Marzia Amendolia

Babaco Market E-commerce for imperfect fruits and vegetables

Babaco Mobile Mockup

Overview

Babaco Market is a subscription-based e-grocery platform focused on reducing food waste by selling imperfect fruits and vegetables at discounted prices. Despite their noble mission and growing customer base, the company was experiencing high cart abandonment rates and user complaints about the checkout process .

My role was to identify pain points in the user journey, redesign the checkout flow.

The Challenge
67% cart abandonment rate and complex subscription setup process causing user frustration
The Goal
Reduce friction in checkout flow and establish user research framework for continuous improvement
The Impact
42% reduction in cart abandonment and 28% increase in subscription completion rates

Main Project: Redesign check-out

The redesign of the checkout flow was structured as a phased process, carried out through multiple iterations .
I worked closely and consistently withboth the Product Design and IT teams , aligning on technical feasibility and user experience goals at every stage. Each version was reviewed collaboratively , allowing us to refine the structure, reduce complexity, and ensure a refine the structure, reduce complexity, for the user.

  • One of the most impactful areas we focused on was the first step of the checkout flow, which initially presented major usability issues.
    We reduced the number of actions required in the first step, simplifying the box selection process.
    Originally, this step was overloaded with information users had to remember what each subscription included by themselves, without visual support or summaries
    The presence of too many sections created friction , slowed down the process, and discouraged users from moving forward.
RedesignCheckOutImageMobile
  • We reduced the checkout steps from four to three , turning account creation into an overlay.
    The introduction of a new box led us to rethink the first step and simplify it.
    We also removed the product exclusion option from the checkout, moving it to the personal area to avoid
    slowing down the purchase flow.
Redesign-Check-Out-New-Image-Mobile
  • One of the issues identified was the low visibility of “Bottega” products and the lack of effective upselling within the purchase journey. In the new flow, upselling was strategically moved to after the payment step ,when users are more receptive and the risk of abandonment is lower
Redesign-Check-Out-Upselling-Image-Mobile
Results

The redesign led to significant improvements across the board:

  • +115% in add-on adoption
  • +212.5% increase in overall user engagement
  • +3.78% in average order value (AOV)

We also observed a 45.35% reduction in Time On Task during the checkout flow — meaning users were able to complete their purchase faster and with less friction.
These results were confirmed using internal analytics tools and Hotjar, and reflected a clear improvement in usability, interaction quality, and user satisfaction throughout the entire experience.

Secondary Project

Homepage Redesign

Together with the team, I supported the homepage redesign by working on the optimization of content hierarchy. We reorganized the information architecture to ensure that key messages were accessible above the fold, reducing the need for excessive scrolling.
Through Hotjar session recordings , we observed that users were able to reach essential content more easily than before — confirming a clearer and more effective information layout

Hompage-Hotjar-Mobile

Personal Area Update

When Babaco introduced a new type of subscription box, we had to adapt the personal account section to reflect the new structure.
I collaborated with the team to define the updated flows , making sure the logic worked both technically and from a UX perspective.
These two projects allowed me to approach design at scale ,aligning with both user needs and business constraints .

Research & Testing System

One of the most exciting parts of my journey was co-developing a research system that enabled us to gather insights quickly and repeatedly.
Here’s how it worked:

  • We enhanced weekly post-purchase surveys, created with Typeform, by adding the option for users to leave their email.
  • We reviewed and analyzed the feedback provided by those who shared their contact information—both positive comments and suggestions for improvement.
  • With participants’ consent, we scheduled one-to-one interviews, conducted without offering any incentives.
  • We designed a tailored script to explore their experience, motivations, and perception of the new subscription.
  • The insights collected directly informed our design priorities and decision-making.
  • This iterative loop helped us move from assumptions to data-driven improvements.

What I Learned

Most importantly, I realized how open and willing users are to participate , when you make space to listen.

  • Build systems — both in terms of UX flows and research tools
  • Collaborate across departments to solve real constraints
  • Test assumptions and validate decisions with real users

This project was an invaluable opportunity to see how design, research, and development can move in sync.
I learned how to: