Retail App Development Guide

People’s shopping habits and the rise of consumerism have completely changed in the past decade or so. The rise of e-commerce has meant that people don’t like having to wait in long queues, endlessly browsing aisles, and sometimes being dealt a hand of stock limitations. Instead, people prefer to shop online now, whether on their smartphones or other devices. Furthermore, the convenience of getting personalized and seamless shopping experiences has further tilted them towards shopping online. This is where retail app development comes in.

If you have a retail business or are considering starting one, this guide covers everything you need to know about retail app development. The benefits it offers, the step-by-step development process, its costs, and future trends. This article will give you a clear roadmap for developing a retail app.

What is a Retail App Development?

Retail App Development is the process of developing retail apps that help connect retailers with customers, streamline operations, and ultimately improve the shopping experience. It’s really just about developing a digital platform for your business which offers functionalities such as placing orders, customer support, delivery tracking, payment gateways, and browse products.

Apps have become a part of people’s everyday lives, with every business and organization having digital platforms where they offer services and information. Similarly, for retailers, whether they’re small and rising businesses or large enterprises, retail apps have become paramount to their success and growth. And these apps have to be interactive and efficient in order to attract and retain potential customers. Consumers expect convenience, speed, personalized ads, and recommendations, all of which need to be met by retail apps.

However, unlike traditional e-commerce websites, retail apps are generally designed and optimized for high mobile performance. Retail apps feature various functionalities, including push notifications, loyalty programs, and AI-powered customer-specific product recommendations. These functionalities make retail apps more interactive and exciting than standard websites or web applications.

What are the benefits of developing a Retail App?

If you’re looking to develop a retail app for your business, you need to understand the benefits it offers so that you can weigh them against costs or use these benefits to justify the investment.

Customer Engagement

Retail apps allow for more interaction with customers and improve customer retention through features like personalized notifications, promotions, and loyalty programs.

Improved experience

Innovations and breakthroughs in app development have meant apps becoming more interactive, efficient, and nice to use. Most retail apps nowadays have features like one-click checkout, saved preferences, and even AR-based try-ons in fancier and more expensive apps, all of which elevate customers’ shopping experience.

Increased Revenue

There is a direct correlation between retail mobile apps and an increase in revenue; as a matter of fact, mobile commerce makes up approximately 57% of all retail e-commerce sales globally. A dedicated retail app that makes purchasing effortless and interactive drives revenue.

Loyalty and Retention

Customer retention and loyalty are enhanced by schemes such as Loyalty rewards, exclusive offers on birthdays, and personalized discounts. These increase repeat purchases and customer retention percentages.

Data Insights

Retails apps, like other e-commerce apps and platforms, collect data about customers. This includes their shopping habits, preferences, and behaviors. This valuable customer data provides businesses with insights, enabling them to make more informed decisions.

Streamlined Operations

Modern retail apps integrate areas such as inventory management and POS systems, enabling real-time recording and tracking of stock. This helps streamline operations and reduce errors.

What are the features to include in a Retail App?

When developing a retail app, you might be confused about which features to include. The features can be divided into two categories: On one hand, you have the core or must-have features, which are necessary for every retail app. On the other hand, you have advanced features, which can significantly increase the app’s cost, as they include AI-powered and AR capabilities.

Must-Have Features

User Registration can be a simple onboarding process with social login options.

For the product catalog, there has to be a search functionality, with filters and categories for the different products.

There has to be a shopping cart, of course, with checkout and multiple payment options.

Payment gateways require secure safeguards and integration with popular services like PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.

Delivery tracking should be implemented, with real-time tracking and regular updates on order status.

There should be a wishlist option when browsing products, allowing users to save products for later.

Users should be allowed to leave ratings and reviews for specific products and sellers, as this helps build trust and enables other customers to make informed purchase decisions.

Advanced Features

Most apps nowadays, including retail apps, use AI to make personalized suggestions to customers based on their browsing and purchase history.

Augmented Reality try-ons are another feature offered by a lot of high-end fashion and other businesses nowadays. This feature lets you virtually try on clothes, jewelry, or see how furniture would look placed in your house.

AI-powered chatbots and live support are often challenging to set up and maintain, and as a result, are rarely found in basic or newer businesses’ apps.

Some businesses also offer loyalty programs, which are basically reward systems that encourage customers to do more business with that company.

Different types of Retail apps

There are different types of retail apps, and depending on your business model, you have to choose which one aligns with your needs and goals the best.

E-Commerce Marketplaces

This refers to apps like Amazon and eBay, which connect buyers and sellers on the internet.

Brand-Specific Apps

These are apps designed by specific brands just for them, for example, Nike, H&M. The purpose of this is to create a direct relationship between the brand and customers.

Delivery Apps

These are apps that offer instant and on-demand delivery of food, groceries, and other items, such as Uber Eats or Instacart.

B2B Retail Apps

These apps serve the purpose of connecting distributors and wholesalers to retailers and to serve their needs.

