Our client has a number of businesses in the food supply industry. They reached us with a request to help their restaurant survive during one of the lockdowns. Infinity Technologies has got commercial experience in the e-commerce industry, and after a thorough discovery phase with the client, we suggested developing an app similar to Sainsburys / Ocado solutions.
During lockdown times, any restaurant’s profit margin is low and an investment into the development of an app was a challenge for our client as well.
For the client to gain the maximum value from that project, Infinity Technologies suggested that we reuse 80% of the code that we could develop for their restaurant app to implement another similar project for the same client: an online food delivery application for the chain of their grocery shops.
That was accepted, and we started the MVP phase for two projects simultaneously: an app for their restaurant to go digital, and an app for their grocery stores to deliver online orders that should be connected to their 1C/SAP Hybris software used by the client for accounting automation.
Infinity Technologies approached the request to develop two similar apps, one for a restaurant and another for a chain of grocery shops, from two different perspectives. We designed an end-user-friendly interface that is also efficient for two other roles, which happen to be delivery managers and restaurant garçons/ shop cashiers.
Briefly About Roles. Our apps offer different views and tools for different roles. The e-commerce solution offers a dashboard with the tools to receive end-client orders, while the customers enjoy our gamified and user-friendly experience of online shopping. There’s a separate view for delivery men with their routes, namely – automated logistics. The cashier module is integrated to 1C/SAP. Super admins can also manage content from their admin panel, which enables easy actualization of product catalogues, prices, brands’ descriptions, marketing campaigns, etc.
At the upper corner of their screens, customers see vouchers they can receive in case their carts would be fulfilled within definite budgets. The algorithm also synchronizes that with customer carts as they shop and shows what amount of products the latest should purchase to receive the voucher. There other In-built marketing campaigns like changing prices for “hot offers” and suggesting complementary products.
We implemented 3-level product catalogues, which is an aggregated categorization of groceries by groups (e.g. Products – dairy produce/vegetables/meat/etc. – cottage cheese/milk – cucumbers/tomatoes – chicken/ham – etc.). What’s more, the app’s end users or customers enjoy having all the product characteristics by brands. Another customer-attracting feature is the ability to add products to favourites directly from the catalogue, which saves time when shopping for the same products.
The possibility to shop for the same grocery list within different user carts is implemented through the cart management feature. This allows customers to save up to 5 different carts with the possibility to alter product amounts, exclude or include new products or simply order the same list. Our cart is “smart”, it offers budget recommendations and diet advice. The possibility to name your cart and add icons is another
interaction and gamification item.
It’s not only the cart feature which is editable, the time buddy feature also provides options for end clients to choose from. Customer calendars are flexible and the feature’s algorithm is synchronized with the amount of delivery men and cars available at the moment. Namely, in the delivery options, customers can see only the time slots that are not overcrowded by other delivery orders. Customers can see the status of their order and there are of course varied options to confirm the delivery, by QR code, sms, etc.
The business value of the app exceeded our client’s expectations. The restaurant clientele appreciated all the marketing campaigns they were running via the app during the lockdown periods, and the place not only survived, although widened its customer database.
Renting a spot in a downtown mall isn’t any more obligatory for the business that has gone digital with the online shopping and grocery delivery app. This saves hundreds of thousands of dollars per annum for a grocery chain or a restaurant that grows during a lockdown.
Speaking about the grocery app, its integration to 1C/SAP, gamified end-user experience and all the other cool features attracted younger age groups to the grocery chain.
This, in turn, allowed them to rethink the locations of their distribution points. Renting in the downtown malls is no longer obligatory for the business, as they can now deliver from their warehouses situated in less expensive locations.
9 months
