A top fast-food brand boosted app use by 50% with a custom omnichannel solution

The Market

Romania’s restaurant market has grown significantly, generating a turnover of 21.06 billion RON. Even so, while revenue has been climbing, profits have seen a slight dip. How so?

Nowadays, younger demographics are shifting toward Westernized eating habits, all while digital adoption drives expectations for seamless online ordering and delivery. Plus, with the added hurdles of:

• Price sensitivity
• Demand for personalization
• A preference for localized experiences

Brands face intensifying competition and a demand for new investments within an already challenging market.

The Challenge

The retailer’s digital transformation journey was successful, but it didn’t come without its fair share of challenges.and continuous platform refinement.

The Solution

The retailer’s modern platform, powered by VTEX for web and Flutter for mobile (available on App Store and Google Play), brings the brand’s entire menu to life for both pickup and delivery at consistent nationwide pricing.

“When we started our collaboration, we approached the project by rethinking the entire customer experience and building something that could scale with the future. The results speak for themselves: driving nearly 50% more mobile app adoption, and unifying the entire customer journey across all touchpoints. Naturally, using technology to solve real business challenges in an industry that’s changing as fast as the industry is not easy, but at Zitec, we’re always up for the challenge."

Alex Dobre
Retail & Distribution Director, Zitec

Here’s what’s new:

The retailer’s teams now have full control to easily manage menus, pricing, promotions, and delivery availability. The platform’s native marketplace features allow them to explore new sales channels and partnerships.

Therefore, besides unifying touchpoints and creating a unified customer experience, the modern omnichannel solution addresses operational efficiency ambitions.

The Process

In hindsight, it’s clear that they weren’t only looking for a new eCommerce platform. They were seeking a strategic partner who could help them rethink their digital operations while maximizing ROI.

“Digitalization has always been seen as a fundamental part of our strategy, not a response to a specific challenge. From the beginning, we set up a strong infrastructure to support both our back-end systems and customer-facing technologies. Partnering with Zitec and adopting the VTEX platform has positioned us to scale efficiently while keeping operations smooth. The success of this project came down to the close collaboration between our teams and Zitec’s capacity to understand our brand core and communicate openly and professionally, focusing on results. The results have been outstanding, positioning us as leaders in digital service in Romania.”

The company’s Senior eCommerce Manager

This transformation was part of a broader initiative to modernize operations in response to new consumer demands, amplified by the pandemic and informed by successful strategies from similar markets. Here’s what followed:

1. At first, we listened.
2. Then, we took on a consultative approach to audit the operations.
3. We engaged with key stakeholders, from external and internal tech teams from Zitec and VTEX, to the business teams and their vendors, for a smooth and efficient transition that met the retailer’s goals.
4. We rolled out a plan that addresses the essentials: immediate needs, scaling capabilities, cost efficiency, and future feature enhancements.
5. Transparency was non-negotiable. We worked closely with the retailer to evaluate the total cost of ownership for a set of solutions so that no hidden costs or surprises would arise down the line.
6. Instead of jumping straight into a major overhaul, we assessed other options, including upgrading the existing system.

The decision to move to VTEX was grounded in real-world analysis that showed it to be the most flexible, cost-efficient, and scalable option for the retailer.

Thanks to our agile, iterative approach, we launched an MVP in just four months (half the projected time) without compromising quality. This allowed for real-time market feedback, customer testing, and continuous platform refinement.

To integrate VTEX with legacy systems, we implemented middleware connecting:

• MICROS POS and inventory systems for real-time order and stock updates

• Acrelec Kiosks for unified digital and in-store customer experiences

• Judopay for secure, seamless payments

• Braze for personalized marketing and push notifications

The Impact

Today, the fast-food retailer is better positioned in their goal to secure leadership and gain an even larger share of the QSR market with a platform that can support future innovations.

Nowadays, younger demographics are shifting toward Westernized eating habits, all while digital adoption drives expectations for seamless online ordering and delivery. Plus, with the added hurdles of:

• A 48–50% increase in mobile app adoption and a sharp reduction in uninstall rates.
• Customers now enjoy a streamlined journey, with consistent pricing and fast, flexible ordering options that effortlessly integrate in-store, online, and mobile experiences.