E-Commerce — Archetype Overview¶

OWNER: aimee (scoping) ALSO_USED_BY: anna (spec), faye (PM Alfa), sytske (PM Bravo), floris, floor (frontend), urszula, maxim (backend) LAST_VERIFIED: 2026-03-26

Overview¶

E-commerce is the most requested archetype at GE. Clients range from artisan bakeries selling subscription boxes to fashion brands running full catalog stores. Every project shares the same skeleton (catalog, cart, checkout, payments) but diverges in complexity, compliance surface, and integration depth.

This archetype library gives Aimee everything she needs to scope an e-commerce project from first client call to signed-off specification. Developers use it to build correctly the first time.

Common Variants¶

B2C Storefront (most common)¶

A business sells physical or digital products directly to consumers. Typical client: fashion brand, home goods, specialty food. IF: client says "online shop" or "webshop" THEN: start here

Full product catalog with categories and filters
Cart and multi-step checkout
Payment via Mollie (iDEAL + card + Bancontact)
Order management and status emails
Admin panel for products, orders, customers
GDPR consent, cookie banner, privacy policy

ESTIMATE_COMPLEXITY: normal ESTIMATE_TIMELINE: MVP 6-8 weeks, full 12-16 weeks

D2C (Direct-to-Consumer)¶

A manufacturer or brand bypasses retailers to sell directly. Identical to B2C technically, but scoping must account for:

Brand storytelling pages (about, sustainability, process)
Wholesale/trade pricing tier (hidden behind login)
Higher design expectations (brand expression is the differentiator)
Newsletter and community features
Social commerce integration (Instagram Shop, TikTok)

ESTIMATE_COMPLEXITY: normal to complex ESTIMATE_TIMELINE: MVP 8-10 weeks, full 14-18 weeks

Subscription Commerce¶

Recurring deliveries or access. Two sub-types:

Curated box: Client picks/curates products per cycle (monthly, quarterly). - Subscription plan management (create, pause, cancel, skip) - Recurring billing via Mollie Mandates or Stripe Subscriptions - Delivery schedule and cut-off dates - Customer portal for subscription management

Replenishment: Customer re-orders the same product on a schedule. - Simpler than curated — auto-reorder with frequency selector - Discount incentive for subscribers

ESTIMATE_COMPLEXITY: complex ESTIMATE_TIMELINE: MVP 10-12 weeks, full 16-20 weeks

Marketplace-Lite¶

A platform where multiple sellers list products, but the platform owner handles checkout and payouts. NOT a full marketplace (no seller self-service).

Multi-vendor product catalog
Split payments (Mollie Connect or Stripe Connect)
Vendor dashboard (orders, products, payouts)
Platform commission configuration
Vendor onboarding workflow

COMPLIANCE: Additional KYC requirements for payment splitting ESTIMATE_COMPLEXITY: critical ESTIMATE_TIMELINE: MVP 14-18 weeks, full 22-28 weeks

Typical Scope Ranges¶

Tier	Description	Features	Timeline	Complexity
MVP	Launch-ready minimum	Catalog, cart, checkout, Mollie, basic admin, GDPR basics	6-8 weeks	simple-normal
Standard	Most client launches	+ search/filters, reviews, wishlists, coupons, email flows	10-14 weeks	normal
Full	Complete platform	+ subscriptions, multi-lang, multi-currency, analytics, integrations	16-22 weeks	complex
Enterprise	Marketplace or multi-tenant	+ vendor management, split payments, advanced reporting	22-30 weeks	critical

Technology Landscape¶

GE Stack (what we build with)¶

Frontend: Next.js App Router + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
API: Hono (lightweight, edge-ready)
Database: PostgreSQL + Drizzle ORM
Hosting: EU-hosted (UpCloud via Terraform)
CDN/Media: BunnyCDN for images and static assets
Payments: Mollie (primary, NL/EU), Stripe (alternative/international)
Email: Transactional via Brevo (FR) or Mailjet (FR) preferred. Resend/Postmark secondary (US-based — sovereignty risk). Marketing via Brevo or client's existing tool.
Search: PostgreSQL full-text search (MVP), Meilisearch (full)

What We Do NOT Use¶

No Shopify, WooCommerce, or other SaaS platforms (we build custom)
No React Native for mobile (native Swift/SwiftUI if mobile needed)
No server-side PHP (Laravel, WordPress)
No MongoDB (PostgreSQL is SSOT, always)

Why Custom Over SaaS¶

GE builds custom because our clients need: - Full ownership of code and data - No platform transaction fees eating margin - EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant by architecture, not by plugin - Integrations that work exactly as the business requires - No vendor lock-in to Shopify/BigCommerce pricing changes

Scoping Decision Tree¶

CHECK: Does the client sell physical products? IF: yes → product catalog with inventory and shipping IF: no, digital only → simpler fulfillment (download/access), no shipping

CHECK: Does the client need subscriptions/recurring? IF: yes → add subscription commerce module IF: no → standard one-time checkout

CHECK: Multiple sellers or vendors? IF: yes → marketplace-lite variant, split payments IF: no → single-vendor (standard)

CHECK: Target market? IF: Netherlands only → Mollie + iDEAL + PostNL IF: EU-wide → multi-currency, multi-language, VAT per country IF: global → Stripe secondary (US-based — sovereignty warning), international shipping

CHECK: Existing systems? IF: ERP (Exact, Moneybird) → integration needed IF: warehouse/3PL → inventory sync IF: none → standalone

Archetype File Map¶

File	Purpose
`feature-tree.md`	Complete feature decomposition — the scoping bible
`authentication.md`	Auth, registration, sessions, GDPR account management
`product-catalog.md`	Products, categories, variants, pricing, search
`cart-checkout.md`	Cart, checkout flow, address management
`payments.md`	Mollie, Stripe, webhooks, refunds, subscriptions
`order-management.md`	Order lifecycle, returns, cancellations
`integrations.md`	Shipping, tax, email, analytics, ERP
`compliance.md`	GDPR, EAA, EU consumer rights, VAT display
`checklist.md`	Machine-parseable checklists for scoping, dev, launch

Cross-References¶

READ_ALSO: wiki/docs/archetypes/e-commerce/feature-tree.md READ_ALSO: wiki/docs/archetypes/e-commerce/compliance.md READ_ALSO: wiki/docs/stack/nextjs/index.md READ_ALSO: wiki/docs/stack/hono/index.md READ_ALSO: wiki/docs/stack/drizzle/index.md READ_ALSO: wiki/docs/company/workflows/client-lifecycle.md