North West Wholesale

North West Wholesale is a delivered wholesaler based in Burscough, Lancashire, and a member of the Sugro UK buying group. It supplies retail outlets, forecourts and smaller wholesale operations.

The business has spent two years investing in digital, with online ordering and WhatsApp marketing through ProConnect. In 2026 it used ProConnect to create its own AI service agent inside its WhatsApp channel, answering the everyday questions its office used to take by phone.

Retail Manager Lee Norris says the team was taking 50 to 100 calls a day on product and delivery enquiries, and estimates that has halved since the agent went live.

“We’ve invested a lot of time in the last two years into digital because that’s what our customers want from us,” said Managing Director Tom Lumsden. “AI is the next step of the journey for us. It’ll improve communication, save time and also help on costs.”

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AI customer service in numbers

50–100

enquiry calls a day before the AI service agent

Halved

the team’s estimate of those calls since it went live

24/7

answers for retailers on WhatsApp

Answering retailers on WhatsApp with AI

How does North West Wholesale use AI?

North West Wholesale used the AI conversation tool in ProConnect to create its own service agent inside its WhatsApp channel. It answers the questions retailers ask every day, such as minimum order quantities and how to place an order. A retailer who asks how to order gets a link to the North West Wholesale app in the reply.

“I think the AI is saving us the most time in the business, through the frequently asked questions that we get on a daily basis,” said Retail Manager Lee Norris. “We get around 50 to 100 calls per day on product enquiries, delivery enquiries. Since we’ve started using the AI technology, I’d say it’s halved.”

The team also asks the AI its own questions inside ProConnect. “We’re a lot more data driven,” Lee said. “We can ask the AI questions, for example: with the upcoming weather forecast, what products should we be promoting? That comes back with detailed information as to past campaigns, what worked well, what didn’t.”

How did the Mondelēz product launch work?

North West Wholesale partnered with Mondelēz, with Sugro’s support, on the launch of its new Grab and Go bars. The WhatsApp messages gave retailers access to an AI agent, so they could ask about the new product and get an answer straight away, at any hour.

Retailers asked what Grab and Go bars are, where to site them, and how they differ from singles, blocks and duos.

“I’ve been in this industry for over 25 years. This is the first I’ve ever seen an NPD being promoted this way, and I think it’s a great way of doing it,” Lee said. “It gives great insight for both the wholesaler and the manufacturer.”

How much work was involved?

“It took very little work because ProConnect and Sugro helped us develop this, so we could focus on using the technology and see how it can benefit our customers,” said Tom Lumsden. “We’ve seen customers give really good feedback in terms of the AI.”

Where does North West Wholesale see AI going?

“AI is going to take away a lot of the repetitive tasks that sales agents or general staff have to do, and will allow staff to concentrate on the things that are most integral to the business, which is maintaining relationships and developing new relationships,” Tom said.

“I think the wholesalers that don’t embrace AI will potentially fall to the back of the pack, because AI is a multi-tool. You can ask it anything, and if it’s linked up to your system, it can provide you with instant answers.”