How to Develop a Retail App like Tesco?

Tesco is a UK-based retail app that is primarily used to order groceries and other essential items. In a very short time, it has gained millions of users and helped the retailer to generate revenue worth of billions. 

According to Statista, the Tesco Clubcard app had 16.3 million users in February 2024, out of which 12.7 million resided in the United Kingdom (UK) and 2.6 million in Central Europe. 

On the other hand, Tesco’s annual revenue in the UK and the Republic of Ireland amounted to over 62.8 billion British pounds in the financial year 2023-24. 

In a market where there are several retailers already ruling the online shopping market, the Tesco app succeeded because of the simplicity and convenience it offered to the users. Also, the app rewards loyal users through its loyalty program known as the Clubcard. 

With the right development and marketing approach, Tesco became one of the most popular retail apps in the UK, Europe, and other parts of the world.

If you’re a retailer or entrepreneur inspired by Tesco’s success and planning to develop your own retail app, you’re in the right place.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to building a Tesco-like retail app, covering everything from essential features and the recommended tech stack to revenue generation strategies and modern technologies to integrate. So, let’s get started. 

Why Invest in a Tesco-like Retail App Development 

Developing a retail app like Tesco offers numerous benefits to entrepreneurs. Below are the top advantages that retailers and entrepreneurs get:

1. High Demand  

Retail mobile applications are in high demand.  According to research, about 74% of individuals use retail apps like Tesco to shop. 

Hence, by developing a custom retail app similar to Tesco, you can fulfill this demand and meet the evolving needs of your customers. 

2. High Customer Acquisition Potential

Another benefit of developing a retail app is that you can bring in new customers and convert them into loyal shoppers with the help of the app. 

You can develop a retail app similar to Tesco with an enhanced user experience and features like referral programs, personalized offers, and social media integrations to get more customers on board. 

3. Improve Operation Efficiency  

Retailers also benefit from building a Tesco clone retail app, as it can help with automating and streamlining processes like order management, inventory updates, and customer support. 

This reduces manual errors, streamlines workflows, and frees up your team to focus on strategic growth instead of being stuck with routine operational tasks. 

4. Multiple Revenue Streams

Tesco-like retail app development can help retailers generate additional revenue. They can develop and monetize the app with subscriptions, advertising, affiliate promotions, premium services, and others, generating consistent revenue beyond just direct product sales.

5. Access to Valuable Customer Insights

Retailers and entrepreneurs can get access to customer-related information, such as user behavior, preferences, and shopping patterns, by developing a retail app like Tesco. 

Moreover, these insights can be used to optimize product offerings, create targeted marketing campaigns, improve customer experiences, and ultimately boost sales and customer satisfaction. 

Read Also: How To Develop AI Solutions For Retail Industry?

Step-By-Step Process to Develop a Retail App Like Tesco 

The following is the comprehensive step-by-step process to create a retail app similar to Tesco. 

1. Define your Requirements  

Before you start developing a retail app like Tesco, you need to clearly define the requirements beforehand so that you can streamline the further development journey. You must determine the platform and the target customer base for which you are aiming to build the app. 

Also, you must list the top features for your retail app, design, and the technologies you want to integrate within your app. 

2. Analyze Competitors 

Once you have defined your requirements, study other retail apps, such as Tesco, Walmart, Target, Instacart, and others, to understand how they work, the problems they solve, their unique selling points, how they make money, and pain points where they are lacking. 

This competitive analysis will help you uncover market gaps and unmet user needs and opportunities where your app can step in and deliver real value. 

By offering what others don’t, you not only carve out your space in the market but also position your app as a standout alternative to existing retail solutions.

3. Design UI/UX and Prototypes

At this stage, engage your UI/UX designers to design the user interfaces for your retail app, like Tesco. While designing the UI, you need to ensure that it is simple, well-organized, and easily navigated so that anyone can easily use it. 

Moreover, before the full-fledged retail app, it is recommended that you create prototypes to check its working, design, and user experience. You can also choose to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) with basic features and scale it to gain more users, to mitigate any kind of development risks. 

