There is something simple and almost fun about sending a link to your team and letting everyone add what they want to a shared order. Most people first experienced this through group lunch ordering, and it immediately solved a very real problem. Sitecore OrderCloud now brings that same convenience to digital commerce with its native Group Ordering feature.Group Ordering allows one person to start an order, share a secure link, and let others add the items they want. When everyone finishes, the host reviews the selections and submits a single order. It is clean, efficient, and familiar. 

Why Group Ordering Matters

This feature supports more than lunch orders. It helps remove friction from many daily workflows where multiple people need to contribute to a single purchase. OrderCloud handles the complexity behind the scenes so both users and administrators get a smoother experience.

Here are some immediate benefits:

• Fewer manual steps: Teams do not need spreadsheets, email threads, or side conversations just to build a shared order.
• Faster checkout: Selections from multiple contributors flow into one combined order.
• Better accuracy: The people who need items choose them directly, reducing mistakes and rework.
• Flexible authentication: Secure shareable links make it easy for participants to join even when they do not have a full account.

Use Cases the Customers Will Care About

This is where OrderCloud shines. Group Ordering is not limited to food or simple consumer use cases. It fits perfectly into B2B and B2B2C commerce scenarios that many Sitecore partners and customers encounter regularly.

• Team based procurement: Departments can collaborate on shared purchasing. Everyone adds what they need, and the buyer submits a single purchase order.
• Store or franchise ordering cycles: Store managers or operators can each add their seasonal or promotional items before the consolidated order is placed.
• Community or organization buying: Parent groups, sports teams, or volunteer committees can build a shared order for events, uniforms, kits, or supplies.
• Internal company programs: Colleagues can request items for onboarding kits, training materials, or branded merchandise.
• Shared carts for business accounts: Multiple users under the same account can contribute to recurring or planned orders.

Ideas for Innovators in the Sitecore Ecosystem

Since the feature sits natively inside the OrderCloud API, teams can extend it in creative ways. Some possibilities include:

• Budget controlled group orders: Set spending limits per participant for company funded programs or events.
• Time bound group orders: Enable countdown timers that automatically close the order at a pre defined time.
• Approval flows: Route the final compiled order through an approval chain before submission.
• Personalized recommendations: Show suggestions based on individual participants or based on the overall group order.
• Analytics for group behavior: Track participation, top items, and group level preferences that drive merchandising decisions.

Why This Is Big for the Sitecore Customers

Group Ordering removes a huge barrier that previously required expensive custom development. It shows the direction Sitecore is taking with composable commerce. Real world problems solved cleanly in a way that developers, partners, and business teams can immediately use.

It gives the community a chance to build richer experiences with less effort. It supports collaborative buying, something customers are increasingly expecting. And it provides a foundation for new ideas that were previously too complex to deliver without heavy customization.