Wholepal: The AI-based product information solution

Victoria Lawson, Founder and CEO of Wholepal, explains why this is a platform wholesalers need to adopt for smoother, more efficient processes

WN: Tell us about yourself…

I’m Victoria Lawson and I’m the founder and CEO of Wholepal. I spent nearly a decade working as an account manager for various FMCG companies before launching my own sales consultancy. There, I helped suppliers grow their presence – primarily in the wholesale channel – by securing new listings and building strong trading relationships. This then led to the launch of Wholepal, and here we are.

WN: Can you explain what Wholepal is all about?

Founded in 2023, Wholepal is the AI-based solution that addresses the pressing need to digitise manual data entry processes in FMCG product management. Outdated methods waste time and money, especially in today’s challenging marketplace, where efficiency is crucial.

Our surveys with groups of wholesalers and suppliers revealed a major bottleneck: the setup of new partnerships and product lines, particularly new line forms. One wholesaler reported up to 99% of forms are incomplete or inaccurate, while a supplier noted that completing a form could take an entire day due to fragmented data storage. These inefficiencies highlight the need for innovation in data sharing and management across the supply chain.

At Wholepal, we envision a future where supplier-wholesaler partnerships are seamless and instant. Backed by an expert FMCG supply chain team, we’re committed to helping businesses unlock their potential with smarter, more efficient technology.

WN: What did you recognise that led you to create Wholepal?

I was driven by a deep frustration with the outdated, manual ways suppliers and wholesalers still share product information. Every new listing or product change felt harder than it needed to be – slow, error-prone and exhausting for everyone involved.

I knew there had to be a better way. Wholepal was born from a desire to simplify and modernise this process, creating a tool that makes it easier and faster for both sides to collaborate, allowing them to focus on what really matters: growing their businesses.

WN: How can wholesalers use Wholepal and in what way does it help them?

Wholepal is a cloud-based platform that integrates with wholesaler’s existing ERP systems to share accurate supplier product data and other information digitally and instantly, eliminating the need for manual intervention and inevitable mistakes. Wholepal drives efficiencies around the product data-sharing process, transforming it into a strategic advantage for wholesalers.

By automating product setup and data management, we drastically reduce admin time, eliminate manual errors and ensure suppliers provide complete and accurate product information from the start. This means wholesalers can list products faster, with less back and forth and fewer delays. It also means they’re working from reliable data, so pricing, dimensions and case configurations are right first time. Over time, this unlocks wider operational benefits too, such as being able to load lorries more efficiently thanks to accurate pallet info, or avoiding costly mistakes linked to incomplete data.

WN: When new lines are listed, who adds them?

Suppliers add their products to Wholepal. They simply upload their product spec sheets in any format (PDF/Word/Excel) and our AI takes care of the rest – identifying, organising and structuring the product data so the supplier can quickly review and approve it.

When wholesalers want to list a product, they can download this into their own CSV, or use our ‘Click to Connect’ feature to send that product’s data directly into their ERP. It’s as simple as that.

WN: What are the benefits of this platform?

This automated process eliminates manual form-filling for product listings and changes, enabling instant, accurate product data sharing while saving time, improving efficiency and reducing errors for suppliers and wholesalers, freeing up teams to focus on profit-driving activities.

It reduces admin costs, while ensuring data is shared accurately and consistently. The platform allows for instant product setup, helping wholesalers respond quickly to new products and trends, and suppliers get products on shelves faster. Additionally, Wholepal enhances networking by simplifying the discovery and listing of new products with just a few clicks.

WN: What is the future of AI in wholesale?

The wholesale sector is on the brink of a technological transformation, driven by AI and digital integration. With outdated processes causing inefficiencies, it’s an exciting time as new solutions emerge to improve operations. The next few years will be pivotal for those that are open to adopting new technologies and looking to stay ahead of the curve by embracing digital advancement.

WN: What’s your ambition for Wholepal?

For Wholepal to become the industry standard for how data is shared across the supply chain – transforming outdated, manual processes with something faster, smarter and built to drastically streamline businesses’ operations.

There’s so much inefficiency in the way things are done now, and with AI at our core, we have the opportunity to change that. My goal is to take the pain out of product management completely. No more form-filling, chasing info or fixing errors. Just clean, accurate data flowing seamlessly between suppliers and their trading partners.

WN: If you could sum up Wholepal in just a few words, or a couple of sentences, what would they be?

No more forms. No more errors. Just clean, connected data!

SUPPLIER VIEW
SIMON GRAY, Founder, Boost Drinks

“Anyone who’s worked in FMCG knows how painful and inefficient product onboarding can be. Wholepal’s AI-driven approach streamlines the process, setting a whole new standard for how suppliers and wholesalers automate product data sharing, saving businesses a serious amount of time and money. Wholepal’s exactly what the industry has been crying out for!”

Learn more at wholepal.com or contact Victoria Lawson at victoria@wholepal.com