Architected mobile commerce platform for a global retail giant processing billions in annual revenue, bringing warehouse club shopping to millions of mobile devices.
The Problem
Costco needed to extend their successful warehouse club model to mobile devices, but legacy IBM WebSphere Commerce infrastructure was designed for desktop web. Mobile users expected native app experiences with offline capabilities, while Costco's systems required deep integration with inventory, membership, and payment processing. The challenge was delivering responsive mobile UX while integrating with decades-old backend systems processing billions in transactions.
The Solution
Designed mobile architecture that bridged native iOS/Android apps with IBM WebSphere Commerce backend. Created API layers that translated between mobile-optimized requests and legacy enterprise services. Architected offline capabilities for membership card access and shopping list management, critical for in-warehouse shopping. Designed performance optimization strategies including aggressive caching, image compression, and predictive prefetching to deliver fast experiences despite complex backend systems.
The Impact
Launched mobile commerce platform serving millions of Costco members, enabling mobile shopping for a brand generating $200B+ in annual revenue. The architecture balanced native app performance with enterprise system integration, maintaining response times under 2 seconds for critical paths. Mobile users could access membership cards offline, critical for in-warehouse experiences. The platform scaled to handle holiday peak loads without degradation, protecting billions in revenue.