4. Full-Scale Retail App Development 

Now, develop your custom Tesco clone retail app by engaging your mobile app developers. You can use frameworks like React Native, Flutter, or any other to streamline the retail app development. 

Also, integrate features and third-party APIs to improve your app’s functionality. You also integrate cutting-edge technologies, such as generative AI, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, to power your retail app like Tesco. 

Also, during your Tesco-like retail app development, monitor its progress and provide feedback to your development team so that they can make changes on the spot, ensuring they maintain alignment with your vision, avoid costly rework, and keep the project on track for a successful and timely launch.

5. Conduct the Testing  

Post-development, check for bugs and glitches in your retail app by conducting rigorous testing of your app. You can run manual and automated testing to check your app’s performance and security, as well as check for bugs and fix them. 

You can also launch a beta version of your software in an enclosed setting. In this approach, a group of users will use your Tesco-like app and provide feedback. Based on the feedback, you can make the relevant changes and prepare for the launch. 

6. Deploy the App 

Once the testing phase is complete and your retail app is bug-free, deploy it on the Google Play Store and App Store. While publishing the app on the platforms, follow the guidelines of respective stores to ensure that your retail app, like Tesco, is accepted in one go. 

Also, promote your retail app similar to Tesco to your targeted customers. You can leverage different marketing channels and strategies, such as app store optimization, influencer marketing, SEO, and advertisements, to market your Tesco clone retail app. 

7. Maintenance and Upgradation 

Once your retail app is launched, monitor its performance using key performance metrics (KPIs) and users’ feedback. 

Further, update the retail app with new versions, UI, features, and technologies to enhance your user experience and engage them and keep your Tesco-like app relevant in the market for a long time. 

Top Features for Retail App Development Similar to Tesco 

The following are the top features, divided into For Users and For Retailers, to integrate into a retail app like Tesco to enhance its functionalities and deliver a better shopping experience to the users. 

FOR CUSTOMERS: 

1. User-Friendly Product Search

This feature in the retail app like Tesco, supported by advanced filters, voice search, and barcode scanning, helps customers to search for their desired products, using information like category, price, availability, and more. 

2. Smart Cart and Reordering  

The smart cart and reordering feature enhance customers’ experiences by allowing them to save their favorite items and access previous orders to quickly reorder essentials, saving time during repeat purchases. 

3. Product Visualization

This innovative feature for retail app like Tesco enables customers to view products, such as furniture, appliances, or packaged goods, in their real environment using Augmented Reality and AI and helps users to make wise decisions before purchasing.

4. Real-Time Order Tracking  

With this GPS-enabled feature, users can track delivery status in real-time. Customers can stay updated with their order status, estimated arrival time (ETA), and delivery partner information. 

5. AI-Powered Personalized Recommendations 

The AI-powered feature in the Tesco-like retail app provides product and deal suggestions to customers based on their browsing history, past orders, spending habits, and preferences, giving them tailored shopping experiences. 

6. Secure Payments  

Secured payment gateways to allow customers to make payments for their purchases using different options, such as cards, digital wallets, shop now pay later, netbanking, and even cryptocurrencies. 

7. Loyalty & Rewards

Like Clubcard in the Tesco app, this feature in your retail app enables customers to earn points, access personalized discounts, and redeem rewards using an integrated loyalty program. 

8. Push Notifications & Alerts

The push notifications and alerts feature sends timely updates about new product arrivals, discounts, delivery status, and reminders for essentials that are running out of stock to keep the customers informed and engaged and enable them to act accordingly. 

9. In-App Chat Support 

A Generative AI-powered chatbot that provides instant support to customers. Customers can use this feature to interact and gain information about products available on the platform, deals and offers, and resolve queries related to their orders, payments, and returns. 

10. Multi-Language Support

This feature allows customers to access the Tesco clone retail app in their preferred language. This provides users with a localized experience and helps with easy navigation and better engagement. 

