Member Article

Manchester digital start up helps businesses to re-open high street shops online

From the rise of wine o’clock to the rushing need for a sweet fix, many shoppers are looking to purchase their favourite treats from their local high street. Identifying the rising trend in shoppers looking to support local, Digital marketing agency Platform 81 have launched ‘SearchFresh’. The site offers small businesses looking to harness sales in lock down and keep their businesses afloat.

With the Government’s timeline mapping out a potential further eight weeks before pubs, many shops and restaurants re-open, SearchFresh wants to help ‘treat businesses’ such as alcohol sellers and cake makers to join its site to help give their loyal customers a little of what they crave.

Platform 81’s Nick Wroe, and founder of SearchFresh, said: “SearchFresh will also provide businesses that haven’t traditionally lent themselves to online sales with a platform to sell fresh produce. We want to help butchers, bakeries, delis, garden centres, green grocers, florists, farm shops, independent alcohol outlets, cake makers or dairies to stay in business.”

Covid-19 has driven a rise of consumers shopping local during lock down, the SearchFresh website will allow shoppers to find sellers in their area and order direct for click and collect or delivery. The site is designed for business who perhaps do not have their own website or for those who don’t want the expensive running costs of their own online platform.

Nick Wroe added: “The platform gives shoppers the convenience they look for in buying online, while enabling them to shop local and support businesses in their community.

“We want to support our local high street shops to stay afloat in lock down and hope that post covid-19 we can help businesses to attract new customers and keep independents booming.”

Search Fresh is built to allow businesses to have their own page which they can share on across their own digital channels and with customers.

Current sellers include UK wider drink brand ‘Silk Road Spiced Rum’ and North West based grocer M. Hughes & Sons and bakery Violets Kitchen.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Elizabeth Lowe .