Circulaire
Creating the world’s largest second hand aggregator and data platform
Streamlining second-hand retail with centralized product search
A growing startup in Sweden, Circulaire has an unique mission: to bring together second-hand retail shops under one digital roof. With sustainability in mind, they aim to collect product information from various shops and present it to users in a single app, offering an eco-friendly shopping experience.
Process
Lean Startup
Design Thinking
Dual-delivery track
Backend development
Mobile development
Product Stage
Early stage
Challenge
Circulaire wanted to encourage users to buy second-hand products by showing them how much CO2 emissions and water consumption would be produced if they bought a new product. This feature helped motivate users to make environmentally conscious shopping choices, reinforcing Circulaire’s vision of reducing the planet’s carbon footprint through second-hand shopping.
Initially, they had a simple website with Lucene-based search functionality, but lacked any form of user management. There was no registration process, no watchlists, and no way to pin favorite items.
When they approached us, they were ready to transform their platform into a personalized mobile app that would provide users with a more engaging and eco-friendly experience.
This included the ability to register, create watchlists, pin favorite items, and receive recommendations based on their preferences, with Firebase handling the user authentication process.
Solution
Discovery and planning
We conducted workshops to understand Circulaire’s goals, identifying the need for user management, personalized recommendations, and secure user authentication. We analyzed their existing infrastructure to identify areas for improvement and scalability.
User registration and firebase authentication
A critical milestone was the introduction of user registration, securely managed through Firebase for authentication. Users could now create personalized accounts, enabling them to curate watchlists, pin favorite items, and receive customized recommendations.
Onboarding flow
We implemented an onboarding process where users could select their preferences (categories, brands, sizes). These selections became the basis for the recommendation system, ensuring personalized suggestions from the start.
Recommendation System
We built a recommendation engine that prioritized user-pinned items, watchlists, and onboarding preferences. If none of these were available, a default brand list was used to generate recommendations. The system also reminded users of the environmental benefits of choosing second-hand products over new ones.
Notification system
To keep users engaged, we designed and introduced a notification system that delivered daily updates for price drops on pinned items, watchlist notifications, and weekly reminders, driving user engagement without overwhelming them.
Eco-friendly motivation
We incorporated environmental impact data into the product details, showing users how much CO2 emissions and water they would save by choosing second-hand products over new ones. This customization aligned with Circulaire’s sustainability mission and encouraged conscious consumer behavior.
Scalability
Although Lucene was already in use for search functionality, our focus during the MVP phase was on ensuring the platform could handle up to 200 stores and the existing 6 million products in their database. This approach allowed Circulaire to meet their immediate needs while preparing for potential future expansion.
Tech Stack
- React Native
- Java & Spring Boot
- Lucene
- Firebase
- MySQL
Where are we at now?
Circulaire successfully transitioned from a simple search website to a personalized mobile app with user registration, Firebase-authenticated accounts, curated recommendations, and a notification system.
By introducing these features, they not only improved user engagement but also successfully promoted sustainable shopping habits by showing the environmental impact of purchasing second-hand items.
The platform is now ready for future growth, with scalable infrastructure capable of supporting the second-hand market in multiple countries.
Emil Köpcke
CEO & Co-founder, Circulaire
Working with Ministry of Programming (MoP) to build the Circulaire app from the ground up has been a great experience. From the initial design phase to developing our frontend and enhancing key aspects of our backend, they’ve provided invaluable support and expertise throughout the process. They’ve adapted to our team, going beyond just delivering technical solutions to truly understanding and advancing our vision and business. Their professionalism and adaptability have been crucial during the startup phase of our journey. We are grateful for their role in bringing the Circulaire app to life and look forward to continuing this collaboration as we strive toward even greater future together.
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