LibStore — Tired of going to the store to buy? You can now buy online

An online store needs more than an attractive product catalog. Buyers need a clear way to communicate what they want, while sellers need enough information to coordinate payment, availability, and delivery.

For LibStore, relying entirely on a conventional card-payment checkout would not address the purchase arrangements the project was designed to support. The challenge was to create a useful shopping flow that could continue through direct seller communication.

I developed a storefront where buyers can browse products, view product details, and organize their selections in a cart. The checkout flow then connects the buyer with the seller through WhatsApp to coordinate the purchase.

Behind the storefront, product-management tools support catalog updates, while authentication and backend APIs connect accounts, products, carts, and orders. WhatsApp acts as the communication handoff; it does not automatically verify payment or confirm delivery.

I worked on the frontend and backend, connecting the shopping interface to product, authentication, cart, and order functionality. My work included API development, database integration, product-image handling, and the buyer-to-seller checkout flow.

The project also gave me experience thinking through how application state and backend records should remain consistent as a customer moves from browsing to purchase coordination.

LibStore’s current focus is developing the core commerce experience. A future direction is a multi-vendor platform that could offer paid seller plans or additional storefront-management features. This remains a proposed business model rather than an established revenue stream.

LibStore explores a practical approach to e-commerce in Liberia by combining online product discovery and cart management with WhatsApp-assisted checkout. The project strengthened my experience in full-stack commerce development and designing software around real purchasing workflows.