Enterprise Grocery Chain Boosts Online Revenue by 40% with a Scalable, AI-Powered Delivery Platform
Industry Grocery Retail (Enterprise)
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$10B+ Client Revenues
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12+ Successful Years
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1000+ IT Ninjas
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5000+ Projects
Client's Testimonial
"The team at Developers.dev are more than vendors; they are true partners in innovation. They took the time to understand the deep complexities of our legacy systems and built a future-proof platform that has fundamentally changed our business. Their CMMI Level 5 process gave us the confidence we needed for a project of this scale. The results speak for themselves."
Mark P., CIO, FreshServ
Client Introduction
"FreshServ," a leading regional grocery chain in the American Midwest with over 150 stores and annual revenues exceeding $2 billion, was facing intense pressure from national competitors and pure-play delivery startups. Their existing "click-and-collect" website was outdated, lacked a mobile app, and couldn't handle the complexities of last-mile delivery. They needed a comprehensive digital transformation to defend their market share and create a new, significant revenue stream.
Problem
FreshServ's lack of a modern, integrated online ordering and delivery system was leading to customer churn and a tangible loss of market share. They needed a solution that could not only provide a seamless customer experience but also integrate deeply with their existing inventory management, POS, and loyalty program systems.
Key Challenges
Integrating with a 20-year-old, custom-built ERP system for real-time inventory.
Developing a logistics platform to manage a fleet of 300+ delivery vehicles efficiently.
Creating a personalized shopping experience for over 1 million loyalty program members.
Ensuring the platform was scalable enough to handle massive peaks in demand during holidays and promotions.
Our Solution
Developers.dev assembled a dedicated "Enterprise POD" of 25 experts, including enterprise architects, mobile developers, and AI specialists. We architected a cloud-native, microservices-based solution hosted on AWS.
🌉 Custom Middleware Layer
We built a robust API gateway and middleware to act as a bridge between the new platform and the client's legacy ERP, ensuring real-time inventory synchronization without disrupting existing store operations.
🤖 AI-Powered Personalization
We developed a recommendation engine that analyzed loyalty card data to provide personalized homepages, promotions, and "you might like" suggestions, increasing basket size.
🚚 Comprehensive Logistics Suite
We created a full suite of apps: a customer-facing iOS/Android app, a driver app with real-time route optimization, and a store-picker app to streamline the fulfillment process.
☁️ Scalable Cloud Infrastructure
Leveraging AWS services like EKS (Kubernetes), DynamoDB, and Lambda, we built an auto-scaling infrastructure that could handle 10x the normal traffic load with ease.
Implementation and Execution
Phase 1 (Discovery & Architecture)
A 6-week deep dive with FreshServ's IT and operations teams to map out every workflow and technical constraint.
Phase 2 (Agile Development)
We ran two-week sprints, delivering functional components for regular feedback and testing.
Phase 3 (Integration)
Our integration specialists worked on-site with the client's team to ensure a seamless connection with their legacy systems.
Phase 4 (Pilot Launch)
The platform was rolled out to 10 stores for a 2-month pilot program to gather real-world data and user feedback.
Phase 5 (Full Rollout)
A phased, region-by-region rollout to all 150+ stores over three months.
Phase 6 (Ongoing Support)
A dedicated support POD was assigned for 24x7 monitoring, maintenance, and ongoing feature development.
Positive Outcome
📈 40% Increase in Online Sales
The new platform generated over $150 million in new, high-margin revenue.
📉 18% Reduction in Operational Costs
The driver app's route optimization and the picker app's efficiency led to significant savings in fuel and labor.
💲 25% Increase in Average Order Value
The AI-powered recommendation engine proved highly effective at upselling and cross-selling.
⭐ 5-Star App Store Ratings
The intuitive design and reliable performance resulted in overwhelmingly positive customer feedback and loyalty.
Why Choose Us
🤝 Ecosystem of Experts
Our team brought together specialists in retail, logistics, AI, and enterprise architecture.
✅ Verifiable Process Maturity
CMMI Level 5 discipline was crucial for managing a project of this complexity.
🧑💻 100% In-House Talent
Ensured consistent quality and deep project knowledge throughout the 18-month engagement.
🤖 AI-Powered Solutions
The personalization engine was a key driver of the project's ROI.
🔐 Full IP & Source Code Ownership
FreshServ now owns a valuable, proprietary technology asset.
👁️ Radical Transparency
The client had full visibility into our Jira boards and CI/CD pipelines.
🏢 Proven Enterprise Experience
Our history with complex integrations was the reason they chose us.
🛡️ Risk-Free Engagement
The initial paid trial and pilot phase de-risked the investment for the client.
🚀 Future-Proof Architecture
The microservices architecture allows FreshServ to easily add new features like meal kits or pharmacy delivery in the future.
Conclusion
By partnering with Developers.dev, FreshServ successfully transformed from a brick-and-mortar retailer into a digital-first powerhouse. They not only defended their market share but created a powerful new engine for growth, proving that even established enterprises can innovate and win in the on-demand economy with the right technology partner.