Original E-Commerce Mobile App Marketplace
Budget / Salary£3,000–5,000
TypeFreelance project
LocationRemote
Posted2 hours ago
Full-Stack Mobile App & E-Commerce Marketplace Development — Original Affordable Shopping Platform (iOS, Android & Web)
Project type: Fixed-price milestones preferred | Team: agency or experienced full-stack team | Remote / worldwide
Project summary
• Seeking an experienced full-stack development agency or team to design and build an original budget-friendly online department store and discount-shopping app for iOS and Android, with a responsive web storefront and secure administration portal. Inspired by the value proposition of Temu, Wish and Pinduoduo, but NOT a copy of their designs, source code, branding or proprietary features.
• The business intends to source suitable products from vetted Chinese manufacturers, including suppliers found through Alibaba, and use third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses to store, pick, pack and ship orders. Initial focus: first-party retail inventory; future phase: vetted third-party marketplace sellers.
• The proposed £500,000 is the TOTAL potential venture budget, not the software contract value. Please quote separately for a lean MVP, enhancements and ongoing support. Desired kickoff: October 2026; launch date depends on realistic scope and supplier readiness.
1. Customer app and storefront
• Original visual identity and brand system (temporary working name permitted); mobile-first responsive UI, accessible typography, readable contrast and reduced-motion option.
• Home page with featured deals, category navigation, search, filtering, product detail pages, size/colour variants, images, reviews, wishlists and shopping basket.
• Customer registration/login, guest checkout, secure payments, Apple Pay/Google Pay where supported, account settings, order history, invoices, refunds and customer support.
• Transparent delivery estimates, stock status, shipping fees and taxes displayed before payment.
• Push notifications and opt-in marketing preferences; no deceptive urgency or misleading crossed-out prices.
2. Discount and engagement features
• Daily deals, time-limited promotions, voucher codes, loyalty programme and quantity-based pricing, all with truthful discount calculations and stock counts.
• Optional group-buying and referral promotions, designed to avoid misleading claims and excessive pressure.
• Product recommendations: launch with rule-based related products, later add consent-aware personalisation.
• Clearly separate MVP requirements from future gamification such as spin-to-win rewards.
3. Supplier, catalogue and inventory
• CSV product imports and bulk editing; SKUs, variants, landed cost, selling price, inventory, product images and compliance documents.
• Supplier records, purchase orders, replenishment thresholds and inbound warehouse shipments.
• Initial business-owned stock with a roadmap for external supplier onboarding, merchant listings, commissions and payouts.
• Do not assume Alibaba provides unrestricted catalogue or order APIs: identify permitted integration methods and any manual import workflow.
4. Fulfilment and logistics
• Integration design for UK 3PLs and optionally China-based fulfilment partners, subject to provider API access and contracts.
• Orders routed to warehouse; inventory sync; pick/pack status; tracking numbers; shipping updates; returns and failed deliveries.
• Evaluate providers such as Huboo, NextSmartShip, YunExpress and 4PX only where their service models and integration options actually fit.
• Provide a connector matrix: native API, third-party middleware, manual CSV fallback, expected cost and maintenance responsibility.
5. Payments and customer affordability
• Use a reputable payment service provider; support card payments and available mobile wallets without storing raw card details.
• Do not build an in-house consumer credit underwriting system for MVP. If instalments/BNPL are considered later, propose integration with an appropriately authorised third-party provider and obtain UK regulatory advice first.
• Provide a pricing architecture for genuine low-income affordability: low prices, multi-buy discounts, delivery fee transparency and optional loyalty benefits.
6. Admin operations dashboard
• Secure role-based admin access, product and inventory management, pricing/promotions, orders, returns, customer-service cases and supplier management.
• Reporting on revenue, gross margin, advertising attribution, fulfilment cost, refund rate, stock ageing and customer acquisition.
• Audit logs, approval controls for promotions, fraud signals, exportable reports and backup/recovery.
7. Multi-vendor marketplace — phase 2
• Merchant onboarding and verification, merchant portal, bulk listings, stock feeds, order assignment, commission schedules and dispute workflows.
• Merchant settlements through compliant marketplace payment infrastructure, not an unregulated stored-value wallet.
• Moderation and prohibited-product controls; seller performance and customer dispute management.
8. Technical requirements
• Cross-platform mobile: Flutter or React Native, with clear rationale; responsive web store and admin portal.
• Backend: propose an appropriate maintainable stack (e.g., Node.js, Django/FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis) and managed cloud hosting. Avoid unnecessary microservices at MVP stage.
• Documented APIs, staging/production environments, automated tests, monitoring, error reporting and scalable infrastructure.
• GDPR/UK GDPR privacy-by-design, secure authentication, encryption, least-privilege access, PCI-compliant payment integration and UK consumer-law compliance.
