Inside RheoChat's Storefront: Every Feature Nigerian Sellers Need to Know

Most Nigerian sellers who set up a RheoChat store explore the basics — add products, share the link, watch orders come in. That's enough to get started. But the storefront has layers most merchants never fully discover.

This guide goes deep. Every feature, every setting, every nuance — explained plainly so you can use the storefront to its full potential and pull ahead of competitors who are still winging it.

1. Six Store Themes — Pick the One That Fits Your Brand

Your storefront's first impression is its design. RheoChat gives you six professionally built layouts, each with a distinct visual personality. You're not stuck with a generic template.

Luxe

Best for: Luxury fashion, skincare, premium jewellery, high-end accessories.

Luxe uses generous whitespace, refined typography, and minimal colour — the kind of layout that says "this brand has taste." Products are presented with cinematic spacing. The overall feel echoes what you'd see on a high-end boutique website, not a bargain marketplace.

If your brand competes on quality and presentation, Luxe positions you correctly before a customer even reads a product description.

Nova

Best for: Electronics, streetwear, gaming accessories, tech gadgets, sneakers.

Nova is dark, sharp, and modern — built around a deep zinc palette with glowing accent effects and spring-animated transitions. It leans into the energy of brands that want to feel premium and cutting-edge. Product cards have high contrast and immediate visual impact.

Marvis

Best for: Artisan food, vintage clothing, home décor, creative goods, handcrafted products.

Marvis evokes warmth and craft. The layout uses cream backgrounds, ink-toned text, and editorial-style typography — including serif fonts that feel human and considered. If your business has a story behind it and your customers care about authenticity, Marvis communicates that without saying a word.

Folio

Best for: Bold fashion brands, graphic tees, protest-aesthetic goods, anything with visual punch.

Folio is a magazine. Heavy sans-serif typography, editorial grid structures, black-and-white contrast as the base. Think i-D Magazine meets e-commerce. The layout commands attention and works especially well for products where the photo carries the sale.

Maison

Best for: Upscale beauty, premium lifestyle products, curated gift collections.

Maison is the most immersive experience in the suite. Checkout opens into a full-page overlay with a multi-step progress bar (Cart → Checkout → Confirmation) and a side panel showcasing your store's services — complimentary delivery, secure payments, and your own custom policies. The layout communicates luxury at every step of the customer journey.

Classic

Best for: General retail, any business type, first-time store owners.

Classic is clean, fast, and universally legible. A bright white interface with clear product cards, a mobile-first bottom-sheet cart drawer, and no visual distractions. If you're not sure which theme fits, start with Classic — it converts reliably for any product category.

Switching themes is instant. Go to your storefront customization settings, select a new template, and your store updates immediately. No redesign. No rebuilding.

2. Brand Customization: Your Store, Not a Template

Beyond the theme choice, every element of your store's identity is in your control.

Store name: The public name displayed at the top of your storefront and in browser tabs. Keep it consistent with your social media handles.

Custom URL slug: Your storefront lives at a memorable address of your choosing:

`

rheochat.com/store/your-brand-name

`

You choose the slug during setup. It can contain lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens — minimum 3 characters, maximum 30. Once set, there's a six-month cooldown before you can change it, so choose deliberately. This prevents you from creating a URL your customers know and then breaking it with a rebrand.

Brand accent colour: Your primary brand colour — the colour of buttons, highlights, selected variants, progress bars, and interactive elements across the store. One colour, consistent everywhere.

Logo: Uploaded in square format, your logo appears in the store header, on the product detail page, and — crucially — on your branded PDF receipts.

Banner image: A wide header image at the top of your store's homepage. Use a lifestyle shot, a promotional graphic, or a seasonal campaign banner. This is your storefront's billboard.

3. Smart Product Search — Text and AI Together

When a customer types in your store's search bar, two things happen simultaneously.

Text search fires immediately. The system instantly filters your product catalog by checking whether the search query appears in any product's name, category, description, or SKU. If you search "red dress," every product with those words in any field appears within milliseconds.

Vector (semantic) search runs 350ms later. This is the intelligent layer. Vector search understands meaning, not just keywords. If a customer types "something for a wedding" and you have formal dresses and occasion shoes in your catalog — even if those products don't mention "wedding" — the vector search surfaces them based on semantic relevance.

The results from both are merged intelligently: vector-matched results appear first, followed by text-only matches.

Why this matters: Customers rarely type exactly what you've named a product. "Big bag," "that ankara set," "something blue for a gift" — your search handles all of it. Customers find what they're looking for even when they can't articulate it precisely. Fewer dead-end searches means fewer abandoned sessions.

