Website Revamp for a Retail Company

Our customer is a fashion giant with a robust presence in both traditional retail and e-commerce. With an extensive 80-year history, they operate 250+ stores across the UK and Europe, managing the entire cycle from manufacturing and design to distribution through offline and online channels.

The client’s existing e-commerce applications were built on an outdated .NET platform, leading to technical debt and potential performance issues.

There was a pressing need to:

• Migrate to modern technologies to ensure long-term sustainability and efficiency;
• Enhance user experience and increase customer convenience by developing new features;
• Implement robust backend services and comprehensive testing to maintain high-quality, reliable software.

To address the challenges, we implemented a strategy centered on modernising the technology stack, enhancing the user experience, and fortifying backend services and testing processes.

Our approach included the following key actions:

Technology Migration: We planned and executed the migration of the client’s high-traffic e-commerce applications from the outdated .NET platform to modern and efficient React.js and Node.js. This migration involved detailed analysis, strategic planning, and execution to ensure minimal disruption and enhanced system performance.

Feature Enhancement: To improve user experience, we introduced essential features such as “Guest Checkout” and “eReceipt”, using CommerceTools for efficient catalogue management and Talon.One for promotional campaigns.

Guest Checkout: Implemented using React.js, this feature allows customers to make purchases without the need to create an account, reducing friction and boosting conversion rates.

eReceipt: This feature provides customers with digital receipts, offering a seamless and eco-friendly alternative to paper receipts, enhancing user experience and contributing to environmental sustainability.

API Development: To support evolving business needs, we developed robust APIs enabling the “Self Checkout” functionality in physical stores via terminal (point of sale) systems:

• Facilitating real-time inventory updates to ensure accurate stock levels across all sales channels.
• Integrating secure payment processing through Stripe for PCI-compliant transactions.
• Ensuring seamless synchronisation between online and offline systems for a unified shopping experience.

API Development: To support evolving business needs, we developed robust APIs enabling the “Self Checkout” functionality in physical stores via terminal (point of sale) systems:

• Enhancing scalability by utilising AWS services such as ECS, Lambda, and DynamoDB to handle increased traffic and operational demands.
• Improving reliability with fault-tolerant microservices equipped with auto-scaling and disaster recovery mechanisms.

Quality Assurance: To ensure the software was robust, high-quality, and reliable, we established a comprehensive testing framework:

• Developing unit tests to cover all critical functions and ensure code correctness.
• Conducting integration tests to ensure seamless interaction between various system components.
• Implementing an automated testing pipeline with tools like Jenkins and AWS CodePipeline for continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD).