B2B Ordering App for African Retailers and Distributors
A duka in Nairobi or a provision store in Lagos runs short between rep visits. With the B2B Customer App, the owner reorders your brand from a phone or WhatsApp. They see their own price, schemes and balance. The order goes to their distributor, and your reps see it too.
B2B Customer App for complex B2B network
Available on Android, iOS, WhatsApp, and Viber
Tailored access by role: retailers, distributors, influencers
⊢Trusted by AAVA Brands, BUA Foods and Dangote Cement⊣
The short answer
What a B2B ordering app does, and who it suits
A B2B ordering app is an app, or a WhatsApp chat, that a shop owner, stockist, wholesaler or distributor uses to buy from a brand. They open the catalogue, see their own price and the schemes they qualify for, and place the order. It goes to the distributor who serves that shop, and the shop can follow it until it arrives.
It suits brands that sell through distributors and wholesalers to many small outlets: dukas, spaza shops, kiosks, provision stores and open-market stalls. Most orders are repeats, and a rep can only call on each outlet now and then. When a shop runs out in between, it waits for the rep or buys another brand from the next wholesaler. The app lets the owner reorder your brand the same day. Your reps then use their visits for new lines, displays and collections. This is not the app your reps use to take orders on a visit. It is for the customer, and both feed the same account record.
A shop owner looking for a wholesale marketplace that sells many brands needs something else. BeatRoute's B2B Customer App belongs to one brand and carries only its range, prices and schemes. On a public marketplace, the platform decides what the shop sees next and keeps the record of what it buys. With your own app, you keep both.
- Does each shop see its own price, credit limit and schemes, or one list for all?
- Does the order reach the distributor who serves that shop without anyone retyping it?
- Can an owner who will never install an app still order on WhatsApp?
- Do your reps see app orders before their next visit to that outlet?
If any answer is no, some orders will still arrive by phone call and voice note, and your team will keep retyping and chasing them.
Capabilities
What the B2B customer app does for the brand, the shop and the distributor
You set the app up once. Shops and distributors then order and follow up on their own, and you see what the channel is doing.
Set the app up for your channel
Bring every kind of partner onto one app, give each one their own terms, and launch it under your brand.
Sign partners up with a rep or on their own
Shops, wholesalers, distributors, dealers and influencers join by self sign-up or with help from your field team
Give each partner their own price list
Catalogue, prices, credit limits, trade schemes and loyalty rewards are set for each account
Stop orders that break your rules
Minimum quantities, dispatch days and other order rules are checked when the order is placed
Launch the app under your own name
A native app for Android and iOS carries your brand name and logo
Take orders from owners who will not install an app
A WhatsApp bot or a web app (PWA) lets a shop order with nothing to install
Fit the screens to how your trade buys
Layouts, widgets and steps can differ by business and by type of partner
What shops and distributors do in the app
Partners reorder, follow deliveries, claim rewards and report problems themselves, at any hour.
Reorder in a few taps
The Order AI Agent suggests a basket from that partner's past orders and live schemes. They check it and confirm
Follow an order without a phone call
Partners see order status, invoices and their statement of account in the app
Raise a return in the app
Return requests are logged in the app and sync to your ERP or DMS, so everyone works from one record
Watch rewards build up
Points earned, period targets and progress to the next reward show on the home screen
Hear about a scheme while it still runs
Scheme and promo alerts arrive as notifications, so shops do not wait for the next rep visit
Report a problem and see it fixed
Surveys, feedback and issue tickets are raised in the app and followed until they are closed
What the brand sees
See which partners use the app, what each scheme sold and which accounts have gone quiet. The data stays yours.
See who has started using the app
Active partners, how often they order and how use grows over time, for each account
Measure what each scheme sold
Scheme uptake and campaign return are measured against the partners who took part
Brief reps before the visit
Reps see what each partner on their route has ordered, so they spend time on the right accounts
Compare app orders with rep orders
App orders and rep-taken orders compare by territory, partner and period, so you see where self-serve works
Count what partners read and tap
Content views, banner clicks and widget use are counted for each partner
Spot partners who stop ordering
Partners who go quiet are flagged, and a reminder goes out on its own
Your own BeatRoute app or a public marketplace: what changes
Reps, distributors and systems
How app orders reach your distributors and reps
The app takes the routine reorder off the rep's list and hands every order to the distributor who fills it.
Orders go to the right distributor
Each order goes to the distributor who serves that outlet, at the prices and credit terms you set. Nobody retypes it from a call or a chat.
Reps see app orders before the visit
App orders sit in the same account history the rep opens in the field sales app. The visit goes to launches, shelf displays and payments due.
Credit checked at the order
The app reads the partner's credit limit and balance from your ERP or finance system before the order goes through.
Orders, invoices and returns stay in sync
Orders, invoices, returns and scheme claims sync with your ERP or distributor management system.
Resources
Relevant resources
Self-serve B2B ordering and channel engagement, for African trade.
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See what your shops order when they do not have to wait
See the B2B Customer App set up for your channel, built around your distributors, schemes and order rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a B2B ordering app for retailers?
It is an app that lets a shop owner, wholesaler or distributor order from a brand on their phone, instead of waiting for a rep or calling in. They see the catalogue at their own price, apply the schemes they qualify for, place the order and follow it to delivery. BeatRoute's B2B Customer App works as an Android or iOS app with your brand on it, a web app, or a WhatsApp bot. It is different from the field sales app your reps use on a visit, and both feed the same account record.
Who is the B2B Customer App for?
It is for sales and distribution teams at brands that sell through distributors and wholesalers to many dukas, spaza shops, kiosks and provision stores. These teams want partners to place repeat orders themselves. It is not a wholesale marketplace for shop owners, because each app carries one brand's range. To keep shops engaged with rewards and content between orders, see the Retailer App.
Does the app bypass our distributors?
No. Each order goes to the distributor who serves that customer, at the prices and credit terms you set. The distributor still fills and bills the order, and gets it without retyping a call or a chat. The distributor keeps the trade and gains a clear view of demand.
Can shops order over WhatsApp?
Yes. A WhatsApp bot takes the order, and the app holds the catalogue, schemes, balances and order history behind it. Owners who will not install anything can still order the way they already chat with suppliers.
Will it run on a cheap phone with little data?
Yes. The app is light and works on a weak connection. It holds actions on the phone and syncs when signal returns, which matters on a route where data drops in and out.
How do we roll out a B2B ordering app?
Start with a pilot: a few distributors and the outlets they serve, in one city such as Lagos or Nairobi. Load each partner's prices, credit limits and live schemes first, because a wrong price on day one loses trust fast. Have reps sign shops up on a normal visit and place the first order with them in the app. After a few order cycles, compare app orders, reorder gaps and rep time for the pilot outlets against the rest, then widen to more distributors. AAVA Brands, a Nigerian customer, reports 25–30% growth in store-level sellouts with BeatRoute.
How do we get small retailers to use it?
Seeing their own prices, the schemes they qualify for, what they owe and where the last order is brings a shopkeeper back. A mandate does not. Offer WhatsApp for owners who will not install, and let the rep help with the first order. Send scheme alerts through the app so it is worth opening.
Can the app work with our ERP or DMS?
Yes. BeatRoute connects with ERP and distributor management systems, so order booking, invoices and scheme claims stay in sync. Credit notes and balances do too, for shops and distributors.
Will the app replace our field reps?
No. It takes the routine reorder off the rep's list. Reps see app orders in the same account history they use on visits, so the visit can go to new products, displays, collections and shops that have stopped ordering. You can compare app orders with rep orders by territory to see where self-serve works.