SOIF: Native Mobile App for BigCommerce B2B Trade Commerce

Type

Native Mobile App Development · BigCommerce API Integration · B2B Trade Commerce

Role

React Native · BigCommerce REST API v3 · Customer Groups API · iOS · Android Published Apple App Store · Google Play Store

Stack

React Native · BigCommerce REST API v3 · Customer Groups API · iOS · Android Published Apple App Store · Google Play Store

Status

The Problem: No Purpose-Built Mobile Tool for Trade Installers

SOIF Samsung Interior Film supplies architectural interior film to professional trade installers across the UK. Their customers are not casual shoppers. They are contractors and installers on job sites, in client meetings, and in showrooms who need to check a product code, confirm trade pricing, verify stock, and place an order from their phone quickly, without friction, and without sitting at a desktop.
SOIF already had a BigCommerce store. But a desktop storefront viewed through a mobile browser is not a trade tool. Finding a specific finish by SKU code while standing in a client’s home, confirming live stock before quoting a job, and completing a purchase with a saved delivery address none of that worked the way their customers needed it to work.
No architectural film supplier in the UK had a native trade app. Not one. SOIF had the catalogue, the trade customer base, and the BigCommerce infrastructure already in place. The gap was a purpose-built mobile experience on top of it.

The Solution: A Native App Fully Synced to BigCommerce

Codinative built a full native mobile app for iOS and Android published on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store connected directly to SOIF’s existing BigCommerce store through the REST API v3 and Customer Groups API.
Trade account holders log in once and see their exclusive pricing everywhere in the app from that point forward. They browse 500+ finishes across nine material categories Wood, Concrete, Stone & Marble, Solid, Fabric, Metal, Leather, Premium Soft Touch, 2025 Sample Book or find any finish instantly by product code or name. Every product page shows live stock status, trade price, and specifications. The cart calculates VAT as a separate line, accepts coupon codes against the BigCommerce promotions engine, and shows the Grand Total before checkout. Checkout uses the customer’s saved address and payment method and completes entirely in-app no browser redirect, no external payment page.
SOIF became the only architectural film supplier in the UK with a dedicated native trade app on both stores.

Project Framework

SOIF Mobile App Development: Situation, Task, Action, Result

The Situation: A Desktop Storefront That Didn't Serve Job-Site Ordering

SOIF had a functioning BigCommerce store but no mobile app. Their trade installer customers needed a fast, purpose-built way to browse products, check trade pricing, and place orders from job sites the desktop storefront on a mobile browser was not meeting that need.

The Task: Building and Publishing a Fully-Synced Native Trade App

Build and publish a native mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, fully synced with SOIF’s existing BigCommerce inventory and trade customer group pricing, giving installers a complete ordering tool they could use anywhere.

The Action: A Full React Native App Connected via REST API v3

Built a full native app in React Native covering a branded splash screen, a category home with 500+ finishes across nine material categories pulled live from BigCommerce, product code and name search with live trade price badges and direct Add to Cart and Buy Now actions, product detail pages with stock status and specifications, a cart with live VAT calculation and BigCommerce coupon validation, and a complete in-app checkout with saved address and payment method selection all connected to BigCommerce via REST API v3.

The Result: The Only Native Trade App in the UK Film Supply Market

SOIF became the first and only architectural film supplier in the UK with a dedicated native trade app published on both major stores. Trade installers browse the full catalogue, confirm pricing, and place orders from any job site. SOIF has a direct ordering channel their competitors do not have.

Core Features

Core Features of the SOIF Native Mobile App

Home Screen: 500+ Finishes Browsed by Category

The home screen is built around one priority getting a trade installer to the right finish as fast as possible. Nine material categories display as a visual grid of texture thumbnails pulled live from the BigCommerce category tree through the REST API v3 Categories endpoint. Wood, Concrete, Stone & Marble, Solid, Fabric, Metal, Leather, Premium Soft Touch, and 2025 Sample Book. A persistent search bar sits above the category grid with placeholder text “Search by code or name” so first-time users immediately understand the fastest route to any product. The bottom navigation Home, Favourite, Cart, Profile is accessible from every screen in the app. The cart icon carries a live badge with the current item count. Any category addition or restructure in the SOIF BigCommerce admin reflects in the app automatically with no app update required.

Search: Product Code and Name with Live Trade Price Badges

Trade installers know products by code. Searching “112” returns every matching finish Basic Solid SF 122, Basic Solid SF 1128, Painted Wood SF 1127, Painted Wood SF 1129 in a 2-column grid with texture thumbnail, product name, trade price, and a confirmed TRADE PRICE badge showing the Customer Groups API rate being applied to the authenticated session. Every search result card carries two direct actions Add to Cart and Buy Now without requiring the product detail page to open. For a repeat order on a known SKU, the path from search to cart is two taps. Search queries run against the BigCommerce REST API v3 Products endpoint with simultaneous name and SKU filtering. Pricing is resolved from the Customer Groups API against the logged-in customer record.

Product Detail: Trade Price, Stock Status, and Specifications

The product detail screen gives an installer everything needed before committing to an order. Full-width texture image with a thumbnail gallery for additional angles. Product name and SKU displayed together. An In Stock badge at the top of the image so stock status is visible before anything else. Trade price per metre shown prominently with a TRADE PRICE badge confirming the rate is the account-specific Customer Groups price not a public price. Description, specifications, and material details scroll below the pricing section. Two action buttons Add to Cart and Shop Now are pinned to the bottom of the screen throughout the scroll so the installer never loses access to the purchase action regardless of how far down the product description runs. A Live Chat button provides direct access to SOIF’s support team without leaving the app.

