How much does it cost to develop a retail app like Walmart?

There is no doubt that mobile applications have disrupted the way businesses operate in the retail industry. Various retail apps like Walmart and Amazon have shaped the way people shop from the comfort of their homes. But have you ever wondered how much it would cost to develop a Walmart-like app? The average retail app development cost can range from $45,000 to $65,000, depending on various factors.

In this blog post, we’ll help you understand the cost to develop a retail app like Walmart. We’ll also give you an insight into market statistics, different factors contributing to the cost of app development, and tips for reducing the price estimation. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Key market statistics

As reported by MarketsAndMarkets, the global retail analytics market size is forecasted to reach $11.1 billion at a CAGR of 21.2% by 2025.

As per a survey conducted by Statista, 21% of participants stated that they accessed retail apps more times a day, while other 22% of participants accessed those apps once a day.

As reported by Statista, Walmart topped the ranking of shopping apps with 120 million monthly users in the United States in 2021, leaving behind Amazon with 98 million monthly users.

Now that we’ve looked at the key statistics of the mobile retail app market, let’s also understand the working model of Walmart and the different factors that contribute to the online shopping app development cost.

Working model of shopping apps like Walmart

Shopping apps like Walmart work on a simple business model. It involves three main stakeholders – the app owner, the retailer, and the customer. The app owner is responsible for developing and managing the app. The retailer partners with the app owner and uses the app to promote and sell its products. The customers use a mobile application to browse through the products and make purchases. 

Factors that contribute to the development cost of Walmart-like app

Various factors contribute to the cost of app development, such as features, design, team location, development team, and timeline. Let’s take a deeper look at each of these individually.

Features

The number of features and functionalities that are included in the app will affect the cost to develop Walmart-like app. A mobile retail app with basic features such as product browsing and user login will be less expensive to develop than an app with more complex features such as wishlists, payment gateway, and loyalty programs. Ultimately, the cost of retail app development will vary depending on the specific requirements of the project.

Design

The design system of a retail app can have a significant impact on the cost of development. A simple and straightforward design with a minimalistic approach will be less expensive to develop than an app with a more complex and sophisticated design. For example, mobile retail app development with a material design will be more expensive to develop than an app with a flat design.

Team location

When considering the cost to develop Walmart-like app, one of the key considerations is the location of the development team. Development costs can vary significantly depending on where the team is based. For example, hiring a development team in North America or Europe will typically be more expensive than hiring a team in the UK or Australia.

Development team

The cost of app development will also be affected by the team that is working on the project. If you hire a team of experienced app developers, the cost of app development will be higher than if you were to hire a less experienced team. However, it is important to note that the quality of the app should not be compromised in order to save on development costs. The development team includes the project manager, app developers, app designers, and quality assurance engineers.

Timeline

When it comes to building apps similar to Walmart, one of the key considerations is the timeline. Building a shopping app can be a complex and time-consuming process, and the cost will vary depending on the timeline.

For example, if you’re looking to create a shopping app quickly, you may need to sacrifice some features or functionality to meet your deadline. So, it’s always recommended to work with an eCommerce application development company that has experience building shopping apps and can provide you with a realistic estimate of a custom retail software development cost based on your desired timeline. 

Now, while we have a better understanding of how app development costs are determined, let’s take a deeper look at the features that are typically included in retail shopping apps like Walmart.

Features you need to include in an app like Walmart

The cost of mobile shopping app development can vary depending on the features and functionalities included in the retail app. So let’s take a look at the features one by one.

Quick registration process

Custom retail software development can be a complex and time-consuming process. One important aspect of this process is the quick registration feature. The feature allows customers to register quickly and easily without providing a lot of personal information. In many cases, all that is required is a name and an email address. This makes the registration process much faster and easier, which can be a significant advantage for busy customers. 

Push notifications

Push notifications are a key feature of online shopping app development. They provide a way for retail brands to keep their customers engaged and informed about new products, sales, and events. The notifications can be sent to the customer’s device as soon as they are triggered or scheduled in advance. 

