E-Commerce Price Comparison

E-Commerce Price Comparison Platform

Project Summary

To realize the client’s vision, we architected and maintained Price.com, a comprehensive e-commerce platform with robust backend APIs, real-time data ingestion, and scalable infrastructure. The client needed a system to aggregate product data from multiple sources, provide accurate price comparisons, and offer cashback functionalities, ensuring high performance and reliability. Using Django REST Framework, MySQL, and AWS services, we guided the client from concept to MVP and then to a stable, production-ready system. This past project showcases our expertise in delivering end-to-end e-commerce solutions via offshore development, driving business value and user satisfaction.

Solution We Delivered to the Client

We partnered with the client and their internal IT team to design, develop, and maintain Price.com through a structured idea-to-MVP-to-stable-system engagement model, executed via our offshore product development delivery approach. Here’s what we built for the client:

  • Ideation Phase
    We collaborated remotely with the client to refine their vision, defining key features like price comparison and cashback, and designing a scalable architecture using Django REST Framework.
  • MVP Development
    Our offshore team built a Minimum Viable Product with core APIs for price comparison, basic data ingestion pipelines using Scrapy and BeautifulSoup, and a MySQL database to validate the concept and gather early user feedback.
  • Stable System Development
    We expanded the MVP into a fully stable system by enhancing APIs, optimizing data pipelines, implementing Celery with Redis and RabbitMQ for task queuing, and deploying on AWS for scalability.
  • Backend API Architecture
    We architected scalable backend APIs using Django REST Framework to support price comparison and cashback functionalities, ensuring fast and reliable user interactions.
  • Database Design
    We designed optimized MySQL database schemas to store product data, user information, and cashback transactions, enabling efficient querying and data management.
  • Data Ingestion Pipelines
    We implemented real-time data ingestion pipelines using Scrapy and BeautifulSoup to aggregate product data from multiple online sources, ensuring up-to-date price comparisons.
  • Task Queuing and Scalability
    We utilized Celery with Redis and RabbitMQ for asynchronous task queuing, enabling the system to handle high-traffic periods without performance degradation.
  • Cloud Infrastructure
    We deployed the platform on AWS, leveraging S3 for storage, CloudWatch for monitoring, and Lambda for serverless processing, ensuring scalability and cost-efficiency.
  • Maintenance and Optimization
    We provided ongoing offshore maintenance, optimizing APIs, pipelines, and infrastructure to support the client’s growing user base and evolving business needs.

Technology Stack

  • Backend: Django, Django REST Framework
  • Database: MySQL
  • Data Ingestion: Scrapy, BeautifulSoup
  • Task Queuing: Celery, Redis, RabbitMQ
  • Cloud Infrastructure: AWS (S3, CloudWatch, Lambda)
  • Containerization: Docker
  • Frontend: Integrated with the client’s existing frontend (not developed by us)

Outcome and Business Impact for the Client

  • Increased User Savings: The client’s platform enabled users to save an average of 15% on purchases through real-time price comparisons and cashback offers.
  • Operational Efficiency: The client reduced manual data aggregation efforts by 80%, streamlining operations and freeing resources for strategic growth.
  • Scalability and Reliability: The client’s system achieved 99.9% uptime, handling traffic spikes during peak shopping seasons without performance issues.
  • Enhanced User Engagement: The client’s intuitive platform and reliable cashback system increased user retention by 25%.
  • Sustainable Growth: The client’s scalable infrastructure and ongoing offshore maintenance supported their expansion into new markets and product categories.

Features the Client Benefited From

  • Real-Time Price Comparison
    The client’s platform provided users with instant, accurate price comparisons across multiple retailers, enhancing savings.
  • Cashback Functionality
    The client’s users earned cashback seamlessly, integrated into the platform via robust APIs.
  • Scalable Performance
    Celery, Redis, and AWS ensured the client’s platform handled peak traffic efficiently, maintaining uptime during high-demand periods.
  • Sustainable Shopping
    The client’s users accessed data-driven insights to make cost-effective and eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
  • Reliable Data Updates
    Scrapy and BeautifulSoup pipelines ensured the client’s product data remained current and comprehensive.

How We Engaged with the Client

    We collaborated with the client and their internal IT team through an idea-to-MVP-to-stable-system engagement model, delivered via our offshore product development approach:

    • Ideation and Consulting: Our offshore team worked remotely with the client and their IT team to define business requirements, outline the MVP scope, and design a scalable architecture aligned with their e-commerce goals and existing infrastructure.
    • MVP Development: Our offshore developers built and tested the MVP, delivering core price comparison and cashback features, and collaborated with the client’s IT team to validate the concept and incorporate user feedback.
    • Stable System Development and Integration: We expanded the MVP into a production-ready system, integrating it with the client’s frontend and third-party services, and conducted rigorous testing with the client’s IT team to ensure reliability and compatibility.
    • Maintenance: Our offshore team provided ongoing support, optimizing APIs, pipelines, and infrastructure in collaboration with the client’s IT team to ensure long-term performance and scalability.
    • Offshore Product Development: Leveraging our offshore development center, we delivered high-quality development and maintenance services, optimizing costs while maintaining close communication with the client’s IT team through regular updates, agile methodologies, and collaborative tools.

    This offshore delivery model ensured a cost-effective, high-quality solution that met the client’s business objectives while seamlessly integrating with their existing workflows.

    Conclusion

      This platform transformed how the client empowered users to shop smarter, delivering a scalable, efficient, and user-focused e-commerce solution with real-time price comparison and cashback functionalities. Our offshore product development model, combined with close collaboration with the client’s internal IT team, ensured a tailored solution that aligned with their infrastructure and business goals. Building on this past achievement, we’re ready to partner with the client and their IT team again to drive their next e-commerce innovation!

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