WhatsApp and AI Agents Are Reshaping Offline Retail Engagement, Says Zithara AI

Hyderabad-based retail technology startup Zithara AI believes conversational commerce platforms such as WhatsApp and AI-powered agents are becoming increasingly important for offline retailers as businesses look to improve customer engagement, retention, and sales attribution.

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Speaking during a recent TelecomTalk Live discussion, Zithara AI founders Varun Kashyap and Sridevi Reddy said many offline retailers continue to face challenges around fragmented customer data, limited visibility into customer behavior, and the growing need for personalized engagement.

Customer Data Remains a Key Challenge

The founders noted that while artificial intelligence has become a major focus area across industries, many retailers are still dealing with a more fundamental problem—customer information scattered across multiple systems. Data generated through websites, social media platforms, messaging applications, billing systems, and physical stores often remains disconnected, making it difficult to build a complete view of the customer journey.

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According to Zithara AI, customer data infrastructure should be the starting point for retailers looking to adopt AI-driven solutions. The company believes a unified customer profile enables businesses to better understand buying patterns, improve engagement strategies, and deliver more relevant communications to customers.

WhatsApp and Conversational Commerce Gain Importance

The company highlighted the growing importance of conversational commerce. Platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram Direct Messages, and Facebook Messenger are increasingly becoming the first point of interaction between businesses and consumers. Zithara AI said customers now frequently begin their purchase journeys through messaging platforms, making these channels a critical component of modern retail engagement strategies.

During the discussion, the founders explained that retailers often interact with the same customer across multiple channels but lack the ability to connect those interactions. By bringing together data from different communication platforms, businesses can gain a clearer understanding of customer interests, engagement history, and purchase intent.

AI Agents Helping Retailers Engage Customers

Another key topic discussed was the role of AI-powered agents. According to the company, AI agents can help retailers engage customers outside normal business hours by answering queries, sharing product information, providing catalog details, and collecting lead information. This allows businesses to remain responsive even when sales teams are unavailable.

Zithara AI also spoke about its use of “intent scoring” to help retailers identify potential buyers. The company said factors such as customer engagement levels, response patterns, and conversation behavior can be used to estimate purchase intent and prioritize sales follow-ups. Such insights, it noted, can help retailers improve conversion rates and reduce lead leakage.

Data Privacy and Compliance in Focus

The startup further emphasized the importance of data privacy and compliance as AI adoption grows. It stated that businesses must pay close attention to consent management, customer privacy requirements, and evolving regulatory frameworks such as India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) provisions and international data protection standards.

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The company added that retailers adopting AI solutions should ensure customer information is handled responsibly and in compliance with applicable regulations.

The Growing Role of AI in Offline Retail

Looking ahead, Zithara AI expects conversational commerce, AI-driven automation, and customer data platforms to play a larger role in helping offline retailers modernize operations and improve customer retention. The company also sees opportunities beyond India, citing growing interest in similar retail technology solutions across international markets.