Quickly sending a message to Bakker Bart, and having a delicious breakfast delivered moments later, that’s now possible at this well-known Dutch breakfast and lunch spot. We spoke to E-Commerce Director Jop van Sommeren and Marketer Noa van Engeland from Bakker Bart about starting with WhatsApp as a new platform.
What Is the Reason You Started With WhatsApp Commerce at Conversation24?
‘Actually, that idea kind of came on our radar via Tikkie business. Then the idea arose to start a pilot for ordering in WhatsApp. We think it is important to be present in as many places as possible where the customer also is. So for our delivery service, we want to deliver to as many postcodes as possible, and participate on as many platforms as possible.’
‘We already do this on our own website, Thuisbezorgd.nl, Ubereats and Deliveroo. WhatsApp is another new way of ordering for us which we would like to try out. For instance, to see whether it contributes to increasing the number of orders and to future-proof our formula. We also want to make the connection between the shop and online. So there are actually several reasons to start with it.’
‘WhatsApp is a new way of ordering for us that we would like to try out. To see if it increases the number of orders and to future-proof our formula. We also want to make the connection between our offline and online shop.’
In What Way Will Bakker Bart Start Using It?
‘We have chosen to start offering our breakfasts in the app. Say, for example, on Sundays or holidays like Mother’s Day, a shop is closed but wants to deliver breakfast, they can do so via WhatsApp. Then the shop doesn’t have to be open, but they can still continue to deliver. So we will start with the breakfast group, but we can of course expand this later to maybe lunch etc.’
How Important Is It for You to Use as Many Channels as Possible for Orders?
‘We see more and more that guests are no longer just walking the high streets and buying in shops, but are increasingly ordering from home. Think, for example, of home workers, breakfasts on special days or business group lunches. All those customer journeys you want to be able to serve, of course.’
WhatsApp Is Now One of the Most Popular Messaging Platforms. In What Way Can a Channel Like WhatsApp Add Specific Value for Bakker Bart?
‘We still see it a bit as a direct ordering platform for our products. Also more for the stores who don’t do that much with their webshop. But maybe in time it could also become a marketing channel for us. Then it might replace our email newsletter, or become a nice addition to email marketing.’
‘But for now it’s just purely like ‘I want to order breakfast now, and I know I can do it via WhatsApp with the Bakker Bart in my neighbourhood’. That should be a lot easier and faster than doing it through a webshop. And the payment via Tikkie is just very quick for the customer, because they just get a payment request.’
‘For now, we still see it as a direct ordering platform for our products. But maybe in time it could also become a marketing channel. Maybe it will replace our email newsletter, or become a nice addition to email marketing.’
What Are the Results You Hope For?
‘We haven’t really set a target yet, but I am very curious to see how it all goes and also how other entrepreneurs experience it. And maybe it’s a great solution for business breakfasts or holidays, maybe that works better than through our own webshop. So for us it’s still a bit of learning by doing and seeing what works well for us.’
Ordering via WhatsApp Is Also a New Experience for Customers, Is There a Particular Way Bakker Bart Plans to Communicate It to Customers?
‘We are still taking a look at how we want to communicate it on our website. We want to learn from the pilot first, in a relatively limited scope with only a few shops and create more communication and marketing around it. Think banners for on social media channels and flyers at business parks and in-store. That customers know if the shop is closed, that they will be open for breakfast delivery.’
Also Start Selling via WhatsApp With Conversation24
Do you want to sell your products via an additional channel, like Bakker Bart? Or do you want to use WhatsApp to improve communication with your customers? At Conversation24, we can advise you on how to improve the customer experience and increase your conversion rate using chat channels like WhatsApp. Click here to contact us or start your free trial right away.