• Accessibility target: WCAG 2.2 AA where practicable. Provide source code, repository access, build instructions and ownership/IP assignment on payment.
9. Design deliverables and handover
• Discovery workshop, sitemap, user flows, original high-fidelity Figma designs and clickable prototype before coding.
• Design screens: onboarding/login, homepage, departments, search/results, product page, deals, basket, checkout, order tracking, profile, help/returns, supplier portal and admin.
• Design system with reusable components, icons, type styles, colour tokens, mobile breakpoints and interaction states.
• Provide an editable Figma file, original assets, implementation specifications, QA checklist and a short administrator training session.
10. Suggested phases and acceptance milestones
• Phase 0: requirements, competitor differentiation, costed technical proposal and product roadmap.
• Phase 1: UI/UX and clickable prototype; approval required before development.
• Phase 2: first-party commerce MVP: catalogue, checkout, orders, admin and basic warehouse workflow.
• Phase 3: 3PL API integrations, notifications, testing, security review and app-store submissions.
• Phase 4: post-launch support and optimisation; multi-vendor features only after MVP traction.
• Milestone payments only against demonstrable deliverables, code access and written acceptance criteria.
11. What to include in your bid
• Links to LIVE shopping/marketplace apps you built and an explanation of your team’s role.
• Recommended technology stack, project team, estimated MVP delivery schedule and costed milestone breakdown.
• Separate estimates for iOS/Android app, web storefront, admin portal, 3PL integrations and phase-2 marketplace.
• Monthly costs: hosting, support, maintenance, app-store accounts, third-party services and payment processing.
• Examples of original Figma work, security approach, testing process and IP/source-code handover terms.
• Confirm whether you can sign an NDA and assign project-specific intellectual property, subject to mutually agreed contract terms.
12. Key questions for applicants
• What can you deliver as a usable first-party retail MVP within a controlled software budget?
• Which existing commerce platform or headless framework could lower cost without sacrificing ownership?
• Which 3PL providers have you integrated directly, and can you show evidence?
• How will you protect customer data and comply with UK e-commerce and payment requirements?
• What are your realistic time estimates, main risks, assumptions and dependencies?
Important project boundaries
• This is an original business concept, not a request to clone Temu, Wish, Pinduoduo or any other app.
• No promises of guaranteed sales, SEO ranking, customer acquisition or supplier pricing.
• The £500,000 venture budget is indicative and may change; bids must not assume the full sum is available for app development.
• Credit/BNPL, marketplace settlement and cross-border imports require specialist regulatory, tax and legal review before release.
Project type: Fixed-price milestones preferred | Team: agency or experienced full-stack team | Remote / worldwide
Project summary
• Seeking an experienced full-stack development agency or team to design and build an original budget-friendly online department store and discount-shopping app for iOS and Android, with a responsive web storefront and secure administration portal. Inspired by the value proposition of Temu, Wish and Pinduoduo, but NOT a copy of their designs, source code, branding or proprietary features.
• The business intends to source suitable products from vetted Chinese manufacturers, including suppliers found through Alibaba, and use third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses to store, pick, pack and ship orders. Initial focus: first-party retail inventory; future phase: vetted third-party marketplace sellers.
• The proposed £500,000 is the TOTAL potential venture budget, not the software contract value. Please quote separately for a lean MVP, enhancements and ongoing support. Desired kickoff: October 2026; launch date depends on realistic scope and supplier readiness.
1. Customer app and storefront
• Original visual identity and brand system (temporary working name permitted); mobile-first responsive UI, accessible typography, readable contrast and reduced-motion option.
• Home page with featured deals, category navigation, search, filtering, product detail pages, size/colour variants, images, reviews, wishlists and shopping basket.
• Customer registration/login, guest checkout, secure payments, Apple Pay/Google Pay where supported, account settings, order history, invoices, refunds and customer support.
• Transparent delivery estimates, stock status, shipping fees and taxes displayed before payment.
• Push notifications and opt-in marketing preferences; no deceptive urgency or misleading crossed-out prices.
2. Discount and engagement features
• Daily deals, time-limited promotions, voucher codes, loyalty programme and quantity-based pricing, all with truthful discount calculations and stock counts.
• Optional group-buying and referral promotions, designed to avoid misleading claims and excessive pressure.
• Product recommendations: launch with rule-based related products, later add consent-aware personalisation.
• Clearly separate MVP requirements from future gamification such as spin-to-win rewards.
3. Supplier, catalogue and inventory
• CSV product imports and bulk editing; SKUs, variants, landed cost, selling price, inventory, product images and compliance documents.
• Supplier records, purchase orders, replenishment thresholds and inbound warehouse shipments.
• Initial business-owned stock with a roadmap for external supplier onboarding, merchant listings, commissions and payouts.
