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WhatsApp in 2025: What Real Deployments Reveal and Why Logistics Should Care

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WhatsApp in 2025: What Real Deployments Reveal and Why Logistics Should Care

The WhatsApp Business Platform is enabling organisations to expand customer communication, automate repetitive processes and deliver more direct, conversational engagement. Across sectors including retail, aviation, logistics and public services, WhatsApp is now embedded within everyday operations.

Enhanced Customer Support and Efficiency

Organisations are increasingly transferring high-volume, routine queries into automated WhatsApp channels. This approach allows human agents to focus on complex issues while providing customers with faster responses.

Retail performance: A 2025 audit of 25 UK retailers found that those using WhatsApp for customer service achieved a 58 per cent higher responsiveness score than those without. Retailers included John Lewis, Next, B&Q and Marks & Spencer.

Logistics support: DHL UK operates a 24/7 WhatsApp Digital Assistant to manage parcel tracking, delivery notifications and customer queries.

Technology services: Lenovo created a WhatsApp chatbot using WhatsApp Flows to manage technical appointment scheduling across Southeast Asia. Compared with its website, the chatbot generated an 8.2 times higher booking conversion rate and a 44.5 per cent increase in overall engagement, demonstrating WhatsApp’s potential to simplify complex operational processes.

Streamlined E-commerce, Promotions and Transactional Messaging

WhatsApp has become an effective tool for post-purchase communication, promotional campaigns and transactional notifications.

Order tracking: DHL UK’s digital assistant significantly reduces “Where is my order?” calls, easing demand on contact centres.

  • instamotion, a used car platform, introduced WhatsApp as an opt-in contact channel in 2024, achieving a 19 per cent response rate and a 116 per cent increase in conversions from enquiries to sales.

  • METRO, a food wholesaler, secured 10,000 subscribers in six months through a double opt-in process, achieving click-through rates above 18 per cent.

Promotions at scale: Carrefour, the multinational hypermarket chain, has replaced printed catalogues with digital versions delivered through WhatsApp. Customers scan a QR code, provide a postcode and instantly receive a tailored catalogue for their local store. Carrefour reports a 35 per cent increase in engagement compared with email catalogues, with users spending an average of three minutes browsing within WhatsApp. Seventy-five per cent of customers who already use the Carrefour app also engage on WhatsApp, positioning the platform as a natural extension of its digital ecosystem.

Creative marketing: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) developed a WhatsApp-based video game, The Tree of Hope, as an interactive awareness campaign. Using automated chat responses, players were guided through choices in an adventure-style format. The campaign achieved a 30 per cent completion rate, demonstrating that WhatsApp can host interactive experiences alongside service and promotional communications.

WhatsApp Channels: A New Way to Broadcast

WhatsApp has become the most used social platform in the UK. By 2025, Channels were widely adopted following their launch in 2023 and expansion in 2024. Channels enable organisations to broadcast updates via the Updates tab without intruding on private chats. They are one-way only: administrators can post messages, images, videos and polls, while followers can react but cannot reply.

This makes Channels a powerful tool for announcements, reminders and exclusive content. Unlike group chats, they remain uncluttered and preserve user privacy.

Current examples include:

  • NHS England, which launched an official Channel in August 2025 and gained 24,000 followers in its first month. It shares health alerts, seasonal advice and myth-busting content.

  • The UK Government, which introduced a Channel in 2024 to distribute public information.

  • The European Commission, which uses a Channel to share EU news updates.

  • Rangers Football Club, the first Scottish club to open a Channel, providing direct updates on fixtures and team news.

  • The Gym Group, currently piloting a Channel to offer opt-in updates on local gyms, training tips and events such as the Gym Group Games. The pilot has been communicated directly to members by email, with a wider announcement expected later.

Personalised Marketing and Engagement

WhatsApp remains a highly effective platform for conversational marketing and creative engagement.

instamotion and METRO both achieved higher response and conversion rates through opt-in WhatsApp campaigns.

Universal Pictures launched an interactive WhatsApp campaign to promote its horror film M3GAN. Participants could chat with an AI version of the main character, receiving themed updates and trailers. The campaign delivered 92 per cent read rates and 59 per cent engagement, more than double the film promotion industry average.

Meta’s new features: In 2025, Meta introduced advertising in the Updates and Status sections, along with subscription options for exclusive content. While private chats remain ad-free and fully encrypted, experts have noted that excessive advertising could risk making the platform feel overly commercial, potentially affecting user trust.

Early and Emerging Sector Applications

Travel: British Airways began offering free in-flight messaging, including WhatsApp, for Executive Club members on Wi-Fi-enabled aircraft in March 2024. Hotels are also trialling WhatsApp concierge services.

Finance: Financial institutions are exploring WhatsApp for secure alerts, transaction notifications and surveys, although regulatory caution remains.

Healthcare: Beyond NHS Channels, healthcare providers are testing WhatsApp for appointment reminders and follow-ups to help reduce missed appointments.

Risks and Compliance

The expansion of WhatsApp into enterprise operations is not without risks. In 2025, the Scottish Government banned its use for official business after the UK Covid Inquiry revealed that ministers had deleted WhatsApp messages, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability.

This incident highlights the need for robust data retention and compliance frameworks when using WhatsApp for business communication. The same applies to new advertising features: they should be implemented carefully to preserve user trust and prevent over-commercialisation.

Conclusion

WhatsApp is evolving rapidly from a personal messaging service into a central channel for customer engagement, marketing and operational communication. Real-world deployments demonstrate its ability to increase efficiency, enhance creativity and deliver trusted, scalable interaction across industries.

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