Retail
SMS for shops and retail in Malawi
Your best customers already gave you their number. Use it for the messages they want: their order is ready, the stock they asked about has arrived, or an offer they agreed to hear about.
Messages customers are glad to get
YourShop: order 1042 is ready for collection at our Lilongwe Area 3 branch. Open until 5 pm. Bring this text.
YourShop: the solar lamps you asked about are back in stock at MWK 38,000. We can keep one for you until Friday.
YourShop: 2 bags of cement free with any 50 bags until Saturday. To stop these messages, call 0999 000 000.
Two kinds of message, two sets of rules
Treat updates and offers differently. Mark offers as promotional in the dashboard, so the opt-out line and quiet hours apply.
| Kind | Example | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Order and service updates | Your order is ready | Part of the sale, so expected by the customer |
| Offers and promotions | Sale this weekend | Only customers who agreed, with an opt-out line |
For planning offers, read the SMS marketing guide.
Connect your shop system
If you sell online or run a point of sale system, the SMS API can send an order update as soon as the status changes. Use the order number as the Idempotency-Key, so a repeated request never texts the customer twice. If an order needs a courier, see SMS for logistics.
Keep the numbers worth it
At K20 per part, 500 customers cost K10,000 for a one-part message. Put a code or a "show this text" line in each offer, and count how many people use it. That tells you which messages pay for themselves.
Questions
Can a small shop use this without a developer?
Yes. Keep customer numbers in Excel or paste them in, then send from the dashboard. If you have an online shop or a point of sale system, a developer can connect it to the API later.
How do I collect customer numbers properly?
Ask at the till or on your order form, say what you will send, and write down that they agreed. Do not copy numbers from receipts into a promotions list without asking.
Will my shop name appear on the message?
Yes, once your sender ID is approved. It can be up to 11 characters, so shorten long names in a way customers will still recognise.
Keep reading
Text your customers
Create an account and send your first update from your shop's name.