Building Mobile Commerce the Smart Way: Our Client’s Story
A brand came to us with a problem we hear constantly from US ecommerce businesses. They had a working online store and growing revenue, but were watching competitors launch mobile apps while stuck with a responsive website that felt increasingly outdated to their Gen Z customers. Their situation was clear: analytics showed 70% of traffic came from mobile devices, but mobile conversion rates were half of desktop. They were losing sales at the moment that mattered most.
Traditional ecommerce platforms offered mobile app solutions, but they were generic, limited in customization, and came with ongoing fees that would eat into margins as they scaled. Custom development quotes from US agencies came back at $150,000 and 6 month timelines. The question they asked us: “Can we validate that mobile commerce will work for our business without betting everything on a 6 month project?”
Our Solution: Prove It Fast, Build It Right
We proposed a two week proof of concept using React Native and Medusa.js. Not a clickable prototype. A real functioning ecommerce application that would prove technical feasibility and give them something to test with actual customers.
Here’s what we delivered in those two weeks with one fullstack developer.
What We Built: Complete Mobile Ecommerce Solution
Native Mobile Shopping Experience with React Native:
- Product catalog: Complete browsing with search and filtering.
- Product detail pages: Image galleries, variant selection, comprehensive information.
- Real-time shopping cart: Dynamic updates, quantity adjustments, live pricing.
- Complete checkout flow: Form validation, address entry, shipping options.
- Live Stripe payments: Real transaction capability from day one.
- Cross-platform: Native iOS and Android from single codebase.
Headless Commerce Backend powered by Medusa.js:
- Production-ready APIs: Authentication, cart management, order processing.
- Payment integration: Native Stripe support without custom development.
- Medusa Admin panel: Product, inventory, order, and customer management.
- Scalable architecture: Grows from thousands to millions in revenue.
- Flexible integrations: Web storefronts, marketplaces, third-party services.
Why This Approach Solved Their Business Problems
Speed to Market Without Compromise
Two weeks gave them a functioning app to test with real customers. Not months of development before seeing if mobile commerce would work. For the production-ready version, we mapped out a 6 to 10 week timeline including design refinement, additional features, comprehensive testing, and App Store optimization. Still a fraction of the 6 month timeline other agencies quoted.
True Ownership and Control
Medusa.js is open source. They own the code. They own the customer data. No monthly platform fees eating into margins. No artificial limits on products, orders, or customization. As they scale from $1 million to $50 million in revenue, their technology costs stay predictable.
Built for US Market Success
We chose React Native strategically for the US market. It’s the dominant mobile framework in American tech, used by Instagram, Shopify, Discord, and Facebook Marketplace. That means a larger talent pool if they need to bring development in-house, better third-party integrations with US market tools, and a proven track record at massive scale.
Technical Foundation That Scales
What made this possible in two weeks wasn’t cutting corners. It was using proven, production-ready infrastructure. Medusa.js gave us battle-tested ecommerce logic out of the box: authentication, cart management, payment processing, order fulfillment. We didn’t reinvent these. We configured them for this specific business and built the custom experience on top.
The headless architecture means flexibility. Want to add a web storefront later? Use the same commerce APIs. Want to sell on marketplaces or social commerce? The infrastructure supports it. You own the stack, so you control the integrations.
The Business Case: Why Mobile Matters Now
This wasn’t just about having an app. It was about capturing revenue that was slipping away.
Gen Z, with $360 billion in spending power in the US, doesn’t just prefer mobile. They expect it. They discover products on Instagram and TikTok. They research on mobile. They want to purchase in-app, not in a mobile browser.
| Metric | Mobile App Advantage |
|---|---|
| Conversion Rate | 2-3x higher than mobile web |
| Average Order Value | Consistently higher in-app purchases |
| Customer Lifetime Value | Better retention and repeat purchases |
| Engagement | Push notifications drive repeat purchases |
For this brand, the gap between mobile web and mobile app conversion rates represented real money left on the table every day. The proof of concept proved the technical path was viable. Now it was a business decision based on data, not a leap of faith.
From Proof of Concept to Production
That two week PoC validated what mattered most. The technology works. The user experience feels native and fast. Payment processing is solid. The admin tools give them control.
The path to production was clear:
- Design refinement: Perfect brand expression and visual identity.
- Business-specific features: Add unique functionality for differentiation.
- Rigorous QA: Comprehensive testing across devices and scenarios.
- App Store optimization: Maximize discoverability and conversion.
- Performance tuning: Ensure smoothest user experience at scale.
Timeline: 6 to 10 weeks from PoC to revenue-generating production app. Built on technology they own. Ready to scale with their growth.
Who This Approach Works For
This makes sense if you’re:
- Brand owners: Proven product-market fit, ready for mobile without 6-month timelines.
- Growing businesses: Want to own technology instead of paying platform fees forever.
- US market focused: Need technology aligned with largest mobile development ecosystem.
- Modern tech teams: Value clean, maintainable stacks over proprietary platforms.
Key Technologies and Their Strategic Value
| Technology | Strategic Advantage | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|
| React Native | Single codebase for iOS and Android | Faster development, easier hiring |
| Medusa.js | Open-source headless commerce | No platform fees, complete ownership |
| Stripe | Native Medusa integration | Secure transactions without custom dev |
Ready to Validate Your Mobile Strategy?
The question isn’t whether your customers want to shop on mobile. They’re already there. The question is how you build a mobile commerce experience without the risk, cost, and timeline of traditional custom development.
We proved it’s possible. Two weeks to validate feasibility with a working application. 6 to 10 weeks to a production app processing real revenue. Built on technology you own, ready to scale as you grow.
Let’s talk about your mobile commerce opportunity.
At Apps Value, we build React Native applications for brands targeting US markets. Fast execution, modern technology, real business results.
