Business owners in Wells, Somerset, ranging from a butcher to a stationery store and a fashion shop, have launched MyHigh.St, an ecommerce store that allows retail entrepreneurs to tackle the loss of business to online shopping, reports The Telegraph.
Founded by Loaye Agabani, owner of Wells store Junior Toys, the site has signed up around 50 independent shops and has attracted the interest of small businesses on 10 other high streets.
“There’s a desire to keep high streets as part of the community,” Mr Agabani said. “But the biggest shopping hour is 8 o’clock, when people are at home on laptops – we’ve given customers the choice to support family businesses instead of corporations at any time.”
A “click and collect” service, as well as a small shops’ loyalty and voucher system, are designed to bring online shoppers back to the high street.
The site, which is aimed at any independent retailer or franchise owner who has a physical store, provides a delivery, marketing and payments service in return for a flat 14pc cut of online sales.
