Gupshup Launches WhatsApp-based Commerce Solution to Enable Mobile Storefronts for All Businesses

Gupshup Launches WhatsApp-based Commerce Solution to Enable Mobile Storefronts for All Businesses
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Gupshup Launches WhatsApp-based Commerce Solution to Enable Mobile Storefronts for All Businesses

Gupshup Launches WhatsApp-based Commerce Solution to Enable Mobile Storefronts for All Businesses

Gupshup, the leader in conversational messaging, today announced the launch of a WhatsApp-based commerce solution that can enable any business to create a digital “storefront” on WhatsApp. Businesses can enable conversational journeys across every stage of the buying process: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase. Based on WhatsApp’s recently launched commerce capability, Gupshup can help a business manage the complete buying experience on WhatsApp. With more than two billion active monthly users in 180 countries using WhatsApp, it is the ideal conversational commerce platform for businesses. This full-featured commerce solution also leverages Gupshup's recently launched 1-Click Bill Pay feature, which enables businesses to collect payments via WhatsApp and other messaging apps.

With Gupshup’s WhatsApp-based commerce solution, a business can create a product catalog on WhatsApp, converse with customers via AI-powered chatbots for product discovery, guide them through checkout and payment, and support them 24/7 with chatbots and live agents. New interactive elements such as multi-product messages make it simpler for businesses to showcase their offerings through the store’s catalog.

This enables businesses to present their offerings through structured experience with images and organized product details. Customers can also add preferred items to their carts on WhatsApp, interact with the businesses in real time, and make payment through Gupshup’s recently launched 1-Click Bill Pay link, all without leaving the chat window. Many businesses already leverage WhatsApp for pre-purchase and post-purchase journeys, and with the newly available Commerce features, they can now manage the entire buying journey for customers on the world’s most popular messaging app.

A few interesting facts about WhatsApp for Business 1:
“Gupshup offers the most advanced, comprehensive, and easy-to-use conversational commerce platform,” said Gaurav Kachhawa, Chief Product Officer, Gupshup. “Our goal is to enable every business, large and small, to get started with commerce through WhatsApp quickly and easily as well as realize the full potential of this capability to transform their business.”

“As one of the earliest Solution Provider partners of WhatsApp, we have already helped thousands of businesses across the world go live on WhatsApp Business. Our knowledgeable sales and solutions teams, along with a network of global partners, help businesses accelerate their digital transformation,” explained Ravi Sundararajan, COO, Gupshup. “We are seeing strong demand for the new Commerce features, and the early results for businesses are promising. This is certainly going to revolutionize the way businesses conduct e-commerce.”



Nintendo Switch Software to Be Playable on Successor Device

A logo of Nintendo is seen at a store in Shibuya district in Tokyo November 5, 2024. (AFP)
A logo of Nintendo is seen at a store in Shibuya district in Tokyo November 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Nintendo Switch Software to Be Playable on Successor Device

A logo of Nintendo is seen at a store in Shibuya district in Tokyo November 5, 2024. (AFP)
A logo of Nintendo is seen at a store in Shibuya district in Tokyo November 5, 2024. (AFP)

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said on Wednesday that software for the company's Switch console would be playable on the successor device.

The Kyoto-based gaming company has said it plans to make an announcement about a successor device during the financial year ending March 2025 but has not provided further details.

"Nintendo Switch is currently being played with by many customers so we decided it would be optimal for them to be able to play their Switch software on the successor model," Furukawa said.

"Customers will be able to enjoy the games they own and choose their next title from the lineup of games already on the market," Furukawa told a management policy briefing.

Offering backwards compatibility could help encourage consumers to transition to the new device and boost the appeal of existing software.

"It's not a big surprise but might be another hint the next device will be similar to the current one," said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy.

Nintendo has sold more than 1.3 billion software units for the Switch, which is in its eighth year on the market and has an install base of more than 145 million units.

The Kyoto-based gaming company has had success in extending the lifecycle of the hybrid home-portable Switch with hit games and a series of hardware refreshes.

Hardware sales are losing steam, with Nintendo on Tuesday cutting its full-year sales Switch forecast by 7% to 12.5 million units ahead of the key year-end shopping season.

"We are not surprised by the miss on the (hardware) side, given that Nintendo's target markets appear fairly saturated in most geographies," Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal wrote in a client note.

"Software sales picked up in 2Q and are expected to continue in 3Q," Goyal wrote.

Nintendo sold 39.6 million software units in the second quarter ended September, a 29% increase compared to three months earlier.

The company's shares climbed 6% in Tokyo, compared to a 3% rise in the benchmark index.