PaxelMarket E-commerce Platform

Summary

A comprehensive e-commerce platform built from the ground up with fully integrated frontend and backend systems. The platform features separate dedicated applications for Buyers (Users), Sellers, Administrators, and a centralized API layer - all working seamlessly together.

Context & Requirements

PaxelMarket needed a modern, scalable e-commerce ecosystem that could handle:

• Multiple User Types: Buyers, Sellers, and Admins with distinct experiences
• Real-time Operations: Inventory sync, order tracking, notifications
• High Traffic: Handle flash sales and promotional events
• Integration: Connect with existing logistics and payment systems

Business Goals:

• Create a marketplace connecting local sellers with nationwide buyers
• Enable seamless order management and fulfillment tracking
• Provide powerful analytics for sellers and administrators
• Support promotional campaigns and flash sales

Architecture

Tech Stack:

| Layer | Technology | Purpose | |-------|------------|---------| | Buyer Frontend | Nuxt.js, Vue.js | SSR for SEO, fast initial load | | Seller Dashboard | Vue.js, Vuetify | Rich data tables, analytics | | Admin CMS | Vue.js, Element UI | Content & order management | | API Layer | Node.js, Express | RESTful endpoints, authentication | | Database | MongoDB | Flexible document storage | | Caching | Redis | Session, cart, real-time data | | Search | Elasticsearch | Product search & filtering |

Key Decisions & Tradeoffs

Separate Applications Strategy

Instead of a monolithic frontend, we built 4 separate applications:

| Application | Users | Focus | |-------------|-------|-------| | Buyer App | Customers | Fast, SEO-optimized shopping experience | | Seller Portal | Merchants | Product management, analytics, orders | | Admin CMS | Internal team | Full control, moderation, support | | Shared API | All apps | Centralized business logic |

Why this approach?

• Independent deployment cycles
• Optimized bundle sizes per user type
• Team autonomy and parallel development
• Better security through isolation

Real-time Inventory Management

Implementation Highlights

1. Buyer Application (Nuxt.js)

• Server-Side Rendering: SEO-optimized product pages
• Smart Caching: Category pages cached, personalized content dynamic
• Progressive Web App: Offline browsing, push notifications
• Lazy Loading: Images and components loaded on-demand

2. Seller Dashboard

• Real-time Analytics: Live sales data, visitor counts
• Bulk Operations: Mass product updates, inventory management
• Order Management: Integrated with logistics API
• Performance Insights: Conversion funnels, product rankings

3. Admin Control Panel

• Moderation Tools: Product approval, seller verification
• Promotion Engine: Flash sales, coupons, campaigns
• Support Integration: Customer service ticket management
• Reporting: Financial reconciliation, platform health

4. Centralized API

• Authentication: JWT with refresh tokens, OAuth2
• Rate Limiting: Protect against abuse
• Versioning: API v1, v2 running simultaneously
• Documentation: Auto-generated OpenAPI specs

Results & Metrics

Key Achievements:

• Reduced page load time by 81% (4.2s → 0.8s)
• Decreased cart abandonment by 65% (23% → 8%)
• Increased mobile conversions by 122%
• Improved system uptime to 99.9%
• Successfully handled 10x traffic during promotional events

Team Leadership

As Tech Lead, my responsibilities included:

• Planning & Estimation: Sprint planning, technical feasibility assessment
• Architecture Decisions: System design, technology selection
• Code Quality: Established PR review process, coding standards
• Mentorship: Guided 4 junior-mid developers
• Stakeholder Communication: Technical liaison with product and business teams
• Troubleshooting: On-call support for critical production issues

What I Would Improve

With hindsight, improvements I would make:

1. GraphQL for Buyer App: Reduce over-fetching on product pages
2. Event Sourcing: Better audit trail for order state changes
3. Feature Flags: More granular rollout control
4. E2E Testing: Comprehensive Cypress test coverage
5. Observability: Better distributed tracing implementation

Lessons Learned

"Leading a team to build a platform from scratch taught me that clear architecture decisions early on save countless hours of refactoring later."

The separation of applications proved invaluable during high-traffic events - we could scale the buyer app independently without affecting seller operations.