A website chatbot for local shops and boutiques
Written by the Allinaa team · Updated
For a neighborhood shop, the website's main job is to get people through the door. Before they make the trip, they want to know two things: "Do you have it?" and "Are you open?" An Allinaa assistant answers both from your approved information and your catalog, and takes special-order and hold requests for your staff.
"Do you carry...?" Answering from your catalog
Local shops get questions like "do you carry Birkenstocks in wide?", "do you have gluten-free flour?" or "do you sell replacement parts for this grill?" There are two ways the assistant can answer:
- Brands and categories in the knowledge. A simple list of the brands, product lines and categories you stock lets the assistant answer "yes, we carry that brand" or "we don't stock that, but we can special order it" on Standard.
- A catalog file on Premium. Import your products as a CSV or JSON file with name, price, availability and a link to your website. The assistant searches it and replies with matching items.
This page is about physical stores. If you sell mostly online, see online stores.
Keeping availability current: how often to update
An assistant that says "in stock" when the shelf is empty sends a customer on a wasted trip, and that customer may not come back. Allinaa does not connect to point-of-sale systems, so availability is as current as the information you provide:
- For fast-moving stock, avoid quantity claims. Let the assistant say "we usually carry it; call ahead to confirm today's stock" or offer a hold request.
- For a Premium catalog, re-import whenever stock changes meaningfully, for example weekly or after each delivery.
- For seasonal items, add and remove them from the knowledge when the season starts and ends.
Hours, holiday hours, parking and accessibility
"Are you open on Memorial Day?" is one of the most common local search questions, and one of the most often wrong online. Keep a holiday hours section in the knowledge for the coming months. The assistant doesn't know the current time. For "are you open now?" it repeats your written hours, including the time zone, and the shopper compares. Add parking details, the nearest transit stop, whether the entrance is step-free, and whether you allow dogs in the shop. See FAQ answers.
Special orders and hold requests
Two requests that bring people in the door:
- Hold requests: the assistant collects the item, size or color, the customer's name and phone, and when they plan to come. Your staff confirms the hold, and the assistant should say the item isn't held until staff confirms.
- Special orders: the assistant collects what the customer wants (brand, model, size, quantity) and contact details, and explains your special-order policy, such as deposits or lead times, if you publish one.
Both arrive as e-mail notifications and are saved in your inquiry inbox with a status (New, In progress, Completed) and private notes.
Photo search: "I want something like this" (Premium)
On Premium, a shopper can upload a photo, such as a lamp from a magazine, a worn-out part or a friend's sneakers, and the assistant searches your imported catalog for similar items, with price, availability and a link to your website. Uploads are checked for malware and stored privately. If nothing matches, it says so and offers a special-order request. See photo product search.
Illustrative conversation
Shopper: Are you open the day after Thanksgiving? And do you carry the merino hiking socks?
Assistant: Yes, we're open the day after Thanksgiving with extended holiday hours, listed on our hours page. We carry merino hiking socks from two brands. Stock changes quickly in the holiday season, so would you like me to send a hold request for a size?
Shopper: Women's medium, two pairs. I'll come Saturday.
Assistant: Got it. I'll send the request now. Staff will text you to confirm the hold. What's your name and mobile number?
Illustrative example, not a real conversation.
For holiday season planning, see seasonal peaks.
Questions owners ask
Does the chatbot know what's on my shelves right now?
No. It isn't connected to your POS. It answers from the brand list or catalog file you provide, so update it when stock changes.
Can customers reserve an item?
They can send a hold request. Your staff confirms the hold.
Do I need Premium for 'do you carry' questions?
No. A brand and category list in the knowledge works on Standard. Premium adds catalog search with price, availability and links, plus photo search.
How does it handle holiday hours?
It repeats the holiday hours you add to its knowledge. It doesn't know today's date or time, so write each holiday with its date.