GroomMates
The business: GroomMates connects customers with verified barbers and beauty pros who come to them — at home, at their office, whenever they need it. It launched iOS-first in Detroit, Midtown, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Birmingham, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Ann Arbor, with a "tell us where to go next" hook for expansion.
What was requested
- Launch the marketplace in Metro Detroit, iOS-first. A booking app that lets customers find a verified barber or beauty pro, see real ratings, and book them to their door — in seconds, not DMs.
- Payments that feel owned. In-app checkout with Apple Pay and saved cards, receipts, and full payment history — with tips going 100% to the pro.
- A repeat-purchase engine. A subscription tier, gift cards, promo codes, and account credit so the app becomes a habit, not a one-off booking.
- A growth loop for expansion. A way to launch city by city and let real demand — not guesses — decide where to go next.
What was produced
- An iOS app, live on the App Store — booking-first experience with pro profiles, verified badges, and ratings front and center.
- Stripe-secured payments wired end to end — Apple Pay, saved cards, promo codes, account credit, gift cards, and a Plus subscription with a 7-day trial.
- A launch footprint across eight cities — Detroit, Midtown, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Birmingham, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Ann Arbor, with a "tell us where to go next" capture on the site.
- Android queued as the next milestone, with re-engagement and pro-growth mechanics identified for the following sprint.
What the product ships
- A booking-first app, not a brochure. Customers pick a pro, see their rating, and book in seconds. The whole experience is built around one action: getting a cut.
- Stripe-secured payments — Apple Pay and saved cards, with receipts and full payment history. Tips go 100% to the pro; the platform doesn't take a cut of tips.
- GroomMates Plus — a 15% off subscription tier (with a 7-day trial), plus promo codes, account credit, and gift cards. That's a repeat-purchase engine, not just a booking tool.
- A marketplace with trust signals — pro profiles show ratings and a verified badge. Sample pros anchor the launch cities; the full list surfaces by what you actually need.
The build pattern
This is the kind of product we build on our mobile app track: one codebase for iOS and Android, real payments wired end-to-end, and a marketplace or booking flow designed around the customer's job-to-be-done — not around a feature list. The app is live on the App Store with Android next, and the expansion model ("want us in your city? tell us where") turns every unserved user into a demand signal for the next market.
Why the model works
- Supply + demand in one loop. Every new pro increases coverage; every new city increases pro opportunity. The site asks users to vote for their city, so expansion is guided by real demand.
- Owned payments. In-app Stripe checkout means the platform captures the transaction, handles refunds and history, and can run promos without leaving the app.
- Subscription + gifting mechanics. Plus, gift cards, and credit convert a convenience service into a habit with predictable revenue.
What we'd do next (honest gaps we see)
- Android launch — the site says "coming soon"; that's the single biggest unlock for reach.
- Re-engagement flows — push reminders and a "book your next cut" cadence based on typical grooming cycles.
- Pro-side growth — a referral program for pros to bring other pros (and their clients) onto the platform.
Want a marketplace or booking app like this?
We design, build, and ship apps — from MVP to both app stores.
Get a free audit