Pick n Pay Can Now Serve Millions of Customers on WhatsApp with Clickatell’s Chat Commerce Solution

New instant customer care and self-service options added to the Smart Shopper loyalty programme to access Pick n Pay easily in Chat.

Clickatell (https://bit.ly/3xnA5aF), a leader in mobile communications and chat commerce, has been selected by leading African retailer Pick n Pay to manage their WhatsApp customer communication channel.

Customers can easily access Pick n Pay services by sending “Hi” to +27 60 070 3037. The easy to navigate menu then allows shoppers to choose which action they want to perform.

The Pick n Pay WhatsApp channel currently hosts catalogues, COVID-19 FAQs, store locator, Smart Shopper card services and other customer services options.

This partnership between Pick n Pay and Clickatell enables customers to manage their Smart Shopper status and details via WhatsApp. This includes the ability for its nine million active Smart Shoppers to view their loyalty points balance, block their lost or stolen cards, as well as order card replacements. Also, customers can quickly and easily update their personal details and enter competitions.

“According to Forrester, retail is leading the way in chat adoption, and we are excited to provide an engaging experience for Pick n Pay customers in chat. Consumers love chat and with the broad reach of WhatsApp it is the perfect channel for Pick n Pay to serve their customers,” says Pieter de Villiers, CEO and Co-Founder at Clickatell.

Pick n Pay Smart Shopper has always been a firm favourite with South African shoppers and has recently been named (https://bit.ly/3DY5dAo) as the most used loyalty program in South Africa in the 2021 Truth & BrandMapp SA Loyalty Whitepaper.

“We are constantly looking to improve our customer service and to make it easier for our customers to engage with us. WhatsApp is a popular communication channel so it made sense to launch a chat option for our customers to engage with us whenever they choose. Customers are loving the WhatsApp messaging function and the opportunity to get store or Smart Shopper information within seconds,” says John Bradshaw, Head of Omnichannel at Pick n Pay.

About Clickatell:

We create a better world through technology, making commerce in chat accessible for everyone, everywhere. Consumers can now connect with brands to find goods and services, make purchases, track orders, and resolve issues with a simple text or chat. No need for cash, phone calls, in-person interactions, or apps. Founded in 2000 with now over 10,000 customers, Clickatell is powering the digital commerce transformation through Chat Commerce. Clickatell is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA and has offices in Canada, South Africa, and Nigeria (www.Clickatell.com).

About Pick n Pay:

The Pick n Pay Group is a retail business in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. We operate through multiple store formats under three brands – Pick n Pay, Boxer and TM Supermarkets. Pick n Pay also operates one of the largest online grocery platforms in sub-Saharan Africa. Our honorary life president and consumer champion Raymond Ackerman purchased the first four Pick n Pay stores in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1967. Today, the Pick n Pay Group operates close to 2 000 stores across multiple formats in eight countries across southern Africa, including a 49% investment in TM Supermarkets in Zimbabwe.

Customers are at the heart of our business. Consumer sovereignty informs everything we do, from how we treat our customers, the product range we offer, to how we design our stores. Putting the customer first means we work hard to understand their diverse and changing needs and how we can serve them better.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor