MERCAN

MERCAN: Last-Minute Beauty Booking Platform

Project Overview

MERCAN is a specialized booking platform that connects customers with local beauty service providers. The platform focuses on filling last-minute cancellations and available time slots, offering customers significant discounts while helping beauty businesses optimize their schedules.

The Challenge

Beauty salons and professionals face several challenges in managing their business:

• Lost revenue from last-minute cancellations and unfilled time slots
• Inefficient management of available appointments
• Difficulty reaching potential customers for immediate bookings
• Complex scheduling with varying service types and durations
• Need for a streamlined booking process for both businesses and customers

Traditional booking systems often fail to address these specific needs, particularly in managing last-minute availability and connecting with customers seeking immediate services.

Our Solution

We developed a comprehensive platform that benefits both customers and beauty businesses:

• Last-Minute Booking: Customers can find and book available time slots with minimum 20% discounts
• Service Discovery: Easy browsing of various beauty services including:
  • Hair services (cuts, styling)
  • Face and nail care
  • Eyebrows and lashes
  • Massage and wellness
  • Tattoos
• Location-Based Search: Find services in your local area
• Notification System: Get alerts for available time slots
• Mobile-First Approach: Native apps for both iOS and Android
• Multi-language Support: Available in Danish and English

Technical Implementation

MERCAN was built with a modern, scalable tech stack that prioritizes performance, security, and maintainability:

• Frontend: Flutter for cross-platform mobile and web applications, ensuring consistent user experience across devices
• Backend: Golang for high-performance, concurrent processing of requests
• API Communication: gRPC for efficient, type-safe communication between services
• Database: PostgreSQL for reliable data storage with strong consistency guarantees
• Infrastructure: Kubernetes for container orchestration, enabling scalable and resilient deployment

This tech stack was chosen for several key reasons:

• Performance: Golang's concurrency model and gRPC's efficient binary protocol ensure fast response times
• Scalability: Kubernetes allows seamless horizontal scaling to handle growing user bases
• Security: Strong typing in Golang and Flutter helps prevent common security vulnerabilities
• Maintainability: The combination of these technologies provides a robust foundation for long-term development
• Cross-platform: Flutter enables consistent user experience across iOS, Android, and web platforms

Funding and Growth

MERCAN's journey to success included a significant milestone when the founders, Jonathan Søholm-Boesen (Infobits founder and MERCAN Co-Founder) and Susan Mercan (Mercan Founder), secured investment on the Danish version of Shark Tank, "Løvens Hule." This funding was crucial in accelerating the development of the platform and expanding its reach within the beauty industry.

Results

Since its launch, MERCAN has transformed how beauty businesses manage their operations and how customers book services:

• Business Benefits:

  • Reduced revenue loss from cancellations
  • Increased booking efficiency
  • Expanded customer reach
  • Optimized schedule management
  • Streamlined booking process

• Customer Benefits:

  • Access to discounted services (minimum 20% off)
  • Easy last-minute booking
  • Wide range of beauty services in one platform
  • Local business discovery
  • Flexible scheduling options

The success of MERCAN demonstrates the importance of developing specialized digital tools that address the unique needs of both beauty businesses and customers, creating a win-win solution for the industry.