Shops and businesses in Wimborne will be joined by local shopping and business website ShopAppy.com on Friday as they gear up for the lifting of coronavirus restrictions. ShopAppy is a town-based website that makes it easy for consumers to support their local High Street when buying online.
At the height of the pandemic, Dorset LEP committed £30,000 to support local traders and help them get online to continue to sell to local customers. Four of Dorset’s market towns – Bridport, Gillingham, Sherborne and Wimborne, along with central Bournemouth, signed up to take part. Wimborne attracted 40 to the platform and is the first location to be holding a launch event as COVID-19 restrictions on business are lifted.
ShopAppy.com is a multi-award-winning digital platform set up to revive British High Streets by providing a local, town-based online platform where small businesses can create their own online shops and compete with the online retail giants. Supported by Visa, the platform offers over 150 digital town and city marketplaces throughout the UK, enabling local shops and businesses to show information, products, and services, so that more communities than ever can ‘support local’ more easily through click and collect, bookings and home delivery.
Finn Morgan, Dorset LEP’s Business Engagement Manager for their business growth hub, Dorset Gateway said: “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve done our best to support businesses across the county in adapting to trade under COVID-19 restrictions. Whether that’s through funded access to digital retail platform ShopAppy or through match-funding grants through our Crowdfund Dorset Business initiative, we’re pleased to have made a real difference to the eligible businesses who have sought our help.”
Chairman of Wimborne BID, Martin Pate, said: “ShopAppy makes it easier for everyone to support our town centre from the comfort of their homes – at no extra cost. In order to thrive, Wimborne businesses must embrace technology, and ShopAppy provides a vital digital shop window for people to browse before they visit, or to shop online.
The founder of ShopAppy.com, Dr Jackie Mulligan, said: “We very excited to be working across Dorset and partnering with Wimborne BID and Dorset LEP on the launch of ShopAppy.com here. It could not be a more critical time for businesses to work together and make it easier for locals to spend closer to home. When we spend local, our spend stays local – so whether you use ShopAppy to browse and go in person or to book something or shop online, you can easily help your area – because where you spend matters for local jobs and local businesses.”