Shopwise

An AI-powered business assistant that learns, remembers, and automates online store operations.

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ShopWise

Inspiration

Running an online store means constantly switching between customer support, inventory management, orders, emails, and business decisions. Many small business owners spend more time managing operations than growing their businesses. We wanted to build an AI that doesn't just answer questions, but actively helps merchants run their stores.

That idea became ShopWise - an AI autopilot that learns how a business operates, remembers important context, and proactively assists with day-to-day operations.

What it does

ShopWise is an AI-powered assistant for online stores that connects with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

It helps merchants by:

  • Drafting intelligent customer replies
  • Managing orders and customer information
  • Monitoring inventory
  • Generating AI-powered business communications
  • Surfacing proactive alerts and recommendations
  • Learning business context over time to provide more relevant assistance

Instead of acting like a chatbot that waits for prompts, ShopWise is designed to behave like an intelligent business assistant.

How we built it

The frontend was built using:

  • React
  • Vite
  • TypeScript
  • TanStack Router
  • Framer Motion

The backend was built using:

  • Node.js
  • Express.js

For AI capabilities we integrated:

  • Qwen Cloud API using the OpenAI-compatible endpoint

The backend was deployed on:

  • Alibaba Cloud Function Compute

This architecture keeps API keys secure while allowing the frontend to communicate safely with the Qwen model.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge wasn't writing code, it was deployment.

Deploying an Express backend to Alibaba Cloud Function Compute required learning a completely new cloud platform, configuring RAM users and AccessKeys, adapting the backend for a serverless environment, and connecting everything securely with the Qwen Cloud API.

Another challenge was designing an interface that felt like an autonomous AI assistant instead of another ecommerce dashboard. We spent significant time refining the experience so the AI remained central throughout the application.

Accomplishments we're proud of

  • Successfully integrating Qwen Cloud into a real-world ecommerce workflow.
  • Deploying our backend on Alibaba Cloud Function Compute.
  • Building a modern, responsive dashboard with a clean user experience.
  • Creating an AI assistant that goes beyond simple chat by proactively helping merchants manage their businesses.

What we learned

Throughout this project we gained hands-on experience with:

  • Alibaba Cloud Function Compute
  • Serverless deployment
  • Secure API architecture
  • Qwen Cloud integration
  • Designing AI-first user experiences
  • Building production-ready React applications

More importantly, we learned that the future of AI is not simply answering questions—it is helping people accomplish meaningful work through intelligent, context-aware assistance.

What's next for ShopWise

Our roadmap includes:

  • Live Shopify and WooCommerce integrations
  • Persistent memory for long-term business learning
  • Automated supplier communication
  • Predictive inventory forecasting
  • Autonomous task execution with user approval
  • Analytics powered by merchant behavior and historical trends

Our vision is for ShopWise to become an AI operating system for modern online businesses, helping merchants spend less time managing operations and more time growing their businesses.

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