E-commerce
Custom commerce when SaaS becomes a ceiling. Migrate from Salla, Zid, or Shopify into something that scales with you.
Deep dive
Salla, Zid, and Shopify exist for a reason. They're the right answer for stores under 1,000 SKUs, with a standard checkout, a single warehouse, and a product catalog that doesn't fight the template. Most Saudi e-commerce should start there. We will tell you that on the first call if it's true for you.
Custom e-commerce becomes the right answer at a specific inflection point: when the SaaS template starts forcing operational workarounds. A subscription model the platform doesn't support cleanly. A bundle-pricing rule that takes three apps to approximate. A B2B price list per customer tier. A return flow that needs to talk to a custom ERP. A roastery that wants to ship coffee on a 14-day rolling subscription with gift options — that platform-shaped peg into a round hole.
When that moment comes, we build a Next.js storefront on top of a domain-driven backend (typically Postgres + Prisma), with native checkout integrations for Mada, Tabby, Tamara, and Apple Pay. ZATCA-compliant invoicing, VAT rules, Hijri/Gregorian dates, and multi-warehouse inventory are part of the foundation, not afterthought modules.
Migration is the part most teams underestimate. We dual-write to old and new for a window, redirect every legacy URL with 301s to preserve SEO, and switch DNS in a single short cutover with the team on standby. Seven Caravans moved from Salla to a custom platform with zero downtime and zero customer data loss — that's the standard.
Arabic-first
Saudi e-commerce buyers expect Arabic-first product pages, Arabic SMS notifications, Arabic invoices that match ZATCA format, and a checkout that reads naturally right-to-left. Templated SaaS gets you an 80% version of that. We get you 100%.
Deliverables
- Catalog architecture
- Custom checkout
- Mada / Tabby / Tamara integration
- Operations dashboard
- Migration plan
What's not included
- Drop-shipping or marketplace setups. We build owned-inventory commerce.
- Stores under 1,000 SKUs that fit cleanly on Salla — we recommend that path explicitly.
- Cross-border shipping logistics. We integrate with your shipping partner; we don't become it.
Process
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01 Discovery
Catalog audit, ops review, current-stack pain points.
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02 Architecture
Domain model, integrations (Mada, Tabby, Tamara, ZATCA, shipping).
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03 Build & Migrate
Custom storefront, dual-write window, 301 redirects, zero data loss.
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04 Operations
Admin dashboard, training, monitoring, ongoing support.
Typical timeline
8–14 weeks
Timelines flex with project scope, team availability, and response time on your side. We give a precise schedule after the discovery call.
Common questions
When should we leave Salla / Zid?
When the platform starts dictating how your business works rather than serving how it works. Common signals: subscription/bundle rules approximated with 3 apps, a custom B2B price list per customer, more than 5,000 SKUs with custom attribute logic, a back-office that fights how your operations actually run. If you're not at that point, stay — Salla is good at what it's good at.
How do you handle Mada / Tabby / Tamara?
Native integrations, not iframes. Mada via Hyperpay or Moyasar, Tabby and Tamara via their official APIs. Apple Pay where it makes sense. The customer never leaves your domain to complete a purchase.
What about ZATCA Phase 2 (FATOORA)?
Built in. Our invoice schema, QR generation, and clearance/reporting hooks ship Phase 2 compliant. We handle CSID generation, invoice signing, and ZATCA submission as part of standard delivery.
Can you migrate without losing SEO ranking?
Yes — every legacy URL gets a 301 redirect to its new equivalent, structured data is re-emitted, and the new sitemap is submitted on cutover day. We have done this with stores at 4-second page-loads to <800ms without ranking drops; the Seven Caravans case study walks through the full process.