In addition to the health effects of the corona pandemic, economic changes will also be visible. Small shops and local restaurants, in particular, are suffering from the effects of the Corona crisis. Large online retailers and delivery platforms, operating across Europe and other parts of the world, are only recording a small drop in sales. There is an immediate need to strengthen regional structures. So, buying local helps small businesses and the environment as well.
Tilmann Heuser, a business analyst, says that governments should welcome the relaxation for retail and call on everyone to strengthen regional structures through their shopping behavior. Buying locally helps small local brick and mortar businesses, secures local jobs, and avoids traffic and expensive packaging and shipping. Every purchase is also a sign of solidarity with retail, gastronomy or the market stall at the weekly market.”
Many local brick-and-mortar stores with no previous online presence, are now available online providing new offers. It is therefore worth searching and finding your favorite store online once before you order directly from the well-known online biggies. While ordering food, you should also check whether the chosen restaurant has an affordable packaging and delivery service. In this way, the intermediate step via the delivery platform could be saved and more money would remain with the catering business. Another way to support the local merchants and the traders in the current situation is to buy vouchers, which can then be redeemed later.
In addition, there are numerous solidarity initiatives on the web that were launched within a very short period.
Tilmann Heuser continues: "With every purchase, we have it in our own hands where and how we spend our money, and that's independent of Corona, by the way. If you want to keep lively neighborhoods, you have to support local brick-and-mortar businesses. This is the only way to prevent desertification and ensure local supply in the long term.”
A city of short distances, where you can live well without your car, needs good local amenities. At the same time, smaller shops can more easily consider local suppliers when choosing their products. All building blocks strengthen local structures, support more ecological action, and avoid traffic and thus noise and exhaust fumes.
Tilmann Heuser also appeals to local retailers and restaurateurs: "If possible, please deliver by bicycle, bundle your deliveries and, as far as possible, avoid single-use packaging made of plastic or other energy - and resource-intensive packaging materials. This way your delivery can become even more sustainable!”
Given the limitless range and availability of products and services (outside of the traditional shopping streets) and also given the increasing maturity of products and consumers, there is a lesser demand for the space and the added value that expertise and specialization characterize in local specialist shops.
We have created a mobile platform named 'curbsidemall', a platform that allows consumers to shop with their local brick and mortar merchants and restaurants from the comfort of their car for extreme “contactless” shopping. 'curbsidemall' is designed and developed to facilitate users to shop at their local ‘brick-and-mortar' stores or merchants from the comfort of their cars or homes with the no need of actually entering a store for “contactless” shopping experience.
At the time when brick and mortar merchants set up their in-app storefronts, customers can access merchant stock utilizing our curbsidemall platform to buy the items they require, all through an extremely easy procedure. With 'curbsidemall', the advantages and possibilities of online shopping can be perfectly supplemented with the unique service and advice from the local dealers.
On our platform, you can register as a customer as well as a merchant.
All information about the shopping assistant is available on