• Do not assume Alibaba provides unrestricted catalogue or order APIs: identify permitted integration methods and any manual import workflow.
4. Fulfilment and logistics
• Integration design for UK 3PLs and optionally China-based fulfilment partners, subject to provider API access and contracts.
• Orders routed to warehouse; inventory sync; pick/pack status; tracking numbers; shipping updates; returns and failed deliveries.
• Evaluate providers such as Huboo, NextSmartShip, YunExpress and 4PX only where their service models and integration options actually fit.
• Provide a connector matrix: native API, third-party middleware, manual CSV fallback, expected cost and maintenance responsibility.
5. Payments and customer affordability
• Use a reputable payment service provider; support card payments and available mobile wallets without storing raw card details.
• Do not build an in-house consumer credit underwriting system for MVP. If instalments/BNPL are considered later, propose integration with an appropriately authorised third-party provider and obtain UK regulatory advice first.
• Provide a pricing architecture for genuine low-income affordability: low prices, multi-buy discounts, delivery fee transparency and optional loyalty benefits.
6. Admin operations dashboard
• Secure role-based admin access, product and inventory management, pricing/promotions, orders, returns, customer-service cases and supplier management.
• Reporting on revenue, gross margin, advertising attribution, fulfilment cost, refund rate, stock ageing and customer acquisition.
• Audit logs, approval controls for promotions, fraud signals, exportable reports and backup/recovery.
7. Multi-vendor marketplace — phase 2
• Merchant onboarding and verification, merchant portal, bulk listings, stock feeds, order assignment, commission schedules and dispute workflows.
• Merchant settlements through compliant marketplace payment infrastructure, not an unregulated stored-value wallet.
• Moderation and prohibited-product controls; seller performance and customer dispute management.
8. Technical requirements
• Cross-platform mobile: Flutter or React Native, with clear rationale; responsive web store and admin portal.
• Backend: propose an appropriate maintainable stack (e.g., Node.js, Django/FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Redis) and managed cloud hosting. Avoid unnecessary microservices at MVP stage.
• Documented APIs, staging/production environments, automated tests, monitoring, error reporting and scalable infrastructure.
• GDPR/UK GDPR privacy-by-design, secure authentication, encryption, least-privilege access, PCI-compliant payment integration and UK consumer-law compliance.
• Accessibility target: WCAG 2.2 AA where practicable. Provide source code, repository access, build instructions and ownership/IP assignment on payment.
9. Design deliverables and handover
• Discovery workshop, sitemap, user flows, original high-fidelity Figma designs and clickable prototype before coding.
• Design screens: onboarding/login, homepage, departments, search/results, product page, deals, basket, checkout, order tracking, profile, help/returns, supplier portal and admin.
• Design system with reusable components, icons, type styles, colour tokens, mobile breakpoints and interaction states.
• Provide an editable Figma file, original assets, implementation specifications, QA checklist and a short administrator training session.
10. Suggested phases and acceptance milestones
• Phase 0: requirements, competitor differentiation, costed technical proposal and product roadmap.
• Phase 1: UI/UX and clickable prototype; approval required before development.
• Phase 2: first-party commerce MVP: catalogue, checkout, orders, admin and basic warehouse workflow.
• Phase 3: 3PL API integrations, notifications, testing, security review and app-store submissions.
• Phase 4: post-launch support and optimisation; multi-vendor features only after MVP traction.
• Milestone payments only against demonstrable deliverables, code access and written acceptance criteria.
11. What to include in your bid
• Links to LIVE shopping/marketplace apps you built and an explanation of your team’s role.
• Recommended technology stack, project team, estimated MVP delivery schedule and costed milestone breakdown.
• Separate estimates for iOS/Android app, web storefront, admin portal, 3PL integrations and phase-2 marketplace.
• Monthly costs: hosting, support, maintenance, app-store accounts, third-party services and payment processing.
• Examples of original Figma work, security approach, testing process and IP/source-code handover terms.
• Confirm whether you can sign an NDA and assign project-specific intellectual property, subject to mutually agreed contract terms.
12. Key questions for applicants
• What can you deliver as a usable first-party retail MVP within a controlled software budget?
• Which existing commerce platform or headless framework could lower cost without sacrificing ownership?
• Which 3PL providers have you integrated directly, and can you show evidence?
• How will you protect customer data and comply with UK e-commerce and payment requirements?
• What are your realistic time estimates, main risks, assumptions and dependencies?
Important project boundaries
• This is an original business concept, not a request to clone Temu, Wish, Pinduoduo or any other app.
• No promises of guaranteed sales, SEO ranking, customer acquisition or supplier pricing.
• The £500,000 venture budget is indicative and may change; bids must not assume the full sum is available for app development.
• Credit/BNPL, marketplace settlement and cross-border imports require specialist regulatory, tax and legal review before release.
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