The Challenge

X-cite by Alghanim Electronics (part of Alghanim Industries) is an electronics store currently based in Kuwait. Their product line includes computers, tablets, mobile phones, cameras, TVs, audio & MP3 players, games & toys, major appliances, small housewares, watches, fitness gear, and home furnishing. X-cite has 16 showrooms in Kuwait, and 4 in Saudi Arabia.

To expand their following and increase sales, the Alghanim team asked DevelopmentNow to develop their current Magneto eCommerce site into a mobile experience for iOS and Android users. The overall goal was to maintain the X-cite brand while supporting native mobile platforms. In addition, the app’s user experience had to adapt to the region of the user.

X-cite Alghanim Electronics

Solution

DevelopmentNow worked closely with Alghanim’s technology team to create a seamless mobile app experience for iOS and Android. The team integrated and properly represented the thousands of X-cite products, and built an intuitive user experience that helped boost sales by guiding the user through the conversion process. DevelopmentNow also built capabilities for product reviews and videos, specs, returns and exchanges, securely managing account information, sharing products via social media or email, geolocation, and fully bilingual Localization capabilities.

The team also developed a custom, high-performance REST API that allowed Alghanim to make updates through their existing Magento eCommerce platform that synchronized both their website and mobile apps.

Comprehensive Localization

DevelopmentNow created a complete localized mobile experience that was one of the first apps to serve both English and Arabic users. It included unique language settings and a full right-to-left UI paradigm. This was particularly challenging because of the directional nature of the text and navigation.

Results

The mobile solution was such a massive hit that within 6 months it was processing as many orders as the company’s original eCommerce website.

X-cite topped the app charts before winning multiple awards from top retail trade groups. The app was lauded for its localized language settings in Arabic and English.

The X-cite app launch helped boost the X-cite and Alghanim brand, which soon after received multiple awards including ‘Best Overall Retailer’ by the Gamestream Awards, ‘Best Retailer’ and ‘Best Retail IT Executive’ by the 2012 Middle East Retail Academy Awards.

#1 lifestyle app and top 3 overall app after being live for less than 2 months.

X-cite has received the following awards:

• Best Retailer 2010’ by the Middle East Retail Academy Awards
• ‘Best Retailer’ and ‘Best Retail IT Executive’ by the 2012 Middle East Retail Academy Awards
• Facebook ‘Best Interactive Award’ for the electronics category in the GCC region by the Pan Arab Web Awards Academy
• ‘Best Overall Retailer’ by the Gamestream 12 Awards
• ‘Best In-Store Experience of the Year 2012’ by Middle East Retail Academy Awards
• ‘Best Post Paid Sales 2012’ award from VIVA Telecom