Brentwood Borough Council is to launch Click It Local to support local businesses with a one-stop service for online sales.
The new scheme will launch in time for Mother’s Day and local shops have the chance to try Click It Local for free for the first two months.
From weekly food essentials, gifts and treats to last-minute basics, customers can buy from as many shops as they like, with one payment and one delivery.
Brentwood Borough Council Leader, Cllr Chris Hossack said; “Click It Local is a virtual high street that will enable residents to buy from independent shops around Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone and have those items delivered straight to their door on the same day. Click It Local’s mission is to help support local high streets and independents across the UK by making shopping local easier and faster than using other online marketplaces and that is the attraction. Independent retailers and businesses are the life blood of our borough’s economy. After the trials of the Lockdowns and Tiers we are determined to be innovative and supportive to help these companies get back on their feet and this is a great start.”
Click it Local Founder Steve Koch said, “Click it Local’s mission is to support the local high street and champion independents. It is important that consumers understand that there is a choice to shop locally rather than go to the usual bigger online businesses. We want to support Brentwood businesses and offer shoppers the same ease and convenience locally as they have come to expect from bigger online monopolies. Being part of Click It Local offers local companies and retailers the opportunity to have their products listed and displayed “Instagram” style online with the logistics of delivery all sorted from the moment the purchase is made.”
With the help of the Click It Local team businesses can:
• Set up their local virtual shop for free
• Add unlimited products
• Receive online payments within 7 days
• Have orders collected from their premises and delivered to their customers by Click It Local drivers at no extra cost to the business and a starting fee of £3 to the buyer – cheaper than delivering most items by Royal Mail
• Brentwood Council has negotiated an exclusive 0% store fee for two months from launch date to help traders take part in the scheme
Businesses who have already signed up include the Brentwood Brewing Company. Roland Kannor, director of the brewery, said, “This is going to add another string to the bow in these tough times. The idea that we can show residents around the borough our vast range of beverages online is great but the fact that the delivery side is taken care of will be a huge bonus for us. We are doing home delivery as we are allowed to but of course that takes time and is an additional expense that we could well do without after the Lockdown and Tier restrictions. Even the payment paid is sorted for us and comes to us in a very reasonable time. I would totally recommend other businesses sign up for this – there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Click it Local has already successfully launched in Cambridgeshire, Brighton, Essex and parts of London and is now looking to extend to further towns and villages across the UK in a bid to support local and independent business.
Businesses interested in finding out more about signing up with Click it Local can contact hello@clickitlocal.co.uk
