhatsApp terms apply alongside your obligations.
Will customers know it’s a bot, and can they reach a person?
Yes. We recommend it says it is an automated assistant at the start of a conversation, and customers can ask for a person at any point. It passes the chat to the right branch or team member in your shared inbox with the history attached, so nobody has to repeat themselves.
Start here
Book a free retail WhatsApp chatbot consultation
Tell us how customers contact your shops today. We’ll walk you through how it would work, tell you honestly what a WhatsApp chatbot could take off your team, and give you a realistic range.
- You tell us what you needTwo minutes on the form, or a message on WhatsApp.
- A senior engineer reviews itAnd comes back with questions, a realistic range and an honest view on fit.
- Free 30-minute scoping callWe talk through scope, options and a realistic estimate, with no obligation.
Thanks, that’s with us.
A senior engineer reads every enquiry and will reply as soon as they can.
Want to take it further now?
Book a time that suits you, or send a message on WhatsApp.