Case study: Brands For Less App Redesign: Deals in Fewer Taps
We redesigned the Brands For Less shopping app for iOS and Android, from sign-up and categories to homepage banners and the cart. Shoppers in ten countries now reach the right deal in fewer taps and check out in fewer steps.
- United Arab Emirates
- Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- Oman
- Singapore
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- United States
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Designing a Shopping App for Off-Price Retail
Off-price retail moves fast. Stock changes daily, shoppers compare prices and every market has its own habits, so the app has to be quick, clear and local.
The Business Model
Off-price retail sells branded goods below their original price. Stock changes constantly, so shoppers browse often, decide quickly and expect the app to keep up.
The Shopper
Mobile-first and value-driven, they want to see the saving clearly. Every extra step risks the item selling out before they pay.
Ten Markets
One app serves ten countries across the GCC, the Levant, Southeast Asia and the US. Each has its own language, currency, phone format and payment habits.
The Competition
Marketplaces and fast-fashion apps compete for the same shopper. A slow sign-up or a confusing cart is enough to send them elsewhere.
CLIENT BACKGROUND
From Beirut to 120+ Stores
Brands For Less opened in Lebanon in 1996 and moved its headquarters to Dubai in 2000. It sells designer fashion, homeware and toys at up to 80% below retail price, under the promise "Smile, you just paid less."
Today BFL Group runs Brands For Less, Homes For Less, Toys For Less and Tchibo, and its app serves shoppers in ten countries, from the UAE and Saudi Arabia to Singapore and the United States. As the app expanded into new markets, BFL asked UIUX Studio to make it just as easy to join and shop in every one of them.
THE CHALLENGE
How We Helped BFL Serve Ten Countries With One App
What BFL Wanted
- One sign-up journey that works in every country BFL serves
- A faster route from the homepage to the right category
- Large categories that are easier to browse and filter
- Less drop-off between the cart and payment
What Stood in the Way
- Different languages, currencies and phone formats in every market
- Arabic and English, so every screen also had to work right-to-left
- Homepage banners that looked busy and did not say where they led
- A cart that hid totals and savings until late in the journey
OUR APPROACH
Fixing Every Drop-Off, One by One
We traced where shoppers dropped off in the live app, then redesigned each of those moments with BFL’s team, from first sign-up to payment.
Audit
We reviewed the live app and its analytics to find exactly where shoppers dropped off.
Research
We spoke with shoppers in several markets about how they sign up, browse and shop.
Flows
We mapped and wireframed new sign-up, browsing and cart journeys before visual design.
Design
We designed every screen in English and Arabic, with variants for each country.
Testing
We tested prototypes with shoppers and refined each flow before handover.
KEY FEATURES
Redesigning Sign-Up, Categories and Cart
LOGIN & SIGN-UP
A Sign-Up Flow That Adapts to Every Country
One sign-up flow adapts to each shopper’s country, language and phone format. A shopper in Riyadh and one in Kuala Lumpur get the same short path to start shopping.
- Country picked automatically and easy to change
- Phone sign-up with local country codes
- English and Arabic, right-to-left ready
- Fewer fields to get started
CATEGORY SCREENS
Thousands of Products, Easier to Narrow Down
Off-price stock changes daily. We optimised the category screens so shoppers can filter by what matters to them and see the saving on every item before they tap.
Tap a filter to try it.
CART & CHECKOUT
A Cart That Shows How Much You Saved
We simplified the cart journey with clearer totals, the saving shown upfront and fewer steps from bag to order. Shoppers see exactly what they will pay before they reach payment.
- Bag
- Delivery
- Payment
- Done
TOOLS
The Design Toolkit Behind the BFL App
Research, design and delivery tools shared with BFL’s team from audit to handover, so every decision stayed visible to both sides.
Figma
Miro
Jira
Google Analytics
Hotjar
Notion
RESULTS
Live in Every BFL Market
- A single sign-up flow live across every BFL market, in English and Arabic
- Shoppers reach the right category from the homepage in fewer taps
- Category screens that are easier to scan, filter and shop
- A clearer cart with savings and totals shown upfront
INSIGHTS
What We Learned Designing for Off-Price Retail
Local Beats Global
Small details like phone format and language decide whether someone finishes signing up. Getting them right in each market matters more than any one global screen.
Show the Saving
For off-price shoppers, the discount is the reason to buy. It should be visible on every screen, from category to cart.
Banners Are Navigation
Homepage banners work best when they act as clear doors into categories. A banner that does not say where it leads only adds noise.
RTL From Day One
Designing Arabic alongside English avoids rework and keeps both versions equal. Right-to-left is a starting point, not a late fix.
CONCLUSION
Smile, You Just Paid Less
Four key moments, from joining to paying, are now easier for BFL shoppers in every market. If your shopping app needs the same, our team can show you where to start.
Book a Free Consultation
Tools & Technologies
The Tools Behind Brands For Less
- Figma
- Miro
iOS
Android
Claude
OpenAI
Gemini- Jira
Trello
Asana- Figma
- Miro
- iOS
- Android
- Claude
- OpenAI
- Gemini
- Jira
- Trello
- Asana
Client Testimonials
Why 91% of Our Clients Stay With Us
Client Success
From idea to a product people love
We design and build digital products that are user-friendly, scalable and drive real business results.
- User Engagement
- +42%
- Task Completion
- 2.4×
- From Concept to Launch
- 6 Weeks
"They helped us produce several concepts — product design, user scenarios and much more. Deliveries were fast and high quality, letting us make a strong impression on our clients."
Shreya LadCEO, Nutroponics"They capture the vision and run with it — exceptional design and clean files for my developers. Couldn't be happier."
Brandon PugmirePresident, Imprint City"Consistently exceptional work with real dedication. We shipped an amazing app design together and I can't wait to collaborate again."
"Really pleased with the website they designed for our new brand. Fast delivery, took on every change, and a very professional finished product."
AnayaHead of Marketing, Freshminds
Client Results
Rated across every major review platform
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