Tech Roundup: How small businesses can go digital

You’re reading The Brazilian Report’s weekly tech roundup, a digest of the most important news on technology and innovation in Brazil. This week’s topics: Google’s new Brazilian partner; e-commerce perspectives for the year, and ClubHouse enjoys success in Brazil.

How small businesses can go digital

With the in-person economy halted for months in 2020, most businesses were forced online. Michelin star restaurants offered delivery services and retailers had to adapt to selling via the internet. However, this transition took place in an unplanned manner, with many businesses simply using WhatsApp Messenger as a rudimentary e-shop.

• São Paulo startup Napp Solutions teamed up with Google to help small companies move into the digital age.

How it will work. In simple terms, Napp connects to management software and allows vendors to supply their customers with information about stock and new products. With Google, this data would appear at the top of search engine results in the form of ad cards.

• When searching for a product, consumers are able to check its availability in nearby stores, thus helping local businesses to fend off competition from major retailers. When stocks run low, ads are hidden in order to avoid negative customer experiences.
• The company started as a business intelligence consultancy for shopping malls and claims it is now connected to over 800 softwares used by 80 percent of Brazilian retailers.

What they are saying. “Giant retailers such as Bust Buy or Walmart have this kind of product, but it requires a massive structure. We’ve created something simpler, allowing any retailer to have Google ads with real-time stocks,” said Napp CEO Luis Fernando Vidigal, in a recent interview.

Why it matters. Despite the sluggish economy, e-commerce will continue to be the driving force of retail in Brazil (see more below).

Growth plans. Mr. Vidigal says his company is only the eighth...