4. Category Filtering and Price Sorting

Above your product grid, customers have two additional ways to narrow results:

Category filter: Automatically generated from your existing products — if you have items tagged "Tops," "Skirts," "Bags," those categories appear as filter chips. No manual setup required. As you add products and tag them with categories, the filters update automatically.

Price sorting: Customers can sort your catalog from lowest to highest price (helpful for budget-conscious shoppers) or highest to lowest (for premium browsing). A "default" sort returns results to your standard display order.

Pagination: Products display in pages of 12. At the bottom of each page, customers navigate to the next — keeping load times fast even if you have a catalog of 200+ products.

5. The Product Detail Page — Built to Convert

Every product in your catalog gets its own dedicated page. This is where browsers become buyers.

Image Gallery

The product detail page opens with a full gallery — not a single photo.

• ›Swipe/drag navigation on mobile (powered by Framer Motion) — customers swipe left and right through your product photos the same way they'd swipe through Instagram Stories
• ›Arrow navigation on desktop for manual browsing
• ›Thumbnail strip below the main image showing all available photos at a glance
• ›Dot indicators for quick orientation within the gallery
• ›Discount badge overlaid on the main image when the product is on sale (e.g., -15% OFF)

Upload 2–5 photos per product minimum. Show different angles, in-context shots, and close-up details. The gallery gives customers the confidence to buy without handling the product in person.

Variant Selection

If your product comes in multiple options — sizes, colours, materials, configurations — they display as pill buttons that customers tap to select.

• ›All variant groups are shown clearly (e.g., a row of sizes, a row of colours)
• ›Selected variants highlight in your store's brand accent colour
• ›The checkout button stays disabled until a selection is made for every required attribute — no more customers ordering "a bag" without specifying which colour they want

Each variant can have its own price and stock level. A medium in blue might cost differently from an XL in black — your catalog handles this natively.

Quantity Selector with Live Pricing

The quantity control (− and + buttons) adjusts the order quantity, and the displayed total price updates live as the quantity changes. Customers see exactly what they'll pay before adding to cart.

Stock is enforced at the UI level — the + button disables when the quantity would exceed available stock. Customers cannot accidentally order more than you have.

Bulk Discount Tiers

Your product can be configured with bulk pricing — customers who buy in quantity get a better price automatically.

Example:

• ›1–4 units: ₦5,000 each
• ›5–9 units: ₦4,500 each (10% bulk discount)
• ›10+ units: ₦4,000 each (20% bulk discount)

The applicable tier displays on the product detail page so customers can see the incentive before they commit. Resellers, bulk buyers, and gift shoppers respond to this — it increases average order value without you having to negotiate individually.

Specs Tab

Every product has a description tab and a specifications tab. The specs tab displays:

• ›SKU (your internal reference code)
• ›Category
• ›Weight
• ›Dimensions
• ›Stock status and remaining quantity

Customers who want to verify the details before buying — especially for electronics, skincare, or technical products — find everything here without having to message you.

Trust Signals

On desktop, the product page shows:

• ›Your delivery zones and estimated delivery times
• ›A "Secured by Flutterwave" payment badge
• ›Your store's contact and return policies
• ›A seller verification badge
• ›A one-tap button to message you directly

These elements convert hesitant buyers. Nigerian customers are naturally cautious about new online stores — these signals communicate that you're a legitimate operation.

6. The Cart — With Free Delivery Progress Bar

Adding a product to cart triggers a bump animation on the cart icon — a satisfying visual confirmation that the action worked, without opening any panel the customer didn't ask for.

When a customer opens the cart drawer, they see:

• ›Every item with its photo, name, selected variants, and SKU
• ›Quantity controls per item (enforced against stock limits)
• ›Per-item remove button
• ›Running subtotal in Nigerian Naira (₦)

Free Delivery Progress Tracker

If you've set a free delivery threshold (e.g., "free delivery on orders above ₦10,000"), the cart shows a visual progress bar:

"Add ₦3,500 more for free delivery" → progress bar fills as subtotal rises → "Free delivery unlocked!" when the threshold is crossed

This is one of the most effective tools for increasing average order value. Customers who see they're ₦2,000 away from free delivery will often add another item rather than pay for delivery. You set the threshold once; the cart handles the psychology automatically.

7. Checkout — Built for Nigerian Commerce

Checkout is where many Nigerian e-commerce platforms fall apart. RheoChat's checkout was built from the ground up for the Nigerian context.

