Online ice cream ordering platform
For a chain of ice cream parlors selling natural ice cream, we helped diversify sales and launch a new sales channel in the form of a platform for easy and quick ordering of ice cream with home delivery.
WWW
Backend
Frontend
Customer description
The client is a dynamically growing network of ice cream parlors that has been offering artisanal ice cream made exclusively from natural ingredients, such as fruits, milk, nuts, and herbs, for nearly 10 years.
The company has more than thirty physical sales points and is continuing to expand in Poland. It stands out for its innovation, creating new, original flavors without added sugar, offering vegan options, and sorbets.
Project objective
Until now, the company's product sales have been conducted through physical sales points and a mobile application available on application distribution platforms like Google Play and the App Store. Purchasing ice cream with delivery required downloading and installing the app on a phone, which narrowed the customer base and contributed to the company's greater dependency on external suppliers.
The project's goal was to diversify sales - to open a new sales channel and increase the company's reach and the availability of its ice creams to a wider group of customers.
The objective of the implemented project also fits into the trends of the FMCG market in Poland. It is estimated that in 2020 alone, under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FMCG market saw a significant increase in online sales, which, according to various studies, amounted to approximately 40-50% in Poland, one of the highest indicators in the world. Forecasts for the coming years are very optimistic and predict an annual increase in e-commerce's share of FMCG sales.
What technologies did we use?
Typescript 
React 
NextJs 
HTML 5 
CSS
Challenges
The challenges in the project were related to considering the specifics of the business, which is a network of ice cream parlors, including the delivery of an unusual (for online sales) product, and the requirements for high universality of the implemented project, due to the wide target audience. Among the main challenges we can include:
- daily variability of available ice cream flavors and a diversified offer, dependent on location and the point handling delivery in a given region
- an elaborate purchasing process, taking into account many options, including choosing flavors, combining them in packages of different sizes, ordering add-ons, preferred delivery hours, or choosing the method of receipt
- a strong emphasis on clarity, simplicity, and ease of placing orders, while simultaneously presenting much necessary information (such as the composition of individual flavors, nutritional values, or a list of allergens)
- high requirements regarding the graphical layer and its perfect alignment with the company's visual identity
Additionally, during the cooperation, we had to consider coordinating the project's execution with a second technical team, responsible for the back-end layer and API, as well as the sheer intensity of work resulting from the client's business requirements and plans related to further expansion.
Solution
We designed an effective e-commerce platform aimed at a diverse audience, allowing for a quick purchase process to order delicious ice cream (which we've tried!) with home delivery. We encapsulated the entire purchasing process in four simple steps, enabling customers to familiarize themselves with the offer, choose their favorite flavors, add-ons (like wafers), or delivery preferences.
During the implementation, we focused on usability, clarity, and ease of use for both younger and older users. Speed and exceptional fluidity of operation were also crucial, so the application was developed as a Single-Page Application. The whole was integrated with the client's system responsible for data delivery and order management, allowing to keep the entire process within one system, previously used by the company's employees.
Platform functionalities
The main capabilities include:
- the extensive purchase path includes delivery address validation and delivery zone consideration, selection of ice cream flavors and sizes, viewing composition with an allergen list, handling dynamic variability of individual ice cream flavors' availability, quick order editing, choosing preferred delivery hours, and payment through multiple payment operators.
- a module of stylized Google Maps illustrating delivery zones and the courier's location while waiting for ice cream delivery.
- advanced notifications, a delivery status bar, and a process for collecting feedback about the order and delivery.
Let's talk
Do you have an idea for a similar implementation? Get in touch with us!
Project team
The project team consisted of 7 members: a UX/UI Designer, four Front-end Developers, a QA specialist, and a Project Manager.
Project effects
Before:
- Reduced reach and availability for customers - sales limited to physical stores and a mobile application.
- Limited capability to gather data on customer preferences and analyze purchasing behaviors.
- Online sales dependent on external suppliers (mobile application distribution platforms, such as Google Play and the App Store).
After:
- A new sales channel for products - increased reach and availability for a broader group of customers.
- Increased sales, customer satisfaction, and return rate.
- Enhanced security - online sales made independent of external suppliers.
What the company has gained?
Launching their own platform for ordering ice cream with delivery contributed to greater sales diversification. The ice cream parlor network gained a new channel for sales, independent of external entities, which allows reaching an even larger number of customers. This translates into increased sales, revenue, and security for the company. Utilizing a custom-tailored solution provides full control over the purchasing process, allows for a more detailed analysis of customer purchasing behavior, and opens up a range of possibilities for further development.
For WebMakers, collaborating with a dynamically growing network of ice cream parlors was a unique opportunity to demonstrate how modern technologies can support traditional business, contributing to its growth.
See also
Marketplace platform for selling new and used cars with financing
At the company, which sells cars and vans along with financing, we have cut sales costs by 60% by creating a new sales channel in the form of a dedicated marketplace platform. The platform allows new and used cars to be purchased online in four simple steps.
