Custom Ecommerce Platform: Data Layer & Current State
I’ve been working on a large-scale, event-driven e-commerce platform built entirely from scratch using PayloadCMS, Next.js, PostgreSQL, and Redis.
This has been a significant technical undertaking, and I’m documenting the full journey through a series of slides, videos, and blog updates to share both the architecture and the lessons learned along the way.
Platform highlights
Data Layer:
30+ fully typed Payload collections backed by PostgreSQL
Supports products, orders, customers, regions, multi-location inventory, and more
Event Layer:
20+ domain events triggered via collection CRUD hooks
Enables custom workflows, background jobs, and task orchestration
Core Workflows:
Product reservations
Order checkout and payment processing
Customer and admin authentication
and so much more
Providers & Modular Architecture:
Pluggable provider system for Shipping, Payments, Taxes, CRM, and other integrations
Designed for extensibility and custom business logic
Frontend & Content Management:
Drag-and-drop page builder for pages, posts, React emails, documentation, and forms
Custom semantic design system powered by Tailwind CSS, Radix UI, and more
Project goal
The goal is to create a flexible, extensible, and event-driven e-commerce platform that can serve as a modern alternative to solutions like Shopify or MedusaJS, while retaining full control over data, workflows, and integrations.