Development of Qarib Local Commerce Marketplace

Yassine

Yassine Ennaim

Qarib: Local Commerce Marketplace

Problem

Customers often want to support local businesses but lack a centralized way to discover nearby stores and products online. At the same time, local vendors struggle to gain digital visibility and compete with large e-commerce platforms. They needed an accessible tool to manage their online presence, inventory, and orders.
The platform was needed to bridge this gap, connecting local supply with local demand through a modern, location-aware mobile experience.

Role

As the Lead Full-Stack & Backend Architect, I was responsible for the full technical strategy and execution:
Designed a scalable, modular backend architecture using NestJS
Architected the database schema using PostgreSQL and Redis
Developed GraphQL and REST APIs for flexible and efficient data access
Containerized the application with Docker and deployed on Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Built the cross-platform mobile frontend with FlutterFlow

Objective

The primary objective was to build a scalable, high-performance, feature-rich local marketplace. Specific goals included:
Provide customers with an intuitive, map-based interface for discovering and purchasing from nearby vendors in real-time
Empower local vendors with a comprehensive dashboard to manage digital storefronts, inventory, and orders
Architect a modular, maintainable backend to support future growth and new features

Value

The Qarib platform creates a thriving local e-commerce ecosystem:
Empowers local economies by giving vendors a world-class digital tool to reach more customers
Offers a superior user experience for customers with real-time, location-based discovery
Modular NestJS architecture ensures future-proof maintainability and rapid feature addition
Use of Redis caching and PostgreSQL ensures fast, responsive performance even at scale

Evidence & Execution

Backend Architecture (NestJS & Modular Design):
Developed a powerful backend in NestJS (TypeScript) following a strict modular architecture, isolating business domains (Users, Products, Orders, Stores) for maintainability and testability
Containerized with Docker and deployed on GCP, ensuring scalability and consistent performance
Keywords: NestJS, TypeScript, Modular Architecture, Microservices, Google Cloud (GCP), Docker, Node.js
API Layer (GraphQL & REST):
Implemented a hybrid API approach: GraphQL for complex queries (e.g., fetching products with variants and store details in a single request) and REST APIs for simpler interactions and webhooks
Keywords: GraphQL, REST API, API Design, API Gateway
Database & Caching:
PostgreSQL for robust relational data management (orders, products, user roles, etc.)
Redis as a caching layer to accelerate frequently accessed data like popular products and location-based queries
Keywords: PostgreSQL, Redis, Caching Strategies, Database Design, SQL
Frontend Development (FlutterFlow):
Built a polished, responsive cross-platform app (iOS & Android)
Integrated with backend APIs for features including Google Maps-based store discovery, real-time inventory updates, and vendor dashboards
Implemented multilingual (Arabic/English) and multi-currency support
Keywords: FlutterFlow, Cross-Platform, Geolocation, Google Maps API, Real-time Data
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Posted Oct 18, 2025

Developed Qarib, a local commerce marketplace, as Lead Full-Stack & Backend Architect using NestJS, PostgreSQL, and FlutterFlow.