Key Outcomes
- Modern and stable technology foundation was established to build upon, putting in place secure, scalable microservices and a BFF layer.
A complete digital refresh spanning mobile apps, a fully overhauled website with the new brand language and design system, loyalty programs, and in-store technologies.
Mobile app positioned as one of the leading shopping channels, on track to equal web sales, with 42% growth in monthly active mobile app users.
Shopping list usage increased 50% year-on-year, driven by a redesigned experience with collaborative lists and a new add-to-trolley selector that was adopted across the app, adding $8M in annual revenue.
Loyalty experience enhanced through embedded Flybuys features and groundwork for a more unified rewards journey.
AI-powered tools deployed for smarter recommendations and real-time inventory management.
Seamless in-store payments enabled through digital wallet integration for faster checkout and stronger loyalty links.
- Modern and stable technology foundation was established to build upon, putting in place secure, scalable microservices and a BFF layer.
$1.5bn
increase in online and omnichannel sales
50+
strategic projects delivered
Introduction
Over the course of a three-year partnership, Restive collaborated with one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains to deliver a $1.5B digital leap. Together, we redefined online shopping experiences, strengthened omnichannel capabilities, and delivered more than 50 strategic projects across mobile, web, data, AI, and in-store technology.
From customer-facing mobile features to complex back-end systems, our partnership enabled rapid innovation at scale – helping the supermarket chain transform into one of the country’s leading digital retailers.
The problem
One of Australia’s largest supermarket chains set out an ambitious goal: to become the leading supermarket brand in the country, not only in-store but also online. To achieve this, they needed to rapidly scale their digital and omnichannel capabilities – delivering seamless customer experiences across web, mobile and in-store, improving loyalty engagement, and modernising core back-end systems to support growth.
Our partnership
Over the course of a thriving three-year partnership, Restive became a trusted partner to the supermarket chain. We worked alongside their digital teams to design, build, and deliver more than 50 strategic projects, extending across:
Experience and product design
Delivery leadership and program management
Business analysis and technical leadership
Back-end and front-end development
Mobile development
DevOps and cloud engineering
Data, AI and machine learning
This close collaboration ensured we could provide end-to-end support, from research and design through to delivery, testing, and scaling in production.
Feature highlights
Modern tech foundation
We worked with the client to build a modern digital foundation that delivers faster, more reliable customer experiences. The solution used domain-driven microservices for core functions like product, pricing, promotions, and identity, paired with a backend-for-frontend (BFF) layer that simplified and secured data flows. This approach made it easier to serve web and mobile channels with fewer calls, less complexity, and frontend-ready payloads. This stable, modern tech became the foundation for rolling out key features at a much greater speed than previously possible.
Launching a shoppable mobile app
We partnered with the supermarket chain to design and deliver its first shoppable mobile app, transforming mobile into a leading sales channel. Our teams embedded directly with app squads, designing and delivering native features for both iOS and Android. We also built new APIs and microservices to support scalable functionality, hosted on Azure Kubernetes Service.
Delivering foundational e-commerce features
We designed and delivered many of the core experiences that underpin both the supermarket’s mobile app and website. This included the entire specials journey (from browsing weekly specials to powerful filtering tools) as well as catalogue enhancements, richer product search, and significant home page improvements. We also created flexible dynamic content blocks so internal teams could quickly build tailored landing pages and campaigns without developer support. Together these features gave customers faster, more relevant ways to discover offers and helped the client run promotions with greater agility.
Collaborative shopping lists
We led a major redesign of the shopping list experience, making it easy for customers to tick off items as they shop, add their own custom entries, and switch seamlessly between in-store and online modes.
The previous ability to add items to the trolley was clunky, so we designed a new “add to trolley” selector that streamlined the process and was later adopted across the rest of the app. Shoppers could now move from planning to purchase with far less friction.
Through research we uncovered a strong need for shared household planning, which inspired the first collaborative shopping list functionality in Australia. This innovation allowed multiple household members to create and update a single list in real time, quickly becoming one of the app’s most-used features.
Overall, all the improvements we designed and delivered drove a 50% year-on-year increase in shopping list engagement and an $8M annual revenue uplift.
Loyalty integration
We partnered closely with Flybuys to design and deliver the in-app experience for the Flybuys SDK, enabling customers to view their points balance and seamlessly activate offers directly from the supermarket’s mobile app.
Building on this foundation, we led a further research and design initiative with Flybuys to create a deeper, more embedded loyalty experience, allowing shoppers to browse and filter products by active offers, collect points, and access tailored promotions across the app.
Alongside these initiatives, we contributed to longer-term loyalty improvements across the retailer’s digital ecosystem, laying the groundwork for a more unified rewards experience that will continue to evolve over time.
Digital receipts
We directed the foundational work for the supermarket chain’s digital receipts program, enabling customers to access their purchase history online and within the mobile app. Beyond providing a convenient record for returns and expense tracking, this initiative reduced paper usage and aligned with the retailer’s sustainability commitments. By integrating with existing POS systems and customer profiles, the solution created a secure, scalable foundation for future receipt-related services such as warranty tracking and budget-planning tools.
Website revitalisation
We supported a complete overhaul of the supermarket chain’s e-commerce website, applying the new brand language and design system across every page to create a modern, cohesive look and feel. This redesign gave the site a noticeably fresher appearance and ensured visual consistency with other digital channels. Alongside the aesthetic update, we streamlined key shopping flows (improving filtering, search, and recipe journeys) so customers can discover products and plan meals with fewer steps.
AI-powered recommendations
To make shopping more intuitive and relevant, we partnered with the supermarket chain’s data teams to design and deploy machine-learning models that power personalised product and recipe recommendations. These algorithms use real-time behaviour and purchase history to surface complementary products and timely meal ideas. The result is a shopping experience that feels curated for each customer, boosting basket size and conversion rates while giving the retailer valuable insights into evolving customer preferences.
Smarter in-store fulfilment
Meeting the surge in online orders required innovation behind the scenes. We helped develop machine-learning algorithms that detect out-of-stock items through in-store cameras, reducing lost sales and improving accuracy. Our route-optimisation logic streamlined the picking process for click-and-collect and home-delivery orders, cutting fulfilment times and lowering operational costs. Together these improvements increased customer satisfaction and gave the supermarket chain a scalable model for future growth in online grocery shopping.
Seamless payments
To remove friction at checkout, we integrated Beem’s Flypay SDK into the supermarket chain’s mobile app, enabling a secure, one-tap digital wallet experience. Customers can now pay in-store directly from their phones, eliminating the need to present physical loyalty cards or juggle multiple payment methods. This enhancement not only speeds up the checkout process but also strengthens loyalty by linking payment and rewards in a single, effortless step.
The result
Through our partnership and projects, the supermarket chain achieved a $1.5B uplift in online revenue – redefining itself as one of Australia’s leading omnichannel retailers. By launching dozens of new features across mobile and web, unifying loyalty, and strengthening back-end systems, we helped create a seamless customer experience that is now central to their growth strategy.
The outcomes speak for themselves:
Mobile app now contributes as much online revenue as web.
50% increase in shopping list usage, driving $8M annual uplift.
42% growth in monthly active app users.
Improved customer loyalty engagement and sign-ups.
Significant reductions in fulfilment costs through smarter in-store technology.
Together, we didn’t just deliver projects – we helped build the foundations for long-term digital leadership.
