Retail and ecommerce software development
We build online stores, point of sale and stock systems for retailers and brands. Your biggest sale of the year is when your systems get tested hardest, so we plan for that day from the start rather than hoping the site copes.
Retail systems that hold up on your busiest day
Online stores, point of sale and stock systems for retailers and brands.
Systems we build
- Ecommerce websitesStorefronts built to load fast on phones
- Point of saleTakes payments even when the connection drops
- Stock and ordersOne stock figure shared everywhere
- Loyalty and promotionsOffers that apply correctly across channels
- Product informationEdit once and it updates everywhere
- Checkout and paymentsFewer steps and clearer errors
- Reply within one business day
- Load tested before your peak
Retail software for shop and screen
Ecommerce websites
Storefronts that load fast on a phone. That's where most of your shoppers browse, and where most of them give up if a page drags.
Point of sale
Tills that keep taking payments when the internet drops and sync everything once it's back.
Stock and orders
The shop floor, the warehouse and the website all see the same stock figure for each product.
Loyalty and promotions
Offers that work the same in store and online, even when a shopper stacks a voucher on top of a sale price.
Product information
Change a product's price or photo once and it updates everywhere, instead of in four separate systems.
Checkout and payments
Fewer steps, saved details and error messages people can understand. Most lost sales happen on that last screen.
Where retail systems usually struggle
Retailers usually call us about their website, but the real trouble tends to sit behind it. The shop, the warehouse and the website each hold a different stock figure for the same jacket, so a customer orders one online that sold in store an hour ago.
Then there's load. A site that copes fine on an ordinary Tuesday can fall over ten minutes into a sale, in front of every customer you've emailed. We size the system for your peak and test it against those numbers before the date. If something has to slow down, we choose it in advance, such as product recommendations, so checkout keeps working.
Retail rules the system enforces
- Payment card security. Your payment provider handles card details, so they never sit in your database.
- Consumer and returns rules. Cancellation and refund rights differ by country. The system applies them, so staff don't have to remember them.
- Sales tax by region. Tax rates change with the delivery address. We keep them in one place, and you can update them without waiting for a new software release.
- Accessibility. We follow WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), so shoppers using a screen reader or only a keyboard can still buy from you.
- Cookie and tracking consent. Marketing and tracking tags stay switched off until the shopper says yes.
Systems we usually connect to
Your tills, stock system, ecommerce platform and marketplace accounts can usually stay in place, and we join them up. If one does need replacing, decide that on its own merits and time it well away from your busy season. Planning a shopping app as well? Our guide to native or cross platform apps weighs up the two approaches.
Getting a retail build ready for peak
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Find where the numbers disagree
We compare stock, price and order data across your systems and show you exactly where they drift apart.
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Fix the source of truth
We pick one system to own each number, such as stock or price, and the others copy from it. For most retailers this change makes the biggest difference.
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Build and load test
We build the storefront using your real catalogue, then push it to your own peak order volumes to see how it holds.
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Launch outside the peak
We go live well before the busy season, then watch your first big sale alongside your team.
These are the timings we see most often, and your plan may differ. Your trading calendar matters most, because we avoid releasing close to a peak season. The size of your catalogue and the number of sales channels also shape the schedule. Our page on how we plan and deliver projects covers every stage.
Fewer cancellations and calmer sale days
Fewer oversold items
With one shared stock figure, most of the cancellations that used to follow a sale go away.
More completed checkouts
Shorter forms and clearer error messages keep shoppers who would have quit on the payment screen.
A calmer peak
The site is load tested before the date, and everyone knows which features can slow down first if traffic spikes.
What retailers ask before they start
If your catalogue and rules are fairly standard, a platform is cheaper and faster, and we'll tell you so. Custom work is worth paying for when your pricing, stock or fulfilment rules don't fit what a platform allows.
Yes. We usually make one system the owner of stock and have the others read from it. Trying to keep two systems copying each other is where most mismatches start.
We plan for it before launch. We decide which features can switch off first, which must stay up, and who is watching the dashboards on the day. Monitoring and alerts go in while we build.
Get ready for your next busy season
Tell us where your shop, warehouse and website disagree, and we'll say what we'd check first.