Local High Street creates virtual coronavirus cooperative to serve local community
Shop and business owners in Knutsford High Street in Cheshire are leading the way in ‘virtual shopping’, keeping their community safe in lockdown, but ensuring they have access to everything they need.
Brainchild of Janna Caley, owner of local marketing agency Boxed Red Marketing, the initiative sees already over 70 local businesses coming together on the www.knutsfordhighstreet.co.uk website, in conjunction with Knutsford Town Council, to bring the high street shops into local residents’ homes.
Built with the community at the forefront, the virtual high street is not only an invaluable source of the most up to date information on local businesses in the area, but has been purposely designed to be easily accessible and inclusive to all, especially to those who are more vulnerable and need services such as home delivery and door drop. The engaging new website, which attracted over 2,000 hits in its first week, features information on the services and delivery options of local businesses in and around Knutsford, including fresh, locally grown fruit & veg, independent restaurants delivering food & drink, and several independent retail boutiques.
Janna Caley commented, “At Boxed Red Marketing we saw the opportunity to support both the local community and the local businesses. In these unprecedented times, whatever our day to day businesses are, we all need to pull together for each other, and that is exactly what we doing with www.knutsfordhighstreet.co.uk. With the support of Knutsford Town Council, we have been able to get the website up and running quickly so that we can really make a difference right now.”
Sandra Curties, the Town Centre and Marketing Officer for Knutsford Town Council, said, “When Boxed Red Marketing contacted us to work alongside us (without charge) to produce this website we knew it was something we had to do. We’ve been working closely with all businesses during these difficult times and to be able to offer a website that both supports businesses and puts in ‘one place’ what is on offer for residents is an excellent idea.”
For more information, please email knutsfordhighstreet@boxedred.com.