E-Commerce Backend & Performance Upgrade

I need to push our existing e-commerce site to the next level. The immediate focus is on two core areas—back-end functionality and the overall performance and scalability of the platform—while keeping our smooth front-end experience intact.

To be clear, the back-end work breaks down into:
• Database optimization
• API integrations
• Security enhancements

These improvements must translate into faster page loads, rock-solid transaction security, and the capacity to handle future traffic spikes without sweat. You’ll work within our current tech stack (PHP/Laravel on the server side with MySQL, Stripe for payments, and a React storefront), refactoring where necessary, adding new services, and tightening every query and endpoint.

Key deliverables
• Refactored database schema and queries that reduce response times under real-world load
• Hardened payment and user-data flows that meet PCI and GDPR standards
• Clean, well-documented REST endpoints for new product-management features
• Deployment scripts or Docker images that let us scale horizontally with zero downtime

Acceptance criteria
1. Average API response < 200 ms under a 1,000 RPS stress test (JMeter report provided).
2. No high- or medium-severity issues in the final OWASP ZAP scan.
3. All new code covered by automated tests passing in CI.

You’ll have access to a staging server, existing repo, and a dedicated Slack channel with the product team so feedback loops stay tight. Let’s make our shop faster, safer, and ready for prime time.