They can also be personalized to include the customer’s name, location, and other relevant information. There are a few different ways to develop push notification features into a retail app. So it’s always important to plan and test the feature thoroughly before launch to ensure a positive customer experience.

Location-based messaging

If you want to include a location-based messaging feature in retail mobile app development, you will need to integrate it with a mapping service like Google Maps. Once that’s done, you’ll need to design a messaging system to send messages to users based on their location. 

For example, a mobile retail app might send a message to a user when they’re near a store or product they’re interested in. Location-based messaging can be a great way to increase sales and customer engagement, but it’s important to ensure that messages are relevant and useful, or else users will quickly become annoyed.

Social integration

Social integration in retail software development involves incorporating social media features into mobile applications. This can allow users to log in with their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter credentials. 

The goal of social integration is to make it easier for users to engage with retail brands and products through social media channels. This can help increase customer loyalty and brand awareness. In addition, social integration can also help to create new marketing and sales opportunities for retail businesses.

Offline functionality

In retail software development, offline functionality refers to the ability of an app to function correctly even when there is no internet connection. This is an important feature for retail apps, as many shoppers use them in stores, where WiFi and cellular data signals may be weak or nonexistent. There are a few different ways to implement offline functionality in retail apps.

One common approach is to use cached data, which stores a copy of the most recent data from the server on the device so that it can be accessed even when there is no internet connection. Another approach is to use local storage, which allows users to add items to their shopping carts and save them later, even if they can’t connect to the internet immediately.

Multiple payment methods

The retail industry is changing rapidly, and mobile application development is one of the driving forces behind this change. In the past, customers were limited to paying with cash or cheque. However, now customers use their credit cards, debit cards, and even their phones to pay for their purchases.

As a result, businesses are turning to custom retail software development companies to create shopping apps and stay ahead of the competition.

User-friendly interface

A user-friendly interface is one of the most important aspects of retail software development. Retail apps need to be easy to use so that customers can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. The interface must also be intuitive, so users don’t need to think about how to use the app; it should just make sense.

Finally, the interface should be visually appealing so users enjoy using the app and are more likely to return. A mobile retail app with a user-friendly interface that meets all of these criteria is more likely to be successful than one that doesn’t. Therefore, retail app developers need to focus on creating a user-friendly interface that is both effective and enjoyable to use.

Wishlist option

The wishlist option is a common feature in shopping apps. It allows users to save items for later purchases. This can be useful for several reasons. For example, users may want to wait for a sale before purchasing an item. Or, they may simply want to keep track of items they are interested in. 

Overall, the wishlist option is a simple but useful feature that can benefit shopping app users. By allowing them to save items for later purchases, it gives them more flexibility and control over their shopping experience. As such, this feature will likely continue to be popular in the world of mobile shopping app development.

Mobile wallet

Mobile wallets allow users to store their debit/credit card information, loyalty cards, and other digital payment methods in one place for easy and convenient shopping. To add a mobile wallet feature to your shopping app, you will need to partner with a mobile wallet provider.

This feature will allow users to securely store their payment information and easily make purchases within the shopping app. Adding a mobile wallet feature to your retail business apps can help increase conversion rates, retention rates, and customer satisfaction.

Sales support

A retail app offers customer support features, such as live chat and FAQs. They also provide several features to help businesses boost their sales. For example, a mobile retail app can offer coupons, discounts, and loyalty programs. These features can help attract new customers and keep existing customers coming back. 

Multilingual & multicurrency support

More and more businesses are looking to reach a global audience. In order to do this, they need to offer their app in multiple languages and allow users to pay in any currency. This can be a difficult and costly process, but it is essential if you want to reach a global audience.

By offering multicurrency and multilingual support, you can make your app more accessible to a wider audience. This can help to boost your app’s popularity and increase the chances of business growth.

QR code scanner

QR code scanning is a useful feature for retail app users. It allows them to scan product barcodes and QR codes to get more information about the product. This can be helpful to compare prices or find out more about a product before users make a purchase.

In addition, QR code scanning can also be used to access loyalty programs and discounts. By offering this unique feature, businesses can provide a more convenient and informative shopping experience to the app users.

