The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is calling on shoppers to support independent shops via its new online trading site, Neartoo. The newly launched website allows shoppers to find out what they are ‘near to’; the aim being to encourage them to explore more independent shops where they live or are visiting. Equally, it also allows customers to shop further afield and know they are still supporting independent traders. The platform already has hundreds of independent shops onboard, with dozens signing up weekly.

The launch of neartoo.co.uk helps shoppers find the contact details and directions to every indie in the UK, with many providing Home Delivery or Click & Collect directly within Neartoo. The platform – around 12 months in the making – will also offer shoppers Neartoo Local Rewards for each purchase. Shoppers can then redeem these points with any Neartoo Seller.

Developed in the wake of the pandemic, which saw at least one in five independents close for good, the nationally advertised platform will be offering indies the chance to rebuild and grow their business on an easy-to-use platform designed for them.

Bira carefully vets each Neartoo Seller to ensure only UK independents can use the service.

Neartoo.co.uk complements physical stores and helps indies move to a ‘hybrid’ model of retailing. It also maximizes consumers’ growing thirst to shop locally and independently, guaranteeing money spent within a community remains there.

Shop owners can sync their existing online sales platform with Neartoo. Alternatively, if they don’t already have an online presence, they can create their own through the website. Furthermore, to help retain the personal relationship independent retailers and consumers value, every retailer has a profile enabling the consumer to know who they are buying from.

Commenting is Janye Weldon, Ecommerce Manager for Neartoo. “We are really thrilled to now be launching this to the UK. It’s so important that we support the high street, especially now restrictions have been lifted. It will give our local businesses that added boost they need to get back on their feet after what has been a very turbulent two years. We are hoping to get plenty of shoppers taking a look and buying through the site.”

Also commenting is Bira’s CEO, Andrew Goodacre.

“The pandemic accelerated shopping behaviours, with more use of the internet and people also shopping more locally. This platform, owned by independents, addresses both of those societal changes and will allow these retailers to open up new ways of selling to customers, and more profitably. This is a really exciting opportunity for independents throughout the UK to be able to start selling online or increase their own visibility. It will get their products out to a wider audience and the fact so many of our members have already signed up and have seen the potential is fantastic. We can’t wait to see the site grow.

“Bira wants to help independent retailers achieve their ambitions and be able to trade up against other multinational online trading stores such as Amazon. There is such a huge gap between indies not having an online presence and we believe they have been left behind for far too long with big tech companies taking over. This is the answer for thousands of indie stores across the UK to still maintain a bricks and mortar presence on the high street while also allowing them to sell online but at a lower cost.”

To visit the Neartoo website, please click here.