Local and independent businesses across the Chichester district encouraged to join online shopping platform

The ShopAppy platform gives local shops and businesses the chance to be part of a local business community, establish an online presence if they don't already have one, and offer a range of services including 'click and collect' and home deliveries. Local independent businesses that have registered on the website have their own webpage with listings of their goods and services, enabling customers to browse, book appointments, or buy products online.

If you’re a resident and interested in browsing, booking and buying local products online, there is a page for each of the district’s main high streets:

• Chichester: shopappy.com/chichester/• East Wittering: shopappy.com/eastwittering/• Midhurst: shopappy.com/midhurst/• Petworth: shopappy.com/petworth/• Selsey: hopappy.com/selsey/

Divisional Manager for Growth and Place at Chichester District Council, Victoria McKay, says: “As part of the council’s Covid Recovery Plan we decided to facilitate access to the ShopAppy platform as a way of helping local and independent businesses, by funding the cost of businesses joining, until June 2023. We launched the partnership with ShopAppy last year and since then, the platform has 254 businesses from the Chichester District currently registered, and we want to encourage even more businesses to join and enjoy the benefits it has to offer.

“The platform runs regular training sessions for its users to help them grow. For example, in April, ShopAppy ran a ‘Happy Hour’ session for registered businesses registered. The session featured tips to attract more customers to a business’ ShopAppy profile, product uploading support, marketing insights to get more visitors and a question-and-answer session. As well as training sessions, ShopAppy holds a weekly online product upload session on Mondays.

“The platform wants to encourage more local businesses across the district to register. This will help businesses grow whilst allowing customers to shop more locally.”

Businesses can visit the council’s business support and advice web page and find details of how to register at here: www.chichester.gov.uk/businesssupportandadvice

Residents can also sign up for a customer account at: shopappy.com/chichester/customer/account/login