Order and delivery updates
Keep customers informed from order to doorstep and cut the where-is-my-order calls.
Read moreSMS for shops and online retailers
Keep customers informed about their orders and tell your best customers about offers first. Orbis SMS gives retailers a straightforward way to send both.
The challenge
Why retail & ecommerce turn to SMS
Customers expect to know where their order is, and a lack of updates leads to calls, emails and complaints that tie up a small team. Click-and-collect parcels sit on shelves for days because people miss the email saying they are ready. On the marketing side, inboxes are crowded and social reach is unpredictable, so even loyal customers miss a sale or a new range. At the same time, shoppers are wary of texts that look like delivery scams, so retailers need messages that are clearly from them and plainly written.
How Orbis SMS helps
Messages that make a difference
- 1
Order and dispatch updates
Export the day's dispatched orders as a CSV, import them and send each customer a short update with their order reference. File imports work with most ecommerce and stock systems.
- 2
Click-and-collect notices
Tell customers as soon as their order is ready to collect, which store to visit and how long it will be held. A clear text gets parcels off the shelf faster than email, and a polite reminder a few days later prompts anyone who still has not come in.
- 3
Sale and new range announcements
Send campaigns to customers who have opted in, giving them early access to a sale or news of a product launch. Scheduling lets you time the message for the morning the sale opens, and every message includes an opt-out so people stay in control.
- 4
Back in stock and reserved items
Keep a group of customers waiting for a popular product and text them when it is back on the shelf. For in-store reservations, a message confirming that an item has been put aside saves a wasted trip and builds goodwill with customers.
- 5
Account verification codes
Use Verify to send one-time passcodes when customers create an account, sign in or reset a password. It adds a simple check that the person has the phone they registered with, which helps reduce account takeover and fake sign-ups. Codes use your normal SMS credits.
Good practice
Compliance notes for retail & ecommerce
Order and collection updates are service messages, but sale announcements and product news are marketing. The soft opt-in may cover previous customers for similar products if you offered a clear opt-out at checkout and include one in every text. Never use bought-in lists. Because delivery scams are common, avoid shortened links from unfamiliar domains, never ask for payment details by text and use a recognisable sender ID.
General information only, not legal advice. See our guide to UK SMS marketing rules and Acceptable Use Policy.
Use cases
Popular with retail & ecommerce
SMS marketing campaigns
Promote offers, events and new stock to customers who have chosen to hear from you.
Read more
Verification codes and OTP
Confirm sign-ups and protect logins with one-time passcodes sent by text.
Read moreQuestions
Frequently asked questions
In the meantime, most retailers export orders or customer lists as a CSV file and import them into Orbis SMS, then send updates or campaigns to the relevant group.
Possibly, under the soft opt-in, if you collected their number during a sale, gave them a simple chance to refuse marketing at the time, only promote similar products and include an opt-out in every message. This is general information, not legal advice.
Request a sender ID with your shop name, subject to approval, and write in a plain, consistent style. Include an order number customers will recognise, avoid urgent or threatening language and never ask for bank details. Telling customers at checkout that you send updates by text also helps.
More industries
See how others use Orbis SMS
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