Mobile Apps for Independent Online Shops and E-commerce Brands

Who this is for

This page is for independent online retailers and direct-to-consumer brands: speciality food and drink, pet supplies, cosmetics and skincare, fashion and accessories, homeware, hobby and craft supplies. Typically you sell through Shopify, WooCommerce or a similar platform, you have a loyal group of repeat customers, and you want a closer relationship with them than email and social media alone provide.

A shopping app is most useful when customers come back. If people reorder coffee every month, restock pet food, or follow your new drops, an app on their home screen with their details saved removes friction. If your sales are mostly one-off purchases from search traffic, a faster mobile website is usually the better investment, and we will tell you that.

What an e-commerce app typically includes

Catalogue and search connected to your store

You should not have to manage products twice. The app reads collections, products, variants, prices and stock from your e-commerce platform. Search, filters and sorting are designed for a small screen, with large images and clear prices.

Checkout that people finish

Checkout is where mobile shoppers drop off. A good app keeps the customer signed in, remembers addresses and offers wallet payment methods where your payment provider supports them. Depending on your platform, checkout can be fully native or hand over to your store's own secure checkout. We explain the trade-offs for your setup.

After the sale

Order status, delivery tracking and easy returns reduce "where is my order?" emails. Order history makes reordering simple, which is particularly valuable for consumable products.

Bringing customers back

• Opt-in notifications for back-in-stock items, order updates and occasional offers.
• App-only perks such as early access to a new collection.
• Loyalty points shown in the app, if your loyalty tool provides an API.

The value of notifications depends on restraint. A few relevant messages are welcome; daily promotions get the app muted or deleted.

How the free app preview works for an online shop

We can create a personalised, interactive concept of your shopping app from your existing website:

1. Share your store's address through the request form.
2. We review public content — brand, categories, featured products, delivery information and tone.
3. We design a concept with a home screen, product listing, product page, basket and account area using your branding and example products.
4. A person reviews it before it is sent.
5. You get a private link to open on your phone or desktop. We email you when it is ready.

The preview runs in the browser and is not connected to your store; basket and checkout are simulated. It is a concept to help you decide, not a finished app, and there is no obligation.

Process and what affects cost

If you want to go ahead, we agree the scope and give you a written quote. Production apps use React Native, Expo and TypeScript: one codebase for iPhone and Android.

Custom apps start from €1,499 (indicative starting price). For e-commerce, cost depends mainly on:

• Platform integration — which APIs your platform offers and how customised your store is (custom fields, bundles, subscriptions, B2B pricing).
• Checkout approach — native checkout versus handing over to the store's hosted checkout.
• Customer accounts — log-in, linking existing customers, order history.
• Third-party tools — loyalty, reviews, subscriptions or search tools, each with its own API.
• Notifications and segmentation — simple order updates versus targeted campaigns.
• Number of screens and custom design.
• Maintenance — operating system updates and changes in your platform's API.

Honest limitations

• Not every store plugin works in an app. Features added to your website by plugins or theme code may not have an API; they may need rebuilding or leaving out.
• Store approval is up to Apple and Google. We follow their guidelines, but cannot guarantee approval or timing.
• Notifications are opt-in. Customers decide whether to allow them.
• Digital products have different payment rules. If you sell digital goods or subscriptions used inside the app, in-app purchase rules may apply.
• An app is an ongoing channel. It needs updates, and it works best when you promote it to existing customers.

Next step

Request your free preview and see your shop as an app — with your products and branding — before you decide anything.