What Checkout Collects

• ›Customer name
• ›Phone number (required — used for WhatsApp receipt delivery and order communication)
• ›Email address (optional — used for email receipt)
• ›Delivery address (with Google Maps autocomplete for Nigerian addresses)
• ›Delivery method selection

Fulfillment Options

Customers choose how they want to receive their order:

Pickup: Customer picks up from your location. Delivery fee is ₦0. Good for local customers who want to inspect before taking.

Delivery: Customer provides an address. The system calculates the delivery fee in real time based on distance, weight, and your configured pricing zones — with integration options including:

• ›Your connected dispatch company (riders in your area)
• ›Fez Delivery (for inter-state and long-distance shipping)
• ›Your custom distance-based pricing zones

The delivery quote is calculated server-side — not on the client. This prevents customers from tampering with delivery fees before payment.

Server-Side Price Verification

Every price in checkout is recalculated server-side before payment is processed. The system never trusts the price the client sends. This means:

• ›No customer can manipulate product prices through browser developer tools
• ›No customer can fake a delivery fee discount
• ›Bulk discount tiers are verified against actual quantities
• ›Stock is checked atomically using Redis to prevent overselling during simultaneous orders

Idempotency Protection

Double-tapping "Pay" doesn't create two orders. RheoChat uses idempotency keys to detect and reject duplicate checkout requests within 5 minutes — protecting both you and the customer from accidental double charges.

Payment Methods

Checkout processes payment through Flutterwave, offering every major Nigerian payment method:

| Method | Details |

|---|---|

| Debit/credit card | Visa, Mastercard, Verve |

| Bank transfer | Direct transfer from any Nigerian bank account |

| USSD | Works on feature phones without internet connection |

| Mobile money | For compatible mobile wallets |

Customers are not redirected to a separate website. The payment experience is embedded within your store — keeping the customer in your branded environment throughout.

Automatic Split Payments

If your store is connected to a dispatch company for delivery, Flutterwave automatically splits the payment at the moment of transaction:

• ›Your product revenue → your bank account
• ›Delivery fee → dispatch company's bank account
• ›Platform commission → deducted transparently

No manual transfers. No end-of-month reconciliation. Everyone gets paid in the same transaction.

8. After Payment: The Receipt Experience

What happens in the 60 seconds after a customer pays sets the tone for your brand's relationship with them.

RheoChat handles this automatically, without any action from you.

WhatsApp Text Receipt

Within seconds of payment confirmation, the customer receives a WhatsApp message (to the phone number they provided at checkout) containing:

• ›Itemised list of products ordered with quantities and prices
• ›Delivery fee
• ›Total amount paid
• ›Order reference number
• ›A link to their live order tracking page

This message arrives before the customer has even closed their browser. It signals: this is a professional operation.

Email Receipt

If the customer provided an email address, a formatted order confirmation email is sent simultaneously with the WhatsApp message.

Branded PDF Receipt

This is the feature that consistently surprises merchants when they first see it.

RheoChat generates a custom PDF receipt with your store's logo, brand accent colour, product details, payment summary, and order number — and sends it as a document attachment over WhatsApp.

The customer receives a professional receipt that looks like it came from a business with a full accounting department. In reality, it was generated and delivered automatically in seconds.

This PDF is downloadable and printable — useful for customers who need receipts for business expenses, warranty claims, or gift purchases.

Rating Request

After delivery is confirmed, RheoChat automatically follows up with a message asking the customer to rate their experience on a scale of 1–5 by replying with a number.

These ratings are:

• ›Displayed publicly on your product listings
• ›Used to rank products in your store's search results (higher-rated products surface first)
• ›Visible in your analytics dashboard

Customers who receive a good experience and a prompt follow-up tend to rate. Each positive rating is social proof that future customers see before they buy.

9. Live Order Tracking Page

Every order gets a unique tracking page at:

`

rheochat.com/track/[orderId]

`

This link is included in the customer's WhatsApp receipt automatically. The tracking page shows:

• ›Current order status (paid, processing, dispatched, in transit, delivered)
• ›Rider's live GPS location on a map (once dispatched to a connected dispatch company)
• ›Real-time ETA based on rider movement
• ›Order timeline showing when each status update occurred

Customers never need to ask "where is my order?" — the information is available on demand, any time. This eliminates the most common support query Nigerian sellers deal with at scale.