Cart: VAT Breakdown, Coupon Validation, Grand Total

The cart screen shows every line item with product name, size variant, per-unit price, a quantity stepper with minus and plus controls, the line total, and a remove button. The financial summary below the line items separates Subtotal and VAT as independent lines before showing the Grand Total so trade customers see their full VAT liability before confirming the order, which matters for UK B2B trade transactions. A coupon code input field sits between the VAT line and the Grand Total. The Apply button validates the code against the BigCommerce Promotions engine in real time and updates the Grand Total immediately if the code is valid. A single Check Out button advances to checkout. Cart state is managed through the BigCommerce REST API v3 Carts endpoint and persists across sessions installers can build an order across multiple visits without losing their cart.

Checkout: Saved Address, Payment Selection, In-App Completion

The checkout screen opens with the full cart summary every line item, quantity, per-unit price, and line total followed by the complete financial breakdown: Subtotal, Shipping, VAT, and Grand Total with the GBP figure confirmed. User information is pre-populated from the trade account name and email. Shipping address pulls from the saved addresses on the BigCommerce customer record and displays with a green Saved badge and a Change link for one-tap address switching. Payment method selection presents Credit Card/Debit with Mastercard and Visa options. A single Pay Now button submits the order entirely in-app through the BigCommerce REST API v3 Orders endpoint. No browser redirect. No external payment page. The order appears in the SOIF BigCommerce admin in real time. The installer stays in the app.

Deliverables

SOIF Native Mobile App: What Was Shipped

Native iOS and Android app built in React Native and published on both stores

Branded splash screen aligned with SOIF brand identity

Category home 9 material finish categories synced live from BigCommerce

Product code and name search with trade price badges and direct Add to Cart and Buy Now

Product detail trade price, stock status, specifications, image gallery, pinned action buttons

Cart with live VAT calculation, quantity steppers, coupon validation, persistent session

In-app checkout saved address, payment method selection, order submission via REST API v3

Trade account login with Customer Groups API integration for exclusive pricing visibility

Full real-time order sync every in-app order appears in the SOIF BigCommerce admin immediately

Apple App Store and Google Play Store submission including metadata, screenshots, and compliance

Common Questions

SOIF Native Mobile App FAQ's

What is a native BigCommerce mobile app and how is it different from a mobile website?

A native mobile app is built specifically for iOS and Android, published through the App Store and Google Play Store, and installed on the customer's device. It loads faster than a mobile browser, persists the customer's login and saved addresses between sessions, and can be built around the specific workflows of trade users SKU search, quick reorder, in-app checkout without browser redirects. A mobile browser experience cannot match the session persistence, speed, or workflow optimization a native app provides for a B2B trade audience.

How does the app stay in sync with the BigCommerce store?

The app connects directly to the BigCommerce REST API v3 for all product, category, pricing, cart, and order data. When SOIF adds a product, updates a price, or changes stock status in the BigCommerce admin, the app reflects it immediately on the next data fetch. There is no separate product database to maintain. The BigCommerce store is the single source of truth for everything the app displays.

How does trade pricing work in the app?

Trade pricing is handled through the BigCommerce Customer Groups API. When a trade account holder logs in, the app authenticates against their BigCommerce customer record and retrieves the pricing tier assigned to their customer group. Every product page, search result, and cart line item then displays the trade price for that account. A TRADE PRICE badge confirms the account rate is being applied. Non-authenticated users see public pricing.

Does the app handle UK VAT correctly for trade customers?

Yes. The cart separates Subtotal and VAT as independent line items calculated against the BigCommerce tax configuration for the SOIF store. Grand Total includes VAT. This matters for UK B2B trade transactions where customers need visibility of their VAT liability before confirming an order particularly for VAT-registered trade businesses reclaiming input tax.

Can this type of native BigCommerce mobile app be built for other stores?

Yes. The architecture React Native frontend connected to BigCommerce REST API v3, Customer Groups API for trade pricing, and REST API v3 Carts and Orders endpoints for purchasing applies to any BigCommerce store. Codinative builds custom-branded native mobile apps for BigCommerce merchants across industries. SOIF is one implementation. The same foundation works for any B2B or B2C BigCommerce store that needs a native mobile ordering experience.

What does the App Store and Google Play publishing process involve?

Both stores require developer account registration, app binary submission, metadata including screenshots and descriptions, privacy policy compliance, and a review period. Apple's review typically takes one to three business days. Google Play reviews are generally faster. Codinative manages the full submission process including store listing copy, screenshots, and compliance documentation.

How long does it take to build a native BigCommerce mobile app of this scope?

A full native iOS and Android app with BigCommerce API integration, trade pricing, category browsing, SKU search, VAT cart, and in-app checkout takes Codinative ten to sixteen weeks from discovery to App Store and Google Play submission. That timeline covers BigCommerce API integration, React Native development, UI/UX design, QA across device types and OS versions, and both store submission processes.

Can the app support multiple customer groups with different pricing tiers?

Yes. The BigCommerce Customer Groups API supports multiple groups with independent price lists. The app reads the authenticated customer's group assignment at login and applies the correct pricing tier across every screen product pages, search results, cart, and checkout all reflect the correct group price for that account automatically.

Codinative is a verified BigCommerce Partner. Every project is BigCommerce only — no split focus across platforms

Custom apps, B2B Edition, Stencil and Catalyst storefronts, REST API v3 integrations — built by
developers who work on BigCommerce every day.