Latest News

Feast your eyes on the latest news and opinions coming out of b2b.store. Want to find out more about anything you see? Drop us an email to hello@b2b.store.

Wholesale sales office at dawn, the first calls already answered before staff arrive

Switch off the answerphone: the ProConnect Service Agent now answers the phone

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Customer Engagement, Service, Wholesale Rob Mannion, October 21, 2026

Voice agents are finally ready for the trade: British voice, conversational speed, works on your existing number. And a zero-risk way to try one alongside your answerphone.

» Read more

36% clicked in 24 hours: one WhatsApp promotion to 8,540 retailers, against a 3% email average

WhatsApp vs email: which gets trade buyers clicking?

Blog, WhatsApp, Wholesale ProConnect Team, October 8, 2026

One promotion to 8,540 retailers, measured retailer by retailer: who read it, who clicked, and how it compares with every benchmark we could find.

» Read more

Hand holding a smartphone in a cash and carry aisle

How to bring WhatsApp into your business

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp ProConnect Team, October 7, 2026

Nine in ten people already use WhatsApp. Here is a simple, three-step way to implement it in your business: start with inbound customer service, then add marketing and utility.

» Read more

Animation: ProConnect Commerce store zooming into a supplier-sponsored Halloween Stock-Up AI Insight

Another great new feature for ProConnect Commerce: supplier-sponsored AI Insights

Artificial Intelligence, B2B.Store, Blog, Ecommerce, Suppliers ProConnect Team, October 4, 2026

AI Insights in ProConnect Commerce help retailers plan what to buy. Now suppliers can sponsor them, giving wholesalers a new source of supplier funding from their online store.

» Read more

Where does your WhatsApp customer service score?

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp, Wholesale ProConnect Team, September 28, 2026

Score your B2B WhatsApp customer service from 0 to 10 – from unanswered messages to orders, payments and proactive support – and see how ProConnect helps wholesalers and suppliers move up the scale.

» Read more

B2B Store insights bar showing weather, sport, seasonal and event prompts alongside stocked products

A smarter path to purchase: bringing AI-powered context to B2B ordering

Artificial Intelligence, B2B.Store, Blog, Ecommerce ProConnect Team, September 16, 2026

Our latest B2B Store update connects what’s happening in the world with what’s available to buy—helping retailers spot opportunities as they shop.

» Read more

WhatsApp Flow survey on a phone, created in seconds with ProConnect

Build a WhatsApp Flow in seconds, not days

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, WhatsApp ProConnect Team, September 15, 2026

ProConnect's AI Flow creator turns a one-line brief into a finished, compliant WhatsApp Flow in seconds — surveys, registrations and orders, with no Meta Business Platform and no developer.

» Read more

Introducing ProConnect Loyalty: turn purchases into points, and shelf space into repeat business

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Buying Group, Loyalty, Suppliers, Wholesale ProConnect Team, September 15, 2026

ProConnect Loyalty is b2b.store’s new AI-first loyalty module. Suppliers fund the rewards, wholesalers and buying groups host the programme, and retailers earn points for what they buy and what they put on the shelf.

» Read more

Understanding the ROI of WhatsApp in your business

Blog ProConnect Team, September 4, 2026

Early adopters of WhatsApp for business ran on instinct. The next stage needs a clearer view of what the channel costs and what it gives back, use case by use case.

» Read more

Business customers completing a mobile survey in a wholesale environment

What happens when you send a B2B customer survey through WhatsApp?

Blog, Customer Engagement, Insight, WhatsApp, Wholesale ProConnect Team, July 28, 2026

A large wholesaler has used WhatsApp to survey its customers—and the speed of engagement shows why the channel deserves serious attention beyond transactional messaging.

» Read more

Illustration showing customer FAQs being organised into a knowledge base that powers an AI assistant

From FAQs to a Knowledge Base: Give Your AI Assistant Better Answers

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp ProConnect Team, July 24, 2026

An AI assistant can only give customers useful answers if it properly understands your business. That is why ProConnect has replaced FAQs with a more comprehensive Knowledge Base.

» Read more

ProConnect WhatsApp assistant suggesting a substitute product for an unavailable item

Out of Stock, Not Out of Touch

Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp, Wholesale ProConnect Team, July 24, 2026

WhatsApp has quietly become one of the most important channels in B2B — and the latest update to ProConnect lets you run fully automated outbound campaigns on it.

» Read more

First Impressions Sell blog preview image

First Impressions Sell: Why Great Imagery Is Now Non-Negotiable in B2B E-Commerce

Artificial Intelligence, Blog ProConnect Team, July 3, 2026

It takes about 50 milliseconds for a visitor to form an opinion of your digital store — and research from Stanford suggests 94% of that first impression comes down to design, not content.

