How a hardware wholesaler moved 500+ retailers online
A B2B e-commerce platform that connects hardware wholesalers with retailers across India.
What They Were Struggling With
Hardware and electrical distribution in India is a massive, fragmented industry. Thousands of small retailers depend on wholesalers for inventory, but the ordering process was stuck in the past—phone calls, WhatsApp messages, and handwritten bills.
DigiDukan's founders saw the opportunity: bring B2B hardware distribution online. But the challenges were unique. Complex product catalogs with multiple variations (size, wattage, amperage), GST-compliant invoicing, credit-based purchasing, and retailers who weren't tech-savvy.
They needed a platform that was powerful enough for enterprise-grade operations but simple enough for a retailer in a small town to use on their phone.
How We Solved It
We built DigiDukan as a three-app ecosystem—a customer-facing storefront, a powerful admin dashboard, and a robust API backend.
Customer Portal: A Next.js 13 PWA where retailers browse products, place orders, track deliveries, and manage their wallet balance. OTP-based authentication makes it accessible to users with varying tech comfort levels.
Admin Dashboard: A comprehensive React dashboard for managing products (with complex variations), processing orders, tracking payments, and analyzing business metrics.
Backend Infrastructure: Express.js API with MongoDB handling product catalogs with SKU variations, GST-compliant pricing, PhonePe payment integration, wallet systems, and coupon management.
The GST Challenge: Indian B2B requires precise GST calculations (18% split as CGST + SGST). We built a reliable calculation engine that handles product variations, discounts, wallet deductions, and shipping—all while generating compliant invoices.
What We Delivered
Product Catalog
Comprehensive catalog with product variations, cost price tracking, and real-time inventory management.
Order Management
End-to-end order workflow—placement, processing, shipping, delivery—with status tracking and PDF invoices.
Payment Integration
PhonePe integration for online payments, COD support, and wallet system for credit-based purchases.
PWA Storefront
Installable progressive web app with offline support, making it accessible even in low-connectivity areas.
Platform Showcase
Product catalog with category navigation
Cart with GST breakdown and wallet integration
Order management and business analytics
Auto-generated GST-compliant PDF invoices
The Transformation
Before
- Orders via phone calls and WhatsApp
- No inventory visibility until visit
- Manual GST calculations on paper
- Cash-only or informal credit
- No order history or tracking
After
- 24/7 online ordering via PWA
- Real-time stock and pricing
- Automatic GST-compliant invoicing
- Integrated payments and wallet system
- Complete order history with tracking
Development Journey
Discovery & Architecture
Understanding B2B hardware distribution, product variation complexity, and GST compliance requirements.
Backend & Database
Express.js API, MongoDB schema for products with variations, user authentication, and order management.
Customer Portal
Next.js 13 PWA with product catalog, cart, checkout, wallet integration, and order tracking.
Admin Dashboard
React admin panel with product management, order processing, user management, and analytics.
Payments & Polish
PhonePe integration, GST calculation engine, PDF invoice generation, and production deployment.
Built With Modern Tech Stack
“Rightlabs understood the complexity of B2B distribution from day one. The GST calculation engine alone saved us countless hours. Retailers who were hesitant about technology are now placing orders at midnight.”
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