- Eroski Smart Shop allows you to shop via WhatsApp using AI and receive your order in approximately one hour.
- The service starts as a pilot project in nine stores in Bilbao, with a one-year trial period to adjust the model.
- The tool supports text, voice notes and images, suggests menus and recipes and prioritizes the cheapest option by default.
- The initiative is based on the rise of quick commerce and the massive use of WhatsApp as a communication channel in Europe.
The Eroski distribution chain has launched a new shopping service via WhatsApp powered by artificial intelligenceWith this initiative, Eroski aims to make buying everyday products simpler and faster. This proposal, called Eroski Smart Shop, is launching as a pilot program in Bilbao and combines conversation, automation, and home delivery with very tight turnaround times.
With this move, the cooperative fully embraces the trend of transform grocery shopping into a conversational experienceLeveraging one of the most widely used channels in Europe, the result is a system where customers can create their lists by sending text messages, audio recordings, or even photos, without needing to navigate a website or traditional app.
How Eroski Smart Shop works via WhatsApp
The new service allows the user Start your purchase by simply opening a WhatsApp conversation. With Eroski Smart Shop, it's just like any other interaction. From that moment on, the AI-driven system interprets the requests and automatically builds the order.
The customer can write messages, send voice notes, or attach images, for example, a photo of the handwritten shopping listThe tool analyzes this information, identifies the necessary products and quantities, and generates a detailed basket proposal for the user to review at their leisure.
Once the proposal has been submitted, the user has the option to modify, add or delete items in the conversation itself. The exchange is maintained in the most natural tone possible, as if you were talking to a human assistant, but with the speed and continuous availability that automation provides.
Once the adjustments are complete, you move on to payment process through quick commerce platform integrated into the servicewithout leaving the digital environment. After order confirmation, the system activates preparation and home delivery within approximately one hour, always within the pilot's coverage area.
In addition to simply making the cart, the tool is designed to offer smart menu and recipe suggestions based on preferences, nutritional needs, or budget limits. In this way, not only are products selected, but help is given to plan complete meals adapted to each profile.
Pilot project in Bilbao: nine stores and a one-year trial
For the time being, Eroski has decided to concentrate this new digital experience in BilbaoThe service is available in nine of the cooperative's own establishments. This is an initial validation phase in which customer behavior regarding WhatsApp purchases will be evaluated, along with potential improvements.
The project has been designed as a one-year pilotDuring this period, usage data, preparation times, incidents, and customer reviews will be collected. With this information, the company aims to optimize processes, adjust the operating model, and assess whether it makes sense to expand the initiative to more cities or other store formats.
The choice of Bilbao as a starting point is due both to the cooperative's historical presence in the area and to the possibility of test the service in a densely populated urban environmentThis type of context makes it easier to accurately measure the response of very different customer profiles, from young people accustomed to messaging to older people who already use WhatsApp daily.
During this stage, Eroski has set itself the goal not only of refining the technology, but also adjust the user experience to make it intuitiveThe company wants to test, for example, how customers feel talking to an automated system for something as sensitive as grocery shopping and what kind of additional support they need.
If the pilot results are positive, the cooperative plans to study a possible expansion of the model to other geographical areas, maintaining the combination of conversational channel, AI and fast delivery that characterizes Eroski Smart Shop.
A conversational, personalized, and fast buying model
The heart of this proposal lies in the idea that shopping can be as simple as “send a message or have a chat” with the supermarketThrough artificial intelligence, the system tries to understand what the customer needs and returns answers and suggestions that fit that specific context.
In practice, this allows users to request in very different ways: from a closed list (“I need milk, bread, eggs, and fruit for the week.”) to more open-ended requests like “I want ideas for three quick and light dinners for two people.” The tool interprets the intention and puts together a proposal of products or menus.
In addition to flexibility in language, the service is designed to adapt to dietary preferences and restrictionssuch as low-salt diets, gluten-free products, or vegetarian options. This way, the selection is not only automated, but also tailored to the habits and needs of each household.