» Read more

Putting AI-powered WhatsApp to work: from FAQs to interactive trade marketing

Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp ProConnect Team, June 16, 2026

In our last update we introduced AI-powered inbound WhatsApp on ProConnect: the shift that lets a customer reply to a WhatsApp message and get an immediate, accurate, in-context answer, with a human stepping in only when one is genuinely needed.

» Read more

Welcoming AAH Pharmaceuticals to the b2b.store family

B2B.Store, Blog ProConnect Team, May 22, 2026

AAH Pharmaceuticals, one of the UK's leading pharmaceutical distributors, joins the b2b.store platform.

» Read more

AI latest features: ProConnect’s Image Generator and Demand Alerts

Artificial Intelligence, B2B.Store, Blog, Ecommerce ProConnect Team, May 22, 2026

Create high-fidelity, fully customisable marketing imagery in minutes, directly inside ProConnect.

» Read more

The new b2b store: a modern customer portal, built from the ground up

B2B.Store, Blog, Ecommerce, Open Banking ProConnect Team, May 20, 2026

Our biggest update yet brings customer management, invoicing and Open Banking together inside the upgraded b2b store.

» Read more

New on ProConnect: Automated outbound WhatsApp messaging

Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp ProConnect Team, May 14, 2026

WhatsApp has quietly become one of the most important channels in B2B — and the latest update to ProConnect lets you run fully automated outbound campaigns on it.

» Read more

Ask your data anything: the ProConnect Assistant arrives for e-commerce customers

Artificial Intelligence, B2B.Store, Blog, Customer Engagement, Ecommerce ProConnect Team, May 12, 2026

For the last 12 months, ProConnect customers using WhatsApp have had access to one of the most powerful tools we’ve ever built into the platform: the ProConnect Assistant (previously known as the ProConnect Agent).

» Read more

Open Banking on ProConnect: faster, cheaper invoicing (especially with WhatsApp)

Blog, Credit Control, Customer Engagement, Open Banking ProConnect Team, May 4, 2026

Of all the new features rolling out on ProConnect, Open Banking is the one we shout about the least — and arguably the one with the biggest financial impact.

» Read more

AI-powered inbound WhatsApp: 24/7 customer service on ProConnect

Blog, Customer Engagement, WhatsApp ProConnect Team, April 20, 2026

WhatsApp has quietly become one of the most important channels in B2B customer engagement — and the latest update to ProConnect makes it more useful than ever.

» Read more

How we’re educating the wholesale sector to help tech growth

Blog Chris Evans, April 10, 2026

We don’t like to blow our own trumpet (no, really, it’s just part of the job), but sometimes you just have to give it a blast.

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What’s next in wholesale? The answer is always changing

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, March 16, 2026

It wasn’t the most auspicious welcome to the wholesale sector. But it was significant nonetheless.

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Multi-format ordering arrives in ProConnect

B2B.Store, Blog Chris Evans, March 12, 2026

Customers can now buy products whichever way suits them best, thanks to the roll out of ProConnect’s multi-ordering functionality.

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ISO42001: You lock your cash office, so why leave AI ungoverned?

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, February 26, 2026

You wouldn’t leave your cash office unlocked just because no one has stolen from you yet, would you? This isn’t a trick question – of course you wouldn’t.

» Read more

East N West joins b2b.store to “stay ahead’ of competition

B2B.Store, Blog Chris Evans, February 16, 2026

East N West Cash & Carry Ltd has partnered with b2b.store as part of its national growth plans to double turnover and expand beyond its London base.

» Read more

First wholesale-specific AI guide published by Mars Wrigley and b2b.store

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, February 12, 2026

Food and drink wholesalers are now armed with industry-specific AI advice following the publication of a new guide published by Mars Wrigley and b2b.store.

» Read more

Watch: b2b.store’s AI in Wholesale webinar

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, February 5, 2026

Wholesalers and suppliers were armed with actionable advice to help navigate the adoption of AI in wholesale thanks to a b2b.store webinar.

» Read more

How to create multi-month WhatsApp campaigns in minutes with AI

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, January 29, 2026

Got a brain full of ideas to drive more sales into your business, but are shackled by a lack of time, expertise and budget to get them off the ground?

» Read more

b2b.store launches its own WhatsApp channel

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, January 28, 2026

People working in B2B can now access the latest AI technology updates directly to their phones, after b2b.store launched its own WhatsApp channel.

» Read more

b2b.store’s B2B engagement platform, ProConnect, expands for 2026

B2B.Store, Blog Chris Evans, January 22, 2026

Wholesalers and suppliers can now use a single platform to manage customer engagement, ordering and performance across the entire commercial journey thanks to a major, AI-powered expansion of b2b.store’s ProConnect service.

» Read more

What sort of messages should a business send on WhatsApp?

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, December 19, 2025

Come for WhatsApp’s reach, stay for the different ways the messaging platform can be used.

