WhatsApp aspires to be a ‘superapp’: so you can buy without leaving the messaging application

The dream of Meta, the former Facebook, is for WhatsApp to become one of the main shopping channels in the world. Being able to go to WhatsApp to buy anything without leaving the application, such as eating groceries. A dream that is still distant in Spain but is already a reality in other countries, such as India.

According to  The Verge,  WhatsApp users in that country can now buy groceries through the platform without leaving the app. And it is that Meta has announced an integration with the company JioMart, a local e-commerce firm. By sending a simple “Hello” to a number, WhatsApp will allow users to buy said groceries as if they were in a supermarket.

According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the idea of ​​business through messaging and its experiences are the way forward for both users and communication between consumers and businesses “for years to come.” This integration will be enabled in the app, in a part of WhatsApp for browsers, and will integrate everything from payment selection to delivery, all within WhatsApp.

Buy food by WhatsApp

The idea is simple: purchase WhatsApp, meaning the user does not need to leave the application or use any other app at any time. JioMart is one of the best allies for this purpose in India since it belongs to Reliance, one of the most important telephone and economic services companies in the entire country.

For years, WhatsApp has introduced ways to buy and sell products, but more from the catalog of unique products. It is being developed thanks to its business variant,  WhatsApp Business,  although Meta is not hiding its intention to integrate many more services into WhatsApp.

The system follows the same philosophy as the rest of WhatsApp purchases. A catalog with product categories will be enabled, and buyers will be able to add items to the cart and make the payment, all without leaving the WhatsApp chat, which will remain practically intact in terms of design.

It is not the first time that Meta has carried out this change in countries such as India or other areas of Latin America, such as Brazil. These projects are the prelude to the future of WhatsApp: making the messaging app par excellence useful for chatting, shopping, booking flights, and much more. In short, convert WhatsApp into your shopping center on your smartphone.

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