Custom E-Commerce Platform for Retailers

When the plugin count becomes the problem

Most retailers start on Shopify. It works well for standard product ranges and B2C checkout flows. The problems arrive when the business grows beyond the median use case: a retailer selling configurable products discovers Shopify's variant model has hard limits, so a product configurator plugin almost works, another fills the gap, a third handles pricing, and each adds a failure point. The B2B wholesaler problem is different but equally common, trade customers need account-specific pricing, credit terms, and order approval that Shopify's B2B features only partially cover. We build on the commerce architecture that fits your actual business model: headless on top of Shopify where the backend is sound, or a full custom platform where the underlying data model is the problem.

  • Custom product configuration with visual builders, option trees, conditional logic, and configurable pricing

  • B2B wholesale portal with account-specific pricing, credit terms, minimum orders, and approval workflows

  • Large catalogue architecture built for 100k+ SKUs with faceted search and sub-second performance

  • Headless commerce connecting a custom storefront to existing POS and inventory systems

Recent outcomes

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4.9
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See our work

The problem

Sound familiar?

  • Shopify plugins adding up to workarounds for functionality the platform fundamentally can't support at your product or catalogue complexity?

  • B2B wholesale customers needing a portal with account pricing, credit terms, and order approval that no off-the-shelf platform handles cleanly?

Short answer

RaftLabs builds custom e-commerce platforms for retailers who need more than Shopify: complex product configuration, B2B wholesale portals with account pricing and credit terms, large catalogues of 100k+ SKUs, subscription and recurring orders, headless storefronts, and marketplace features. A custom platform is the right choice when off-the-shelf plugins have become a layer of workarounds for functionality the platform fundamentally cannot support. Most e-commerce platform projects ship in 14 to 20 weeks at a fixed cost.

Key takeaways

  • Product listing pages use static generation with incremental regeneration, and search runs on a dedicated index (Algolia, Elasticsearch, Typesense), so 100 filter combinations on 100,000 SKUs return in milliseconds.
  • Headless builds on Shopify's Storefront API or Hydrogen are the fast path when the backend is sound and only the storefront is the constraint, typically 10-14 weeks versus 14-18+ for a full custom platform.
  • B2B portals enforce account-specific pricing, credit limits, minimum order values, and PO-upload-to-basket population, reflecting how wholesale actually works rather than a discount code bolted onto a consumer checkout.
  • Marketplace features (seller onboarding, commission calculation, seller dashboards) let a retailer open the platform to third-party sellers without building a separate system per seller type.

Trusted by

Vodafone logo
Aldi logo
Nike logo
Microsoft logo
Heineken logo
Cisco logo
Calorgas logo
Energia Rewards logo

E-commerce platform delivery, by the numbers

products shipped
100+
industries served
24+
cost delivery
Fixed
week delivery cycles
14-18

When the plugin count becomes the problem

We build on the commerce architecture that fits your actual business model: headless on top of Shopify where the backend is sound but the storefront needs replacing, or a full custom platform where the underlying data model is the problem.

Capabilities

What we build

  • 01
    Custom product configuration

    Visual configurators with conditional option logic, real-time pricing, and 2D/3D preview saved to cart with a full specification.

  • 02
    B2B wholesale portal

    Account-specific pricing and credit terms, PO upload, and order-approval workflows reflecting how wholesale actually operates.

  • 03
    Large catalogue management

    Search-index-powered faceted filtering across 100k+ SKUs, with bulk import validation and staged catalogue versioning.

    Built with
    Algolia · Elasticsearch
  • 04
    Subscription and recurring orders

    Flexible-interval billing with SCA/3DS2 authentication, self-service pause/skip, and cohort-level retention reporting.

    Built with
    Stripe
  • 05
    Headless commerce architecture

    Decoupled storefront connected via API, with static generation and edge caching for sub-second product pages.

    Built with
    Next.js · Hydrogen
  • 06
    Marketplace features

    Seller onboarding, configurable commission rates, and per-seller dashboards without cross-seller data exposure.

How we work

From scope to live commerce platform

  1. Week 1
    01

    Platform limits and complexity scoping

    We map what Shopify or your current platform can't do, your product complexity, your B2B requirements, and your catalogue size. You leave week 1 with a written scope document and a fixed-price quote.

  2. Weeks 2-6
    02

    Architecture and data model design

    Headless vs. full custom decision, search architecture, and B2B/configurator data models designed against your actual business.

  3. Weeks 7-16
    03

    Build in phases

    Core catalogue and checkout ship first, followed by B2B, configurator, or marketplace features.

  4. Final 2-4 weeks
    04

    Launch and phased rollout

    Working software goes live before every feature is complete, with phased delivery milestones.

Why us

Why retailers choose RaftLabs

  • 01
    Senior engineers build what they scope

    The engineers who assess your platform limits also build the solution. No bait-and-switch, no offshore handoff after the contract is signed.

  • 02
    Fixed price before development starts

    We scope the work, calculate the cost, and lock it in writing before any development starts.

  • 03
    9 years and 100+ products shipped

    Clients include Vodafone, T-Mobile, Aldi, Nike, Cisco, and Lockheed Martin. Track record building e-commerce and retail platforms.

  • 04
    We'll tell you when Shopify is still the right call

    Custom is justified by real platform limits, not recommended by default.

  • 05
    Tested against your actual catalogue size

    Performance testing runs against your real SKU count, not a 100-product sample.

Have an e-commerce platform project?

Tell us what Shopify or your current platform can't do, your product complexity, your B2B requirements, and your catalogue size. We'll scope the right architecture and give you a fixed cost.

Talk about your e-commerce platform project

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Frequently asked questions

When product configuration is too complex for Shopify's variant model, when B2B wholesale requirements include account pricing and credit terms Shopify B2B doesn't cover, when catalogue exceeds 50,000 SKUs and performance becomes an issue, or when your business model needs an underlying data model Shopify's architecture doesn't support without extensive workarounds.

Yes. If Shopify's backend is sound but the storefront is the constraint, we build the storefront in Next.js using Shopify's Storefront API or Hydrogen, keeping the backend you've already configured. When the data model itself is the problem, a fuller custom platform is the right answer.

Product listing pages use static generation with incremental regeneration. Filtering and search run on a dedicated search index rather than database queries, so 100 filter combinations on 100,000 SKUs return in milliseconds, with product data cached aggressively at the CDN level.

A standard product catalogue, checkout, and account management build typically takes 14 to 18 weeks. Adding a B2B portal, configurator, subscriptions, or marketplace layer adds 4 to 8 weeks per feature. Headless builds on Shopify's backend are typically faster, at 10 to 14 weeks.

Work with us

Tell us what you need. We'll tell you what it would take.

We scope Custom E-Commerce Platform Development for Retailers in 30 minutes. You walk away with a clear cost, timeline, and approach. No commitment required.

  • Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
  • Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
  • Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
  • 60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
  • All conversations are NDA-protected.

Go deeper

Browse our case studies

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