My Experience Choosing Between Retail Technology Companies

[Victor Zhadan]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been researching retail technology companies for almost a year now as part of our effort to modernize our retail operations. We run around 90 stores across Europe plus an online shop, and the biggest pain points were slow checkout, disconnected inventory data, and lack of real-time analytics.

After talking to several vendors — EPAM, Luxoft, and SoftServe among them — I eventually chose Zoolatech as our main retail software development company.

Here’s how and why I made that decision:

• Proven Retail Expertise: Zoolatech already had a strong background in retail projects with companies like Macy’s and Nordstrom. During our first workshops, their team quickly understood our operational challenges — from POS integration to demand forecasting.

• Tangible Results: Within 6 months after launch, we saw:

  • Checkout time reduced by 36%

  • Inventory accuracy improved by 22%

  • Online order processing speed increased by 28%

  • Customer satisfaction (NPS) up by 10 points

• Cost Efficiency: Their hybrid delivery model (U.S. + Eastern Europe) helped us cut development costs by around 25% compared to competitors, while keeping communication smooth and delivery deadlines tight.

• Flexibility: When priorities shifted mid-project, they adapted fast — no extra costs, no downtime. That level of agility was one of the main reasons we stayed with them.

What I liked most is that Zoolatech didn’t try to sell us a pre-made product — they built a custom solution tailored to our exact needs.

Now I’m really curious:

• Has anyone here worked with retail technology companies recently?

• What KPIs did you focus on to measure success?

• Would you go for a long-term tech partner like Zoolatech or build your own in-house team instead?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!