Customer Stories
de Bijenkorf Embraces Kotlin
to Power Performance and Precision
Xebia helped de Bijenkorf reduce system response times, improve reliability, and empower teams with Kotlin’s full potential.
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The Client
de Bijenkorf is one of the Netherlands’ most iconic retailers, known for delivering premium experiences both in-store and online. With a rapidly growing digital platform, the company faced the challenge of maintaining performance, speed, and reliability.
At a Glance
Challenge
Growing system complexity slowed performance and created bottlenecks in development
Solution
Upskilled teams, refactored systems, and leveraged Kotlin’s advanced features for performance and reliability.
Results
System response times improved by 50%, faster releases, stronger collaboration, and a scalable foundation for growth.
The Challenge: Speed Meets Complexity
de Bijenkorf’s digital experience relies on a robust system of microservices, powering everything from personalized content to product discovery. As demand surged and customer expectations rose, the backend systems started to struggle. The solution in place, while functional, wasn’t keeping pace—it created bottlenecks, delayed releases, and frustrated both users and developers.
The retailer needed to simplify, streamline, and scale fast. de Bijenkorf had already made the forward-thinking decision by adopting Kotlin, a modern, expressive language well-suited for building scalable systems. While their platform was stable and functional, it hadn’t yet tapped into Kotlin's full potential.
That’s where Xebia entered the picture—not just as a consultancy, but as a partner in helping de Bijenkorf evolve from simply using Kotlin to truly mastering it.
Xebia brought the right expertise at the right time, when we needed it. They became part of our team as if they were with us for years.
Andy Kanani
Development Lead, de Bijenkorf
The Solution: Upskill, Refactor, and Accelerate to Boost Customer Experience
Xebia’s experts didn’t just bring solutions—we brought transformation. Through tailored training programs presented to the client in small workshops and strategic coaching, we empowered de Bijenkorf’s teams to fully utilize Kotlin’s capabilities.
The result was more than just technical improvement—it was a shift in how de Bijenkorf approached software development. By embracing Kotlin Coroutines, the teams unlocked a new level of simplicity and control in managing concurrency. What had once been a source of complexity and frustration became a strength. The platform became leaner, faster, and easier to maintain, with measurable gains in response times and development velocity.
But perhaps most importantly, this transformation led to happier developers—teams who felt empowered by the tools they used and confident in the systems they built. That sense of ownership and clarity extended to the clients and stakeholders who now experienced a more responsive and reliable platform. Kotlin didn’t just improve the code—it elevated the culture.
Beyond performance, we also tackled reliability. De Bijenkorf’s content preview feature— essential for editorial teams—had been creating inconsistencies in the data shared with frontend systems, leading to unpredictable user experiences.
With Xebia’s guidance, the team redesigned their data handling strategy, ensuring consistent, complete, and reliable outputs—without disrupting editorial workflows. This shift strengthened internal collaboration and resulted in a smoother, more trustworthy experience for the end customer.
Working with De Bijenkorf has been truly rewarding. I contributed my Kotlin expertise to build reliable, modern solutions and was impressed by their collaborative culture, openness to change, and drive for continuous improvement.
Paul Wood
Software Engineer, Xebia
The Results: Business Value Delivered
- Faster Performance: System response times improved by 50%, directly impacting user satisfaction.
- Increased Productivity: Development teams moved faster with fewer errors, accelerating time-to-market.
- Stronger Collaboration: A more intuitive platform improved cross-team alignment between tech and content.
- Future-Proofed Growth: de Bijenkorf now has a more scalable, resilient foundation built for continued digital innovation.
Looking Ahead: A Partnership Rooted in Enablement
At Xebia, we don’t just implement change—we build capability. This collaboration with De Bijenkorf reflects our belief that the strongest digital transformations come from within. By unlocking Kotlin’s full potential, we helped their teams embrace a smarter way of working and a more sustainable path to digital leadership.
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