Another key aspect is speed: by relying on a model of Quick commerce with deliveries in approximately one hourEroski Smart Shop is aimed especially at those who value immediacy. This can be useful both for urgent purchases and for stocking up on groceries without having to go to the physical store.
The combination of natural conversation, personalization, and speed places this service within the trends that are redefining food distribution in Spain and other European marketswhere the boundary between the digital and the physical is becoming increasingly blurred.
Prioritize saving without losing freedom of choice
One of the system's distinguishing features is how it manages references when the customer doesn't specify a particular brand. In these cases, Eroski configures the most economical product option available by default. that meets the generic request, which makes it easier to control spending without having to compare each item individually.
If the user knows they want a specific brand, they simply need to indicate it in the conversation for it to be chosen. the system selects that specific productAlthough it's not the cheapest in its category, this maintains a balance between savings and freedom of choice, allowing for quite fine-tuning directly from the chat.
This approach aligns with the cooperative's positioning, which emphasizes its commitment to savings and accessibility, while also offering alternatives for those who prioritize specific characteristics or labels in food, such as certain brands, formats or ranges.
The fact that everything is resolved within WhatsApp contributes to making budget management more transparent: The person can see the updated total amount. As you add or remove products, check prices and changes, and ask for another proposal if you want to explore different options or quantities.
For many households, this type of experience can mean a relief in the task of planning the weekly shoppingBy delegating part of the work of selecting and comparing items to AI, always with the possibility of reviewing and validating before closing the order.
A context marked by digitalization and quick commerce
Eroski's decision to launch this solution did not occur in a vacuum, but in an environment where The influence of digital channels on food is growing.A study by CNBC International cited by the company indicates that around 81% of food product sales are already influenced by digital media, whether in the search, planning or repurchase phase.
This means that, although the purchase may end up in different channels (physical supermarket, web, app, express delivery), The decision of what to buy and where to buy it is greatly influenced by the previous use of online tools.From checking offers to saving recurring lists, the importance of digital technology is now difficult for distributors to ignore.
This trend is further compounded by the rise of quick commerce, with annual growth rates of double digits in several markets in southern and western Europewhere the rapid delivery of everyday consumer goods has become increasingly common. The high frequency of food orders reinforces the role of these services.
In this scenario, proposals like Eroski Smart Shop seek combining the habit of instant messaging with the convenience of express deliveryThe idea is to integrate into existing routines, rather than asking the user to adopt new platforms or more complex processes.
For distribution chains, these types of projects also function as innovation labs, where it is tested to what extent people are willing to delegate to artificial intelligence tasks that were traditionally done manually, such as choosing brands or adjusting quantities to stay within budget.
WhatsApp as a key channel in Spain and Europe
The use of WhatsApp The support for this service responds to an obvious reality: the messaging application has become a central communication tool in more than 100 countrieswith more than 3.000 billion active users each month globally.
In Europe, and particularly in Spain, its implementation is especially high, to the point that More than half of people over 60 regularly use WhatsAppThis makes it a powerful resource for preventing digitization from leaving behind those who are not comfortable with more complex interfaces.
By relying on such a widespread channel, Eroski attempts reduce barriers to entry for online shoppingThere's no need to learn how to use a new app. remember passwords or navigate through different menus. All that's required is knowing how to send messages, a skill that a large part of the population already possesses.
This approach focuses on digital inclusion, an aspect that is especially relevant when discussing Grocery shopping, a basic service for any householdBy allowing orders to be placed via text, voice, or photos, we cater to people with different preferences and levels of technological familiarity.
For the food distribution sector in Spain and other European countries, initiatives of this kind can open the door to new formats for customer relations, in which Conversation becomes the central focus of the shopping experience, beyond the classic navigation by categories and product lists.
Overall, the launch of Eroski Smart Shop shows how a distribution cooperative is trying to adapt to increasingly digital and convenience-oriented consumption habitsTesting a model in which artificial intelligence, WhatsApp and quick commerce combine to simplify everyday shopping, keeping one eye on saving and the other on personalization.