AI chatbots

We can’t miss out on AI chatbots when planning for mobile app development. AI chatbots can provide several benefits for businesses. For example, they can be used to answer customer questions, provide product recommendations, and offer support. 

Moreover, AI chatbots can also upsell customers on additional products or services. By adding an AI chatbot to your app, you can provide a more convenient and informative shopping experience for your app users.

Qualitative photos and videos

As per mobile app developers, in-app photo galleries as well as videos, play a pivotal role in bringing brands to life. The main reason behind this is that videos and photos grab more users’s attention in comparison to text alone. Hence, you can include good photos or videos of your offerings in your business apps.

Above discussed were a few Walmart app features you can include in your shopping app. As we move forward, let’s look at the tech stack and the tips for keeping the costs down to develop an app like Walmart.

Tech stack used to develop an app like Walmart

Businesses that want to develop an app like Walmart must consider the tech stack carefully. The tech stack is the combination of programming languages, tools, and frameworks used to build an app. It is important to choose the right tech stack for your app because it can impact the app’s performance, scalability, and maintenance costs.

The final cost to develop an app like Walmart

There is no doubt that mobile app development like Walmart will be expensive. Depending on the Walmart app features and functionality you want to include in your app, the development cost can range from $30,000 to $60,000.

To get a better understanding, it’s always recommended to have a custom retail software development quote for your mobile application. Factors such as the app’s complexity, the number of retail mobile app features, the development team, and the app development company you choose will impact the final price of building a mobile retail app.

Tips for reducing the cost of developing a retail app like Walmart

If you want to develop a Walmart-like app, there are some tips you can follow to lower your costs. So, let’s get started.

Choose the right development team

When it comes to app development, you get what you pay for. So, if you want to reduce your costs, it is important to choose a development team that has experience in building retail apps. An experienced development team will be able to develop your app quickly and efficiently, saving you money.

Avoid feature creep

It is important to scope out the features of your app before development begins. Otherwise, you may be tempted to add new shopping app features during the development process, which can increase the development costs. By defining the scope of your app upfront, you can avoid feature creep and keep costs down.

Develop a minimum viable product

When starting out, it is important to develop a minimum viable product (MVP). An MVP is a version of your app with basic features and functionality. By creating an MVP, you can reduce your development costs and time to market.

These are just a few tips for reducing the cost of developing an app like Walmart. By following these tips, you can save money and get your app to market quickly.

Now that we’ve covered the tech stack and tips for reducing development costs, let’s take a look at the final cost to build a shopping app like Walmart.

[Also Read: What Is The Cost To Develop A Marketplace App Like Craigslist?]

How can Appinventiv help develop apps like Walmart?

Building a mobile app is not an easy task and requires a lot of hard work. It is essential to partner with an e-commerce application development company like ours. 

We recently helped IKEA with a solution that would both give users the real-time status of the availability of the product and also help ease out the in-store customer onboarding process. This helped our client expand its presence with 7+ IKEA stores in the UAE. The retail outlet touts the solution as the biggest source of ROI measurement.

At Appinventiv, our team of experts can help you scope out your app, choose the right tech stack, and develop an MVP. Our team of experienced developers can build your app quickly and efficiently. Contact us today to get started on your app development project.

FAQs

Q. How to build a retail app?

A. To build a retail app like Walmart, you must first understand your customer’s needs and what they are looking for in a shopping app. Once you have a clear understanding of your target market, you can then begin to develop the retail mobile app’s features and functionality like

• Smart search
• Checkout and payment system
• Search filters
• User profiles

Q. How long does it take to develop a retail mobile app?

A. Businesses should expect to spend anywhere from four to eight months developing a minimum viable product (MVP). MVP is a basic version of your app that has the minimum amount of features and functionality.

Q. How do retail mobile apps make money?

A. There are several ways to monetize a retail mobile app like Walmart. Some common methods include in-app purchases, advertising, and subscription fees.

Q. What makes a good retail app?

A. A good retail app is one that meets the needs of your customers. It should be easy to use and have all the features and functionality that your customers are looking for. In addition, a good retail app should be able to scale as your business grows.

THE AUTHOR

Saurabh Singh

CEO & Director