Buddy for retail
Stop posting new arrivals nobody sees. Get regulars through the door.
Promo emails sit unopened and posts sink in the feed while the shop waits for Saturday. On WhatsApp, new arrivals and in-store events reach your regulars in minutes, and they reply to hold one.
For shops, boutiques and retail chains: owners, store managers and the marketing team
The owner, the shop floor and marketing, talking to customers on one channel.
Owners: a Saturday you can count
Send the new arrivals on Thursday evening, see who read it by Friday, and count who walked in on Saturday. No more guessing how busy it will be.
Read within the hourShop floor: the restock they asked for
A customer asks for a size you don't have. Tag them. When it lands, one message reaches everyone who asked, and the pair sells before it reaches the shelf.
"Do you have it in blue?"Question"Save me one"Interested"Still waiting on my order"Follow upMarketing: every reply in one inbox
Replies arrive sorted by what people mean, a question, a yes, a complaint, and whoever is on the floor answers in the same thread. The shared shop phone can finally rest.
She bought a coat here in October.Your winter collection email went to her promotions tab. Your WhatsApp message was read on her walk home, and she came back.
Your regulars don't ignore you. They ignore the inbox.
The promo email lands in promotions, the post sinks in the feed, and the poster in the window only reaches people already walking past. The same regular checks WhatsApp all day and replies in seconds.
From the till to their WhatsApp in three steps.
One QR code by the card machine. After that, the follow-up runs itself.
Opt in at the till
A customer scans the QR by the card machine or on the receipt, picks what they want to hear about, and they're in.
Elena R. joined from the receipt · consent recordedSort by what they shop for
Tags turn into audiences: regulars, asked about an item, lives nearby, quiet since spring.
Regulars · 5+ visitsLoyaltyAsked about the bootsRestockNear the shopLocal offerOpted outNever messagedSend, automate, reply
The welcome sends itself. New arrivals go out as a WhatsApp message. Every reply comes back to one inbox.
Elena replied "Save me one" → tagged InterestedFour messages your shop sends in its first week.
Each is an approved template with the customer's name in it, and every reply comes straight back to the shop.
Marlow & CoBusiness accountMarlow & CoBusiness account
Marlow & CoBusiness accountMarlow & CoBusiness accountSet them up once. Saturdays fill.
Regulars who come back, not just sign up.
A welcome the moment they scan at the till, new arrivals every Thursday, a restock message when the thing they asked about lands. Each flow stops the moment they reply.
Elena R.Came inLocal offers for the people around the corner.
Tag the customers near each shop, send Saturday's offer on Friday evening, and see who read it and who came in.
Customers opt in at the till and leave with one word. Buddy keeps a record of both.
"Do you have it in blue?"QuestionOne inbox, every reply sorted for you.
Interested, question, follow up, not now. Whoever is on the floor answers in the thread.
Consent as simple as a receipt.
Every opt-in is saved with where and when it happened: the till, the receipt, your website. One word from the customer stops everything, and that is saved too.
Elena R.Opted inOwners, managers and the floor, each with a role.
Invite the team. Everyone sees exactly what they need.
Your number's health, in view.
WhatsApp's quality rating and messaging limits, right inside Buddy.
What every shop owner asks before the QR goes by the till.
Anything else, ask Sarah.She reads and replies to every message.
Will our customers find it pushy?
Only people who opted in hear from you, and they chose what to hear about when they scanned the code. Buddy saves every opt-in and stops everything the moment someone replies STOP. A message about the things they asked for feels like service, not spam.
How do customers opt in at the till?
Print the QR code from Buddy and put it by the card machine or on the receipt. Scanning opens your opt-in page, where the customer picks what they want to hear about. You can also add the widget to your website, add people from your own till or app with one API call, or import people who already said yes.
Can we tell someone when the item they asked about is back?
Yes. Tag them with what they asked about. When it lands, send a WhatsApp message with a photo to everyone with that tag. Their replies come back to your inbox so you can put one aside.
Who answers the replies?
Anyone you invite. Replies land in one inbox sorted by what people mean, a question, a yes, a complaint, and your team answers in the thread with their own roles. The shared shop phone can rest.
How does Buddy handle customer data?
Buddy is built for GDPR. You choose which fields come in, consent and opt-outs are kept on record with their source, and our DPA and privacy policy set out the rest.
What does WhatsApp charge for these messages?
Meta charges for business messages by type and country. Buddy's own plan is separate from that.
Let's fill the shop this Saturday.
Join the waitlist and tell us about your shop. We'll send back the plays that fit it.
