Low-Code in Retail Tech Stacks
An objective analysis of the most popular no- and low-code tools used by brands
Building internal tools for a fast-growing business isn’t just about speed—it’s about flexibility, scalability, and control.
Our journey in the world of no and low code started 8 years ago with a basic data mapping application I built in Airtable. I remember being sat in a meeting room at Old Street WeWork with Ryan Foster, Seb Mills and Chris Perrins introducing them to my Dapper App (shorthand for Data Mapper, cool name right?) in Airtable, which I described as “excel on steroids” to much understandable eye-rolling.
Since then, every member of our team has gone deep on the platform. Nathan Bawden - who rejoined Commerce Thinking two months ago - has built more stuff in Airtable than practically anyone else in the UK. Including a fully integrated Shopify PIM, rapid goods-in, stock management and product labelling system for a flash-sale fashion reseller, and lots more.
You get the picture, we know Airtable and can objectively analyse it’s strengths and weaknesses.
Whilst we started out using Airtable - a great tool for getting quick solutions in place with minimal coding - as our needs evolved, we found ourselves running into limitations. We recognised that it’s not the right tool for some more complex use cases.
That's when we turned to Retool, a low-code platform that gave us the power to build exactly what we needed, without the frustration of workarounds or hidden constraints. We’ve built operational tools including a PO & Container Management application, BI solution for merch and trade teams, a smart shipping mapper on the Shopify checkout, and many more.
You get the picture, we know Retool and can objectively analyse it’s strengths and weaknesses.
In this piece, we’re going to use Airtable and Retool as the basis for a comparison of no-code vs low-code. For any brand exploring or considering these tools it’s essential you make an informed decision before piling in, this is our contribution to your knowledge.
Stay tuned for future updates on the state of low- and no-code as we R&D with Cursor, a platform that is experiencing a ton of hype - for good reason.
No-Code vs. Low-Code
The appeal of no-code tools lie in their accessibility. Platforms like Airtable let you create basic apps without writing a single line of code, which is perfect for smaller, simpler projects. But when those projects grow—when businesses need more from their internal tools—a purely no-code solution often falls short.
That’s where low-code comes in. Retool sits comfortably in this space, offering pre-built modules that allow users to build apps quickly, but with enough flexibility to customise the underlying logic as needed.
You don’t need to be a developer to use Retool, but having a basic understanding of code helps. It strikes a balance between accessibility and power, making it ideal for teams that need more than off-the-shelf tools can offer. The ability to customise not just the app’s functionality but its look and feel gives brands a significant edge when building solutions that need to be both powerful and user-friendly.
Recent Airtable Updates and Why They Matter
Airtable’s evolution has been exciting to witness, especially its recent updates in September 2024. These changes address some long-standing limitations and make the platform more competitive for businesses dealing with larger, more complex datasets.
HyperDB: This feature now allows Airtable to support massive datasets with hundreds of millions of records. It's a game-changer for scalability. (Although it’s still limited to 250k rows per dataset).
App Sandbox: Safe testing in a controlled environment before deploying to production, bringing much-needed relief to users who had to make changes on live apps.
App Library: Standardises app creation with locked core data schemas, while still allowing local customisations.
Org Branding: Customises app visuals to align with your organisation’s branding.
While these new features need to be thoroughly tested, they represent significant strides forward in tackling some of Airtable’s previous limitations, particularly around data limits and version control.
When to Consider Retool
As powerful as Airtable is, we still found ourselves hitting certain limits as our needs evolved. While Airtable is great for quick solutions and smaller projects, for more complex use cases, it wasn’t the right tool. That’s when we turned to Retool—a low-code platform that gave us the flexibility to build exactly what we needed, without having to rely on workarounds.
We've built a number of operational tools with Retool, including a PO & Container Management application, BI solution for merch and trade teams, and a smart shipping mapper on the Shopify checkout.
Retool provides flexibility in both the interface and underlying logic. This is crucial for growing commerce brands that need more tailored solutions, but it comes with its own set of challenges.
Airtable’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Let’s be clear: Airtable is an excellent tool in the right context. It excels at getting something up and running fast, and it’s easy to use with minimal learning curve. For simple internal apps or project management, it’s hard to beat. But as we started building more complex solutions, especially for larger-scale operations, we found that Airtable couldn’t hit a limit. Before its recent updates, Airtable had a few well-known weaknesses:
Inflexibility: Airtable’s simplicity, while a strength, limited customisation, particularly when more advanced workflows were needed.
Data Limits: Hard limits on data size (rows and attachments) became real bottlenecks when managing large datasets, particularly for commerce operations.
Version Control: Airtable lacked proper version control or a staging environment, making live changes risky for business-critical operations.
With the September 2024 updates, Airtable has addressed these weaknesses head-on. HyperDB lifts the row limitations, and App Sandbox brings a safer testing environment, marking important improvements for larger-scale workflows.
Retool’s Strengths and Weaknesses
While Retool provides incredible flexibility, it comes with its own challenges:
Ease and Speed of Use: Retool is slower to pull apps together and requires more technical know-how, particularly around front- and back-end integration. Airtable, on the other hand, is faster and more user-friendly, especially for non-technical users.
Flexibility: Retool’s flexibility can sometimes be a double-edged sword. While it's great for customisation, inexperienced users can build apps that are hard to navigate or aesthetically poor. Airtable’s simpler layout limits creativity but often results in more user-friendly interfaces.
Learning Curve: Retool relies on programming languages like JavaScript and SQL, which creates a steeper learning curve for non-technical users. Airtable, by contrast, is designed to be approachable, even for beginners.
Collaboration: Airtable’s collaboration features, like real-time editing and commenting, are more intuitive and advanced compared to Retool, which is more focused on app-building rather than team collaboration.
Integrations: Airtable’s broader ecosystem of direct integrations makes it easier for non-developers to connect to popular tools. Retool requires more custom setups for integrations but excels at complex database connections.
Scaling Challenges with No-Code Tools
As businesses scale, no-code tools like Airtable can struggle with complexity. The need for workarounds, like third-party integrations, creates inefficiencies and slows down operations. Retool eliminates many of these problems by providing a more robust, customisable platform that handles larger workflows.
That said, Airtable’s recent updates significantly improve its ability to scale. Features like HyperDB for large datasets and App Sandbox for safe testing are designed to overcome the very bottlenecks we used to run into.
The Role of No-Code and Low-Code in Modern Retail
Looking ahead, it’s clear that no-code and low-code platforms are becoming a core part of the tech stacks for modern brands. The speed at which you can build, modify, and scale internal apps with these tools is unmatched. As the landscape continues to evolve, agility will be the key to staying competitive. Brands need to be able to pivot quickly—whether it’s reacting to market trends or adjusting internal operations to meet new challenges.
Over the next 5-10 years, we expect these tools to continue reshaping how companies build and manage their internal processes. For brands in the luxury and fast-growing spaces, the ability to develop custom, flexible apps without needing a full development team will be a game-changer.
The Right Tool for the Right Job
At the time of writing, in the majority of use cases, Airtable remains our go-to because it’s quick, easy and gives best time to value in most instances. Where a workflow is particularly complex or the data requirements (in terms of row count, complexity, security) are much higher then right now we turn to Retool.
We’re continuing to explore the space and will publish our findings to newsletter subscribers. Next up is R&D around Cursor and a follow up piece comparing the costs of Airtable vs Retool.
Get in touch
If you’re building applications in low or no-code then we’d love to connect. Or if your business is considering leveraging the likes of Retool and Airtable but you’re not sure which way to go then let’s discuss. Get in touch directly on hello@commercethinking.com.