Dozens of firms have lined up to join Fetch.je, which was launched on Friday and enables any local business to sell its goods or services via its ‘one-stop-shop’ website and arrange for collection and delivery to be made, if required.
The site was developed by Dave Edwards, of DWE Digital, and Tim De Gruchy, of 365Tickets, to help small local businesses during the coronavirus outbreak, which has paralysed economic activity in a number of sectors.
The pair wanted to provide an online platform for businesses to continue to sell products even if their doors have been forced to close.
Mr Edwards said that they had been ‘amazed’ at the level of interest since the launch and the team had had a ‘very busy weekend’.
‘Since Friday we have had 30,000 page views and 8,000 visits to the website,’ he said.
‘We have had lots of interest from businesses and yesterday we were looking to on-board another 30 onto the site.
‘The level of interest shows that there’s an absolute demand from business for this website, as well as a consumer desire.’
He added that the site had the attraction of being a central platform with potentially thousands of daily visitors who could become customers for participating businesses.
‘There are already thousands of people coming onto the site, which is basically a one-stop marketplace for local businesses,’ Mr Edwards said.
‘That’s the attraction of it – rather than getting a couple of hundred visitors on a business’s individual website, you are talking about a central platform with thousands of visits every day.
‘That’s the support it provides for small, local businesses.’
Fetch.je are currently working on a non-profit basis during the crisis and not applying minimum contract terms or transaction fees.
The platform works by allowing firms to upload their goods and services for sale onto the central website.
Companies can join even if they do not have a website, while businesses with an existing site can add a ‘shop with Fetch’ button to link them to the online store.
Customers are able to order from several different merchants in the same online ‘basket’ and pay with their debit or credit card.
Examples of businesses which have already joined include Seymour Hotels catering, the Chilli Kitchen and Royal Mash handmade vodka.
