Retail

2024

NDA

Modular e-commerce apps for a retail giant with sub-brands

Our client wanted to bolster their customer communication channels and reach new audiences by launching apps for their sub-brands.

The apps had to be time- and cost-efficient, and flexible in the long run. We achieved it by building a modular platform.

super app

e-commerce

Multiple apps made with maximum efficiency

Our client is a sporting goods retail chain with 200 million customers, 500 stores across 5 countries, and 3 sub-brands. They wanted to build a super app for their flagship brand and cost-efficient apps for sub-brands. To do that, we suggested using modular architecture.

25% faster

time-to-market

4 teams working on the project at the same time allowed the retailer to deploy faster

3 apps

for sub-brands

The retailer reused the modules from the flagship to build apps for its sub-brands

78% lower

development costs

Thanks to module reuse, sub-brands were able to release new features up to 78% cheaper

“Modular architecture allows a retailer to create sub-brand apps with maximum speed and benefit in the long run. And launch a super app to achieve more agility for different business strategies.”

Ilhom Nazarav

Chief Operating Officer at HeyInnovations

Digital platform that grows together with the retailer

Our modular apps feature a common backend that can be used in new apps, and separate modules for different services which are managed by independent development teams.

This gives a global retailer several advantages:

Reusing modules for new apps
Easier outsource
Minimum coding mistakes
Faster deploy

Modular super app for the flagship brand

The super app uses modules to develop services of the client’s digital ecosystem, test new features, and transform according to the client’s business goals — something that they couldn’t have achieved with the rigid monolithic architecture.

Common modules are the backend for all apps

Common Core

Common Architecture

Common Network

Common Storage

Common UI

Profile

Catalog

Checkout

Bonuses

Super app modules are separate in-app services

Profile

Catalog

Checkout

Bonuses

But most importantly, the super app serves as a code donor for sub-brand apps

01/

Sub-brand #1 and sub-brand #2 copied modules and launched 47% cheaper

Sub-brand #1 is a sneaker store targeted at a younger audience. They wanted to show more character in their app and have more freedom in terms of business logic and app architecture. Sub-brand #2 is an everyday clothing store that had the same requirements.

To achieve that, each of them copied the modules from the flagship super app.

The apps are not bound with the flagship, so they can have their own development teams, build different business logics, ang grow independently. But in this case, they will have to pay the full price for any new service they launch.

Or they can copy features from the flagship app, modify them, and save up to 47% on development costs.

02/

Sub-brand #3 reused modules to save 78% on feature release

Sub-brand #3 produces sports shoes and clothing. At the time of the launch, it had limited budgets and was looking for a simpler solution for its app.

That’s why we suggested reusing the modules from sub-brand #1.

When reusing, sub-brand #3 shares the back end and super app modules with sub-brand #1, so when a new feature is added to one app, it can automatically be transferred to the other. The second brand just needs to test it and design in its own style. This allows the company to save up to 78% on feature development.

The only downside is that the client cannot change the business logic and introduce unique services — the two apps are virtually codependent from each other.

Copying and reusing modules allowed our client to launch 4 apps 25% faster

We spent 10 months developing the flagship super app, and then only 4 months to copy and readjust these modules for the other sub-brand apps.

Modular architecture also eases the post-release support. Since one team works on only one module, the client can outsource less important modules to contractors, and keep their in-house team focused on the core features.

Results

22 months

To launch one super app and three sub-brand apps

30% cheaper

Overall development costs of all four apps

growth

The super app scales with the business and creates other apps

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