As explained, all these apps are different in nature and serve different needs, and choosing the right type depends on what your goals, target audience, and long-term business goals are.

Step-by-step process to build a Retail App

Building anything requires planning, strategy, and flawless execution, and the same goes for app development. Here’s a simplified roadmap to building a retail app:

1. Define Goals

The first step involves setting out your goals, determining what you require from your app, and identifying the audience you’re targeting. Only after you’ve set these out can you start actually planning and then working on your app.

2. Market Research

Building a retail app means you’re entering an already crowded market, with many apps offering similar features and services. So, you have to study these existing apps, find any deficiencies, and opportunities where you can gain a competitive edge.

3. App type & Features

As mentioned before, there are different types of retail apps, and you have to decide which one you want, so that the features can be chosen accordingly.

4. UI/UX Design

An intuitive and interactive design is crucial in attracting new customers and retaining old ones. A good and visually appealing UI/UX design keeps customers engaged.

5. Tech Stack

Your tech stack includes your backend, frontend, and frameworks, and the right tech stack should be chosen, keeping in mind your scalability and functionality needs.

6. Development Phase

This process is the most crucial one, as it involves bringing your app idea and plan to life. Development can be divided into two categories;

Frontend development refers to developing the part of the app that users see and interact with.
The backend powers the app, powering its database, APIs, and servers.

7. Testing

Testing is part of QA to ensure the app is free of bugs or other issues and that it performs well, offering consistent performance across all devices.

8. Deployment

After the app is developed and has passed quality assurance tests and compliance requirements, the next step is deploying the app.

9. Marketing

Acquiring new customers involves advertising on social media, doing paid ads, and cold emailing to attract users.

10. Maintenance & Updates

Launching the app is just the start, and you have to constantly roll out updates with newer features and improved performance.

Tech stack for the Retail App development

The tech stack you choose for development ultimately determines how scalable your app is, what level of performance it offers, and its cost.

Frontend Development

For iOS, Swift or Objective-C are recommended. For Android, Kotlin and Java are among the recommended options. As for Cross-Platform development, Flutter and React Native are the most commonly used frameworks.

Backend Development

For backend development, Node.js, Django, Ruby on Rails, or Spring Boot are industry favorites.

Databases

MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Firebase Real-time Database

Payment Gateways

Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, and Braintree

Cloud Hosting

AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure

APIs and Integrations

Twilio for SMS, Firebase for push notifications, Algolia for searching, and Salesforce as the CRM system

Analytics Tools

Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude

What is the Cost of Retail App development?

Determining the cost of any app depends on a multitude of factors, including its complexity, the features it offers, and the location of the development team working on the app.

App Type

There are different levels and types of apps, each of which costs differently. A simple app that shows a catalog of products to buy from is cheaper than a complex app offering AI and/or AR try-on functionalities.

Features and Integrations

A simple app may offer core features that all retail apps should have, but on the other hand, a complex app with advanced features and third-party integrations costs a lot more.

Design

Design is one of the most important elements of an app; a better-designed and intuitive app tends to attract more features. But at the same time, a cleaner and engaging UI/UX requires more investment.

Team Location

Developers in certain geographical areas, such as Asia and Eastern Europe, cost substantially less ($20-$50/hour) than those in North America, the UK, or Western Europe ($80-$150/hour). You get the same level of quality while paying considerably less.

It’s hard to accurately estimate the total cost of a retail app, but rough approximations can be made. A basic retail app with only the must-have features and no advanced integrations or features can cost between $20,000 – $40,000. A medium-level app with some custom features typically costs more, ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. Meanwhile, an advanced app with complex features, including AI, AR, and third-party integrations, costs substantially more, and this cost can be anywhere from $120,000 – $200,000+.

What are the future trends in Retail App development?

With the rise of the internet and e-commerce, more and more businesses are entering the retail app market, offering their products online. This has led to the landscape of retail app development evolving quickly. Here are some trends that may shape the future of retail app development:

• More and more retail businesses are beginning to incorporate AI and machine learning into their platforms to build personalized and engaging shopping experiences for their users.
• Augmented Reality is another feature being used by businesses, allowing customers to try on the product before they buy it.
• Payment methods now also include blockchain payments, allowing secure, transparent, and decentralized transactions.
• The rise of climate change awareness has also affected businesses and has prompted them to use more eco-friendly materials and processes. Retail apps also offer sustainability features, such as giving eco-friendly product recommendations to customers and a carbon footprint tracking feature.

Coding Crafts: Your best partner for Retail App development

If you have a retail business or are looking to get into one and want to develop a retail app, choosing the right partner is a crucial decision. At Coding Crafts, our skilled developers in mobile app development are experienced in building scalable and advanced applications that are aligned with your business goals. From the time your idea is validated to when your app is in the deployment stage, Coding Crafts will ensure efficiency at every stage and that your retail app is not only functional but has a competitive edge in the market.

Contact us today, and let us take care of your needs.