The problem
Wholesalers were taking orders over phone calls and WhatsApp messages, with no live stock, no order history and pricing that changed by customer. Retailers outside the big cities had no reliable way to buy at wholesale rates.
The approach
- 01Mapped the real ordering flow with the wholesaler first: tiered pricing, minimum quantities, credit terms and nationwide logistics.
- 02Built one backend (Node.js, MongoDB) serving a React Native app for retailers and a web admin for the wholesaler's team.
- 03Shipped a focused first version in two-week sprints: catalogue, bulk cart, order tracking. Added inventory and logistics integrations after real orders came in.
- 04Kept the app usable on low-end Android phones and patchy connections, which is where most retailers are.
The result
10,000+ retailers ordering on the platform (figure published on devkeytech.com).
What it taught us
- In B2B, the admin side decides whether the product survives. The retailer app is the easy half.
- Pricing rules are the real spec. Get them in writing before writing code.