You might be interested in: AI Agents in Retail: Keeping Your Supply Chain Running Smoothly

FOR RETAILERS: 

1. Order & Delivery Management

This feature in the retail app allows retailers to manage orders and deliveries efficiently. Using this feature, they can monitor incoming orders, assign deliveries, and manage order status to streamline the logistics process.

2. Inventory Management Dashboard

Using this feature, retailers can track stock levels, manage product listings, and update availability in real time to avoid out-of-stock or overstocked situations. 

3. Product Performance Reports

This feature helps retailers to get detailed reports on product views, conversions, and returns to identify bestsellers and underperformers. With this information, they can optimize their inventories, marketing strategies, and vendors to enhance their sales. 

4. AI-Based Demand Forecasting

This feature in the Tesco clone retail app leverages artificial intelligence to predict future demand based on trends, seasonality, and user behavior and help retailers plan inventory and promotions smartly.

5. Real-Time Notifications

The notifications in the retail app, like Tesco, will alert the retailers about new orders, low inventory, or customer feedback, helping them to take relevant actions promptly and stay on top of operations.

6. Customer Insights & Analytics

Retailers can use this feature to access data related to user behavior, top-selling products, and revenue reports and use these insights to make informed business decisions.

7. Promotions & Campaigns Manager

With the promotions and campaigns manager feature, retailers can create and manage special marketing campaigns, including banner ads, exclusive offers, and seasonal discounts to attract and retain customers.

8. Customer Feedback & Ratings Dashboard

Using this feature, retailers can monitor customer reviews and feedback for products and services in real time. Based on the feedback received, they can improve quality, resolve issues faster, and boost their customers’ trust.

You might be interested in: 10+ Must-Have Features for eCommerce Apps in 2025

Technology Stack to Build a Tesco Clone Retail App 

The following is the technology stack that you can use to build a retail app like Tesco. 

*Please remember that the technology stack given above is for recommendation purposes only. You can also use other tools and technologies that align with your budget and goals. 

How to Generate Revenue From an App like Tesco 

In this section, you will read about the proven monetization strategies that you can implement to generate revenue from your retail app like Tesco. 

1. Platform Fee 

You can build a retail app similar to Tesco and sell groceries, clothes, shoes, bags, and other items. To generate revenue, you can charge a small percentage as a platform fee from users during checkout, which you can use for app maintenance and business growth. 

2. Membership & Loyalty Programs

Like the Tesco app has Clubcard Plus, you can also introduce membership and loyalty programs, offering exclusive discounts and benefits to your users for a monthly or yearly fee. This way, you can generate regular subscription revenue from your retail app. 

3. Advertisements  

You can run advertisements on your Tesco-like retail app for different businesses and charge them based on the impressions and clicks. In-app ads are one of the popular monetization strategies for retail mobile applications like Tesco. 

4. Delivery Charges  

To generate income from your retail app, you can charge for delivering products to the users’ doorsteps. You can offer tiered delivery options, such as standard, express, and same-day. Moreover, you can apply charges based on the delivery time, location, or cart value. 

5. Data-Driven Insights for Brands

You can also use data monetization strategies to generate revenue from the data collected by your retail app like Tesco. You can sell the anonymized consumer behavior data or insights to manufacturers and partners that could be used for enhanced product targeting and stock planning. 

Read Also: Top Monetization Strategies for iOS Apps

Conclusion 

Developing a retail app like Tesco can revolutionize your business to a level that you never thought of. Tesco is a UK-based grocery ordering app that has millions of active users and generates billions of revenue. 

By building a custom retail app, you can also digitize your retail business, reach the right customers, increase your sales, and motivate your customers to keep coming back, ultimately raising your sales and revenue graphs. 

To develop a Tesco clone retail app, you can refer to this blog as a strategic roadmap for your successful development journey. However, if you want professional assistance, reach out to Quytech, and we will develop your Tesco-like retail app the way you want it. 

Frequently Asked Questions