Bridgnorth launches online app in bid to boost local shopping

Organisers said it was a "fabulous opportunity" for retailers to be able to reach shoppers

An online app has been launched in a Shropshire town to encourage people to shop locally.

ShopAppy is already operational in other parts of the UK, but has now gone live in Bridgnorth.

Sally Themans, from Love Bridgnorth, said it was a "fabulous opportunity" for retailers to be able to reach shoppers who might be nervous about shopping in-store.

She said it also offered a chance for retailers to reach people further away.

"We've got restrictions coming in with face masks being worn in shops this week, so some people are still pretty nervous about shopping. Some people have very busy lives so they can't always get to local shops," she said.

"This is our way of fighting back, if you like, against the big boys and the Amazons of this world so that people can get on to the online Bridgnorth High Street."

The app allows users to purchase items from multiple independent shops with one click-and-collect point, while work is also ongoing to get e-cargo bikes delivering to local customers.

So far, almost 50 businesses are involved, including Beamans & Sons in Low Town, Tanners, Tea & Roses, Hopskotch, Kev's Fruit and Veg and Blooms of Bridgnorth.

"It's been a really, really, tough time for them [independent retailers] and a lot of them have seen that having an online presence as well as a physical, bricks and mortar presence, that the two can work very well together and we're really lucky we've been able to roll this out in Bridgnorth," Ms Themans said.

The app does not take a commission from purchases, she added.

Earlier in the week it was announced households in Herefordshire were being offered a £15 pre-paid card to aid businesses recovery, in a similar scheme.