From UX Design to Cross‑Platform Apps: Codica’s Full-Cycle Development for Auto Parts Marketplaces

Starting a marketplace without an MVP is a brave decision. No quick tests, no early feedback, no safe trial runs, just the need to build a complete product that works from the very first day.

Codica and the client approached it as an opportunity: through open communication, step-by-step collaboration, and thorough testing, the platform went live smoothly and was ready for users immediately.

Behind this project is a very simple story: people needed an easier way to find and trade auto parts. Car lovers and sellers often waste hours searching, comparing, and double-checking details.

With the auto parts marketplace for ifndautoparts, Codica helped bring them all together in one place, making buying and selling parts not only faster, but also more enjoyable and stress-free.

Project background: How Codica built auto parts marketplace for ifndautoparts

In automotive ecommerce, the biggest obstacles have always been search accuracy, user trust, and transaction speed.

The auto parts marketplace for ifndautoparts was launched to address these critical gaps in the UK market. The client’s objective was to consolidate car enthusiasts, private sellers, and professional suppliers on a single platform that streamlines the buying and selling of spare parts while eliminating inefficiencies common in traditional ecommerce.

Codica handled the project through full-cycle development: product discovery, UX/UI design, backend and frontend engineering, and dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android. The defining challenge was delivering a production-ready, feature-rich marketplace without an MVP phase, requiring the initial release to be stable, scalable, and user-focused from day one.

Key capabilities included multi-gateway payments (Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay), an Elasticsearch-powered search engine with advanced filtering, geolocation and address verification, plus shipping automation to ensure operational reliability. These features combined to create a marketplace optimized for speed, trust, and efficiency in the auto parts sector.

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Key features of ifndautoparts marketplace

Skipping the MVP stage meant no second chances. The platform had to be complete from day one. Auto parts trading comes with its own challenges: complex search, secure payments, and managing massive inventories. Codica addressed all of them by integrating the key features to build a successful auto parts marketplace right into the first release, ensuring smooth experiences across web, iOS, and Android.

Smart search with Elasticsearch

Codica integrated Elasticsearch to provide fast, scalable full-text search. The system supports complex queries, filters, and autosuggestions, allowing buyers to quickly find the exact car part they need. Sellers benefit from improved product discoverability, while users can filter by category, rating, or price in real time.

Customizable storefronts for sellers

Each seller has a dedicated storefront that looks and feels like a branded online shop. Product cards display images, descriptions, and prices, supported by advanced filtering and sorting. This customization builds trust, improves the shopping experience, and helps sellers showcase their inventory more effectively.

Secure payments via Stripe and PayPal

Checkout flow is critical in any online marketplace. Codica implemented Stripe and PayPal as core gateways, supporting debit and credit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. This ensures flexibility, security, and a frictionless checkout experience, reducing cart abandonment and increasing user satisfaction.

Inventory management tools for business sellers

Managing large catalogs of auto parts can be overwhelming. Codica delivered inventory management tools with a centralized dashboard for editing, duplicating, and filtering listings. Real-time stock control prevents overselling, while exporting data and generating labels makes day-to-day operations simpler and more accurate.

Auctions and offers for flexible pricing

Codica added offers and auctions functionality to increase marketplace engagement. Sellers can negotiate prices through offers with minimum thresholds, while Auctions allow competitive bidding with live price updates. Both models improve pricing flexibility and help sellers maximize value while keeping buyers engaged.

Cross-platform access: Web, iOS, and Android

To ensure broad accessibility, Codica built the marketplace as a cross-platform solution. Along with the web application, separate iOS and Android apps were developed. Each app was optimized for performance, delivering fast load times, seamless navigation, and consistent user experience across devices.

Product discovery and planning stage

Creating the auto parts marketplace for ifndautoparts started with a discovery phase. The Codica team focused on aligning the client’s vision, a community-driven platform for car enthusiasts and sellers, with real-world technical requirements. The main priority was to ensure that the first release would be a complete solution, not a prototype.

