A new way of shopping has launched in Wantage
An exciting new shopping tool has launched in Wantage to help support local independent traders to recover following the pandemic.
Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils are offering local organisations a free 12 months’ membership to ShopAppy, a website that helps market their goods and services online.
Over 40 independent businesses based in Wantage have already joined the scheme, including Dolphin Gallery, Hebe Homestore and Umami Deli. Shoppers using ShopAppy can browse and buy online, and choose to collect from the shop, arrange for delivery or pick up multiple items from one collection point in the town centre.
Cllr Bethia Thomas, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement at the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “ShopAppy is just one of the ways we’re helping to support local businesses to recover from the pandemic and we’re delighted to have launched the scheme in Wantage. We’d also like to invite more organisations around the district get on board to take up this free marketing offer.”
Cllr Robin Bennett, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We’re pleased to bring ShopAppy to our districts because it helps our residents to support smaller independent businesses by purchasing local products and services online. We’re looking to expand the scheme across towns in South too and are already making plans to launch in Thame in the next few months.”
Jane Stewart, Place Partnerships Development Manager for ShopAppy, said: “ShopAppy was made to feel very welcome at the launch on Saturday. I had the pleasure of meeting many those businesses registered with us face to face AND lots of lovely Wantage residents who were enthusiastic to find out how they could find more local businesses and support them more.
She added: “I would urge everyone to sign up and support local!”
Businesses based in the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire districts can sign up to the scheme via shopappy.com/vendor and customers looking to join the scheme in Wantage can find all the information on shopappy.com/Wantage
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Notes to Editors
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are offering free membership to ShopAppy to all businesses and community organisations in the district for the first 12 months.
The website allows customers to browse virtual shop windows, book appointments and events as well as order products from local stores using a ‘click and collect’ service.
The district councils are using funding from the government’s Reopening High Streets Safely Fund to cover the first year’s membership for all local independent organisations wanting to sign up to the scheme.
ShopAppy.com is a social enterprise and a support local campaign that is supported by Visa. The digital platform was created to revive British High Streets by providing an alternative way for places and small businesses to compete with the online retail giants, allowing customers to book events and experiences as well as browse and buy local products online with delivery, or click and collect after hours.
