Why in-store shopping when it can be delivered? Here’s why…
In a world where e-commerce dominates, many small businesses with brick and mortar stores, pop-up stores, and [seasonal] market stalls are struggling to keep up. With the convenience of online shopping and the vast selection of products available, it can be challenging for small businesses to compete. However, at LocalOn Corp, the company behind where.a.bouts, we have developed a solution that aims to drive foot traffic and increase in-store/in-person sales for small businesses just like yours.
As founders of our own small businesses, we noticed a trend of other small businesses struggling to survive due to the rise of e-commerce more so during the ‘bug’ 🦠years. We recognized that small businesses offer unique products and personalized services that online shopping cannot replicate. We also saw that as much as there was a huge push for businesses to ‘pivot’, it was not so easy for many small businesses who had built their businesses around in-store shopping. We wanted to develop a solution that would enable all these small businesses to hop on to this digital wave in a quick, easy and cost effective way so they could continue to thrive. It soon became clear as we spoke to small business owners, that there are also many social-media-home-based small businesses that also needed a solution to attract customers to their temporary outlets (pop-ups and markets).
This is where the concept of the mobile app, where.a.bouts, began. The app is designed to connect consumers (Shoppers) with local small businesses (Shop Owners) in their area, encouraging them to shop in-store rather than online. By driving foot traffic to pop-up stores, markets and brick and mortar stores, where.a.bouts aims to help your small businesses increase sales and grow your customer base.
One of the primary reasons why we developed where.a.bouts was to support small businesses by providing a solution that is easy to use, cost effective and would get you the customer you really need for your outlet: in-person buyer. With where.a.bouts you can say good-bye to annoying platform/marketplace fees, shipping headaches, and the confusing world of online inventory management – because where.a.bouts is not your typical marketplace. It’s like a breath of fresh air for Shoppers and Shop Owners (small businesses); it’s NOT SOCIAL MEDIA! We didn’t want to create just another app; but a game-changer. whereabouts is about making the whole buying and selling process easy and stress-free for small business owners who often do not have the capacity to deal with complication e-commerce.
In addition to supporting small businesses, where.a.bouts also has sustainable benefits – or rather in-store shopping does. One of the environmental impacts of online shopping is the carbon footprint associated with shipping products to consumers. By encouraging in-store shopping, where.a.bouts can help reduce the carbon footprint associated with shipping and packaging products. In-store shopping can help reduce packaging waste. When consumers shop in-store, they can bring their reusable bags and packaging, thereby reducing the amount of packaging waste generated. This, in turn, can help reduce the environmental impact of disposing of packaging waste. There’s even the added benefit of reducing the energy consumption associated with online shopping, such as powering servers and data centres. So by re-engaging in in-store shopping, using where.a.bouts, we can help create a more sustainable and resilient local economy.
We are excited about the positive impact that whereabouts is having and will continue to have on small businesses and local economies. As founders, we are committed to ensuring that we provide a good solution that supports the goals of small businesses. If you have not downloaded where.a.bouts already, what are you waiting for. Whether you are a small business owner or a small business supporter, whereabouts was designed for you!
Download the app here – https://bit.ly/423v84Q