10. Deep-Link Buying — Share Products That Auto-Add to Cart

Every product in your catalog can be shared with a special URL that:

1. 1Opens your storefront
2. 2Automatically adds the specific product (in the quantity you specify) to the cart
3. 3Opens the checkout immediately

The URL format:

`

rheochat.com/store/your-slug?buy=SKU123&qty=2

`

Use cases:

• ›Drop a link in a WhatsApp broadcast that takes customers directly to checkout for a flash sale item
• ›Share a product on Instagram Stories with a link that skips browsing entirely
• ›Send a payment-ready link in a DM when a customer asks "how do I order?"

The customer taps the link, lands in your store with the item already in their cart, and is one tap away from paying. No browsing. No searching. No friction.

11. Open Graph Images — Your Store Looks Good When Shared

When a customer shares your store link or a product link on WhatsApp, Twitter, or any other platform, a preview card appears. RheoChat generates this automatically.

Store-level OG image: Generated from your store branding — features your store name and visual identity.

Product-level OG image: Generated per product page, showing the product name and your brand.

This means every share of your store URL automatically comes with a professional preview — not a blank link. On WhatsApp specifically, where link previews appear prominently in chats, this increases click-through rates measurably.

12. Analytics — What Your Dashboard Tracks

Your merchant dashboard shows what's actually happening in your store:

Traffic: How many visitors your store received, which products were viewed most, and which pages had the highest exit rates.

Revenue: Total revenue by day, week, and month. Broken down by product, variant, and category so you know what's actually moving.

Conversion: The percentage of store visitors who complete a purchase — your most important e-commerce metric.

Average order value: The average of all completed order totals. Tracking this tells you whether your free delivery threshold and product recommendations are working.

Top products: A ranked list of your bestsellers by units sold and revenue generated.

Customer ratings: Average rating by product, so you can see which items your customers love and which might have quality or description issues.

Low stock alerts: When any product's stock drops below 5 units, you receive an automatic alert. You never accidentally oversell a product because you forgot to restock.

13. Team Access — Multiple People, Right Permissions

As your business grows, you might want team members to help manage orders, respond to customers, or update the catalog. RheoChat supports role-based team access:

Owner: Full access — settings, analytics, team management, billing, everything.

Agent: Can manage orders, view analytics, and handle customer conversations. Cannot change billing or team settings.

Viewer: Read-only access — useful for accountants, business partners, or investors who need to see revenue data without being able to change anything.

Add team members from your dashboard settings. Each person logs in with their own account — no shared passwords.

Putting It All Together: What Your Customer's Journey Looks Like

Here's the complete experience a customer has when they discover your RheoChat store:

1. 1They find your store link — on your Instagram bio, in a WhatsApp broadcast, or from a friend who shared a product
2. 2Your branded storefront loads — your theme, your logo, your banner, your colours
3. 3They browse or search — text + vector search helps them find what they want even with vague queries
4. 4They tap a product — full image gallery, variant pickers, live quantity pricing, bulk discount tiers
5. 5They add to cart — free delivery progress bar shows how close they are to the threshold
6. 6They checkout — phone, address, delivery method, payment via bank transfer or card
7. 7They pay — Flutterwave processes instantly
8. 8Immediate receipts — WhatsApp text receipt, email receipt, branded PDF receipt arrive within 60 seconds
9. 9They track their order — live GPS, real-time status, ETA
10. 10OTP confirms delivery — they provide the 4-digit code to the rider
11. 11Rating request — they rate their experience, helping future customers find your best products

That's the complete loop — and every step happens automatically. You focus on products and operations. The storefront handles the customer experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add more than one product image per item?

Yes. Each product supports up to 5 images. The gallery renders them in the order you upload, with the first image as the primary listing photo.

What if I want to temporarily remove a product without deleting it?

Set the product to inactive in your catalog. It disappears from your storefront immediately but remains in your dashboard for easy reactivation.

Can customers order without creating an account?

Yes. RheoChat's storefront is entirely guest-checkout. Customers provide their phone and (optionally) email — no account creation required. This dramatically reduces checkout friction.

How many products can I have in my catalog?

There's no hard limit. Merchants with 500+ products have stores that remain fast and searchable thanks to pagination and smart search.

Can I have different prices for different customers?

Not directly. Pricing is product-level (with optional variant-level overrides). For special pricing, you can create discount codes or use the bulk discount tier feature.

Does the store work on slow mobile connections?

Yes. The storefront is optimized for mobile-first loading and works well on 3G connections common across Nigeria. Images are served in next-gen WebP format and loaded progressively.

Can I customize the theme colours further beyond the accent colour?

The accent colour controls all interactive elements across your chosen theme. Further customization beyond that is on the product roadmap.

Start building your store →