Souqly · E-commerce · Dubai
A luxury marketplace app that feels like walking through a gallery
We designed Souqly's mobile experience around generous whitespace, tactile product motion, and an Arabic-first bilingual system tested across three markets.
0★
App Store rating
+0%
Avg. order value
Performance at a glance
Before vs After
Key metrics at launch vs. post-launch
Revenue by category
Share of measured outcomes
- Fashion38%
- Watches24%
- Fragrance18%
- Other16%
Growth trajectory
Average order value (AED)
The Challenge
Souqly entered the Gulf luxury marketplace with strong supplier relationships but a product experience that felt like a generic e-commerce template. High-value buyers — accustomed to boutique service — abandoned carts when the app felt indistinguishable from mass-market alternatives.
Arabic-first design wasn't optional. RTL layout, bilingual product metadata, and cultural nuances around luxury presentation (pricing display, imagery tone, checkout etiquette) needed to work seamlessly across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh without maintaining separate codebases.
Pain points severity (pre-project)
User research & stakeholder interviews
Our Approach
Discover
We treated the app like a gallery, not a catalog. Product discovery flows use generous whitespace, editorial typography, and curated collections rather than dense grid layouts. Each interaction — swipe, tap, scroll — was designed to feel tactile, mimicking the physical experience of handling luxury goods.
Design
We built an Arabic-first design system where RTL was the default development path, not an afterthought. Components were tested in both languages simultaneously, with automated screenshot regression across three device sizes and two orientations.
Build
We built an Arabic-first design system where RTL was the default development path, not an afterthought. Components were tested in both languages simultaneously, with automated screenshot regression across three device sizes and two orientations.
Launch
We built an Arabic-first design system where RTL was the default development path, not an afterthought. Components were tested in both languages simultaneously, with automated screenshot regression across three device sizes and two orientations.
What We Built
A native iOS and Android app (React Native) with editorial product pages featuring parallax imagery, 360° product views, and haptic-feedback micro-interactions on key actions like "Add to Bag" and size selection.
A bilingual CMS workflow allowing merchandisers to publish Arabic and English content side-by-side, with automatic RTL layout switching and font stack optimization (Noto Sans Arabic + custom Latin pairing).
A concierge checkout flow with saved preferences, discreet packaging options, and WhatsApp-based order updates — reflecting how Gulf luxury buyers actually prefer to communicate.
Results & Impact
The app launched with a 4.9★ App Store rating and became a featured app in the UAE App Store within two weeks. Average order value increased 87%, driven primarily by the editorial product experience encouraging multi-item purchases.
Cart abandonment dropped 34% compared to the beta web storefront. Repeat purchase rate within 60 days reached 41% — unusually high for a marketplace without subscription mechanics.