Prototypes and wireframes development

Codica built wireframes and prototypes to outline the buyer and seller journeys. These visuals demonstrated critical interactions: from searching auto parts with filters, to customizing storefronts, to completing secure payments. Prototypes allowed the team and client to evaluate the experience early, reduce miscommunication, and prioritize features like multi-payment checkout and inventory management.

Business logic definition and specifications

Once workflows were mapped, Codica defined the business logic and technical specifications. This included rules for auctions and offers, conditions for address verification, and inventory synchronization for business sellers. Detailed documentation clarified how payment gateways should integrate with shipping services and how search queries would be processed by Elasticsearch.

Choosing the tech stack for marketplace development

What looks effortless to a buyer or seller is actually the result of careful engineering. Codica built the ifndautoparts auto parts marketplace to endure high traffic and complex interactions, ensuring that searches, payments, and transactions all feel fast and natural.

The technology behind ifndautoparts was built with growth in mind, so the marketplace could easily manage thousands of products and complex transactions without slowing down.

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Codica’s full-cycle development process

Two-thirds of startups collapse before ten years, with 66% shutting down in the first ten years. That’s the reality every digital product faces, and skipping the MVP makes it even harsher.

Yet Codica chose that path deliberately. For the ifndautoparts auto parts marketplace, we went all in: a full-scale build from the start, driven by meticulous preparation, engineering discipline, and close agile collaboration.

Step 1: Setting up infrastructure and DevOps

Before building any features, Codica started with the foundation, infrastructure. Using DevOps services, the team set up an AWS-based environment that could easily handle big product catalogs, multiple payment systems, and real-time updates.

• With the help of modern DevOps tools, CI/CD pipelines automated deployments, so new updates could be delivered faster and with fewer mistakes.
• For background processes, Puma and Sidekiq were used to manage tasks like sending notifications, updating stock levels, and confirming payments. At the same time, monitoring and automated backups were added right from the start to protect data and reduce downtime risks.

This approach ensured that the ifndautoparts marketplace could grow in both traffic and features without losing speed or stability.

Step 2: Creating UI/UX design for marketplace

Design is often the first thing users feel, even before they notice features. For the ifndautoparts auto parts marketplace, it had to be clear, intuitive, and consistent across web, iOS, and Android, because the audience included buyers, private sellers, and business vendors with very different needs.

Codica’s UX/UI designer approached this stage through a structured website UX discovery process, early prototypes, and testing. This allowed the team to map user journeys, refine flows, and avoid common design mistakes that often make marketplaces feel clunky or confusing.

The final marketplace design was built around a cohesive system of components:

• Unified UI elements: storefronts, product cards, checkout pages, and search results all followed one visual language, giving users a familiar experience on any device.
• Optimized mobile flows: buyers could search, filter, and purchase parts quickly on the go, while sellers could manage listings without extra steps.
• Prototypes-driven refinements: interactive drafts were used to test navigation and ensure seamless interactions before full development.
• Tools for business sellers: interfaces were tailored to simplify bulk edits, filtering, and large inventory management, making everyday tasks faster and more reliable.

This thoughtful approach to UI/UX design services reduced friction, built trust, and encouraged engagement. In a competitive ecommerce market, it gave ifndautoparts the polished look and usability that helped the platform stand out from day one.

Step 3: Developing the full marketplace without MVP

Unlike typical marketplace development, this project skipped the MVP stage. Codica’s development team, two frontend developers, two backend developers, and two tech leads, built a feature-rich marketplace from day one.

Key components included:

• Multiple payment integrations (Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay) for secure and flexible checkout.
• Advanced search with Elasticsearch, enabling users to filter by category, rating, or price with instant results.
• Customizable storefronts for sellers, giving them branded spaces to display products.
• Inventory management dashboards to streamline stock control and reduce errors.
• Auctions and offers functionality, making pricing flexible and transactions more dynamic.