» Read more

How FMCG suppliers are influencing B2B customers using WhatsApp

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, December 19, 2025

When it comes to shifting more stock in the wholesale channel, one of the key factors that has always hamstrung suppliers when trying to increase sales has been their ability to directly communicate with retailers and foodservice operators.

» Read more

How to generate in-message WhatsApp orders

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, December 17, 2025

Nothing quite compares to the impact WhatsApp Business API can have on your business. From tapping into WhatsApp’s unrivalled engagement figures in a super-quick time to influencing B2B buying decisions, it stands well above other communication tools.

» Read more

b2b.store to host AI in Wholesale webinar

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, December 5, 2025

Wholesalers and suppliers struggling to get to grips with the AI revolution will receive a helping hand thanks to a webinar set to be hosted by b2b.store in February.

» Read more

Quick Commerce playbook published by b2b.store and Mars Wrigley

Blog, consultancy Chris Evans, December 4, 2025

Mars Wrigley and b2b.store have teamed up for the third time to publish a co-branded eB2B Playbook about quick commerce.

» Read more

Wholesalers to receive AI consultancy as Sugro AI Accelerator launches

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, November 17, 2025

Sugro UK wholesale members will receive targeted AI consultancy to help them find new ways to drive sales, greater return on investment and productivity into their business.

» Read more

How do you build a WhatsApp audience in B2B?

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, November 12, 2025

A big part of setting up any new company WhatsApp channel is building a large audience of B2B users to send messages to.

» Read more

b2b.store AI workshop gives Ramsden International “clear direction”

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, November 5, 2025

We trade in the ideas business. So when Ramsden International asked us to host an AI workshop focusing on wholesale uses of new technology, we couldn’t wait to get started.

» Read more

b2b.store and Lumina Intelligence publish 2025 Wholesale Online Report

Blog Chris Evans, October 29, 2025

b2b.store has partnered with Lumina Intelligence to deliver the UK Wholesale Online Report 2025, a data-rich study that charts the evolution of digital commerce across the UK wholesale sector.

» Read more

B2B WhatsApp Insight AI voice agent launched

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, October 16, 2025

Wholesalers and suppliers interested in WhatsApp Business API trends in B2B can now get their hands – and mouths – on an interactive version of b2b.store’s exclusive report, thanks to the launch of its first AI voice agent.

» Read more

Watch: How WhatsApp is driving B2B growth webinar

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, October 13, 2025

If you missed our How WhatsApp is Driving B2B Growth webinar or hadn’t realised it was happening and want to find out more, don’t fret, we’ve got you covered.

» Read more

Watch: How Sandea Wholesale uses b2b.store to grow its business

Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Ecommerce, WhatsApp Chris Evans, October 10, 2025

Sandea Wholesale threw open its doors to welcome cameras in to see how they’ve been using b2b.store’s digital services to aid its growth.

» Read more

What makes a good B2B WhatsApp message?

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, October 9, 2025

How do you get B2B customers to read your WhatsApp messages? If you’re seeing your engagement numbers dwindle, it’s a question that’s bound to be having you tearing your hair out.

» Read more

First B2B-specialist WhatsApp Business API insight report published

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, September 18, 2025

The first ever B2B-specialist WhatsApp Business API insight report has been launched by b2b.store – showcasing how to get the best possible engagement.

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How Sugro and b2b.store combine to serve a national membership

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, September 12, 2025

The dulcet tones of The Jackson Five were definitely on to something.

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Five unmissable B2B WhatsApp insights from ProConnect

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, September 9, 2025

Want to know what’s really making some WhatsApp messages successful and others in the B2B space? Well, wonder no more.

» Read more

b2b.store CEO Rob Mannion calls for AI trade support

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, September 3, 2025

Wholesalers need trade associations to clue up on AI to help them navigate the threats and opportunities new technology poses, according to Rob Mannion.

» Read more

WhatsApp webinar to reveal B2B growth opportunity

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, August 20, 2025

Want to truly understand the impact WhatsApp is having on the sector? Then we’ve got a webinar that will be right up your street!

» Read more

The AI Act is here: AI, cyber threats and ISO 42001 for wholesalers

Artificial Intelligence, Blog Chris Evans, August 13, 2025

b2b.store CEO and founder Rob Mannion sat on a panel of AI experts to discuss the new EU AI Act that came to force in August 2025.

» Read more

How to create a winning B2B WhatsApp strategy

Blog, WhatsApp Chris Evans, August 1, 2025

Simply starting a WhatsApp channel and posting without a plan won’t deliver the best possible return on investment for your spend – that can only be achieved by developing a clear content strategy.

» Read more

Perfect Content brochure launched by Mars Wrigley and b2b.store

Blog, Ecommerce Chris Evans, July 24, 2025

Wholesalers are being given the tools to unleash the full potential of their online-ordering platforms with the second release in the eB2B Playbook series.

» Read more