Project Description:
Dragon Mart, the world’s largest Chinese mall and trading hub for Chinese products outside Mainland China, serves as a significant player in fostering strong trade and cultural connections between the UAE and China. With over 6,000 shops, dining and entertainment options, leisure attractions, and ample parking space, Dragon Mart welcomes more than 40 million customers annually. To expand its reach and offer a unique shopping experience, Dragon Mart sought to create a new e-commerce platform connecting retailers and SMEs at the mall to customers across the UAE. The platform needed to cater to various product categories, including Home, Games and Toys, Electronics, Fashion, and more.
Problem Statement:
Dragon Mart faced the challenge of transitioning its extensive brick-and-mortar shopping complex into the digital realm. They needed a robust e-commerce platform that would seamlessly connect retailers and SMEs with customers while offering a wide range of products. Additionally, they required a solution to handle multiple payment methods, shipping providers, and ensure a user-friendly experience.
Description of Solution:
To address Dragon Mart’s needs, we selected nopCommerce, a user-friendly e-commerce platform with rich built-in functionality. Leveraging nopCommerce, we designed a microservices-based architecture that powers both the web application and the mobile app. Customers can now purchase products online, choose from various payment methods, and even request returns or cancellations. We integrated multiple shipping providers, including Emirates Post, TFM, and Self-delivery, for efficient shipping operations.
A dedicated team, including a Project Manager, Technical Leader, senior resources, Junior Developers, and a Quality Assurance (QA) team, was established to provide timely reporting and ensure the project’s success. We followed a comprehensive software development life cycle, incorporating unit testing, UAT testing, regression testing, and quality assurance into our daily tasks.
Tools and Technologies Used:
- ASP.NET Core 2.2 and EF Core 2.2
- MVC, C#, MS-SQL Server
- HTML, CSS, jQuery
- Web API
- Java (for Microservices)
- Azure DevOps
- React Native (for Mobile App)
Business Benefits:
Online presence for Dragon Mart, enabling vendors to reach thousands of customers.
Increased sales, shifting customers from physical stores to online shopping.
- International sales of goods and services.
- Building a valuable customer database.
- Enhanced sales, with 50,000 orders placed and 13,000 products in the catalog.
- Averaging 25,000 daily visitors, making the site a prominent sales platform.
- Convenient and affordable shopping for customers.
- Custom functionality tailored to customer needs.
- Growing customer base, with 250,000 live customers and counting.
Key Features Provided:
- User and Vendor Management
- Product Catalog Management
- Inventory Management
- Banners, Widgets, Sliders, and Custom Menu for site appearance
- Multiple payment methods, including Prepaid and Cash on Delivery
- Integration with multiple shipping providers for efficient delivery
- End-to-end event management for shipping processes
- Return, Cancel, and Refund features
- External Search using Azure Search services
- Multi-Language and Multi-Currency Support
- Vendor Commission Management
- Feed Management (Google and Facebook Feeds)
- Social Login Feature
- Mobile Application Support
- Custom Widget and Landing Page (CMS)
- Live Chat option for customer support
- Email and SMS Notifications
- New Relic Integration for tracking logs and server information
- SEO-compliant structure for better search engine visibility
- GTM/GA Integration and support
This comprehensive solution has transformed Dragon Mart into a thriving online marketplace, allowing customers to shop conveniently from their homes, boosting sales, and expanding its reach beyond the physical mall. It has become an essential platform for both customers and retailers, providing a seamless shopping experience and contributing to the success of Dragon Mart’s mission to bridge cultures and commerce.