Through Agile collaboration, Codica worked closely with the client to refine and expand features during development, ensuring the platform met real user needs before launch.

Step 4: Quality assurance and testing

When a marketplace is launched without an MVP stage, there’s no room for errors. That’s why Codica relied on dedicated quality assurance services to test every part of the ifndautoparts platform before release. QA engineers worked continuously, running strict validation cycles at each development step.

Their process included:

• Functional testing, confirming that search, checkout, payments, and inventory tools all worked as expected under real conditions.
• Cross-platform testing, checking that both iOS and Android apps delivered fast load times, smooth navigation, and consistent performance.
• Automated regression testing, reducing risks during updates by catching potential issues early, before they reached production.

Comprehensive testing allowed the marketplace to go live in a dependable state, stable under load, secure against errors, and ready for practical use.

Step 5: Ongoing maintenance and product support

Our work on the ifndautoparts marketplace didn’t stop at launch, we continue to support and enhance the platform as it grows. By tracking real user behavior and market trends, we make sure the product stays reliable, scalable, and competitive.

Some of the improvements we’ve delivered include:

• Faster search queries powered by Elasticsearch.
• Storefront customization updates to help sellers strengthen their branding.
• Iterative updates and refinements based on client and user feedback.

Through regular Agile sprints, we ensure that the cross-platform apps remain user-friendly and aligned with the evolving needs of the automotive ecommerce industry.

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How to create a custom marketplace with Codica

Building a successful online marketplace is never about copying someone else’s formula. Each industry, whether it’s auto parts, real estate, or niche services, comes with its own rules, pain points, and customer expectations. That’s why Codica treats marketplace development not as a one-size-fits-all product, but as a custom journey tailored to your business idea.

Here’s how the process typically unfolds when creating a marketplace with Codica:

1. Discovery and strategy

The project starts with a deep discovery session where the team works to understand your market, audience, and unique challenges. This is where high-level goals turn into actionable plans, backed by competitor analysis and clear priorities.

2. Prototyping and UX validation

Before a single line of code is written, Codica designs interactive prototypes to visualize how users will search, buy, or sell. This step allows you to see the future product early and reduce risks by eliminating design mistakes before development starts.

3. Tech stack selection

Choosing the right technologies is critical. Codica selects tools and frameworks that balance scalability, security, and speed. From SEO-friendly frontend solutions to cloud infrastructure and third-party integrations, every choice is aligned with your growth goals.

4. Agile development and QA

Features are built iteratively, with regular demos and feedback loops. Dedicated QA engineers ensure that each release is stable, functional, and ready for real users. This approach shortens time-to-market while keeping quality uncompromized.

5. Launch, support, and growth

Codica doesn’t just deliver a product and walk away. Post-launch, the team provides continuous support, performance optimization, and feature updates. As your marketplace grows, Codica ensures the platform scales with it, adapting to new demands without losing speed or reliability.

Our custom software development services focus on building marketplaces that adapt to change, scale with demand, and achieve results across diverse sectors.

Results of ifndautoparts marketplace development

What if the very first version of your marketplace had to be the final one? No soft launches, no MVP trials, no fallback plan. That was the reality Codica faced when building the ifndautoparts auto parts marketplace.

With no room for mistakes, every step, from infrastructure to UX precision and cross-platform development, had to be flawless. Careful planning, Agile collaboration, and technical discipline turned this challenge into an opportunity to deliver a marketplace that worked seamlessly from the very beginning.

Search, trust, and speed - the three biggest bottlenecks in automotive ecommerce, were the foundation of Codica’s strategy. The ifndautoparts marketplace was engineered to remove these barriers, giving car enthusiasts, sellers, and businesses a reliable platform to buy and sell auto parts without friction. What emerged was more than just a digital product: it became a full ecosystem where transactions are faster, safer, and built on trust.

Building a marketplace is easier with the right partner. Ready to launch your own? Contact us to share your idea, or explore our portfolio to see real-world results.