Boulanger Launches its First iPhone Application

Boulanger is a leading multimedia and electronics multi-specialist based in France since 1954. In early 2010, as part of a panel of leading French retailers, Boulanger was introduced to a set of new mobile solutions. After the presentation, the company asked Capgemini to design and build a new iPhone solution – one that would offer superior functionality and service to its customers.

The Solution

The Capgemini Innovation Factory team worked with a team from Boulanger to design and integrate an application that would not only meet basic customer requirements (geolocalization of stores, item description and price, etc.) but would actually go beyond to set a completely new standard for the industry.

Several workshops were held that were geared specifically towards user ergonomics, integration of the application into Boulanger’s systems landscape and the identification of new services. The outcome was a new Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) multi-channel platform.

The Result

In the first six weeks after it was launched, the application was downloaded more than 20,000 times, with peaks at 1,500 downloads per day. It quickly reached “top 25” status for all iPhone applications in its category. The success of the application has also resulted in a strong association of the Boulanger brand with a young, dynamic and eager clientele.