WhatsApp has been approaching the business world for a long time, and in the last few hours it has activated a new function that allows some users to find nearby stores and restaurants for them from within the application, as in a yellow pages service. We explain what this new function is like and what steps must be taken to make it work.
The yellow pages are coming to WhatsApp: This is how you can search for stores and restaurants
WhatsApp’s new function to search for services is something that for the moment will only be active in Brazil , and to be precise in the city of Sao Paulo : here the messaging platform has begun to compile a database of stores with their addresses and phone numbers that can be accessed directly from WhatsApp. The experiment has been launched in the last hours, but if it is successful it could soon cross the borders of the South American country to debut in other countries and it is hoped that it will also reach Spain.
This is how WhatsApp’s “yellow pages” work
WhatsApp’s new feature takes the form of a button called “Nearby Stores” within the app, which can be found in the normal address book under the “New Group” and “New Contact” items. When a user taps the button, a list of categories such as clothing, restaurants, food, retail, workshops and much more opens. Within each item, the stores in the district that correspond to that particular category are listed, listed by distance from the point where it is located at the time of consultation. Once we have found the desired store, you can view its profile and showcase of products and services offered, or directly open a conversation with the managers.
The idea is that through the interface proposed by the developers , users end up placing orders or reservations that lead to a final purchase in the listed stores. And even if at this moment this last step is carried out outside of WhatsApp, it is no mystery that the messaging application intends to one day also offer the opportunity to make payments directly from within.
In fact, the app already has a function related to payments, although at the moment it is only limited to India, where it can be used to make transfers in a similar way to Bizum since November last year, as well as precisely in Brazil.
