Localburgh: ‘Use them or lose them’ plea to Edinburgh shoppers as new platform set up for small traders

As the Capital’s shoppers and businesses adapt to the “new normal”, a retail initiative has been launched to help independents weather the Covid-19 storm.
Localburgh founders, from left,  Sean Errey, Thomas Haddock and Rob HanleyLocalburgh founders, from left,  Sean Errey, Thomas Haddock and Rob Hanley
Localburgh founders, from left, Sean Errey, Thomas Haddock and Rob Hanley

Localburgh will provide a platform for smaller traders to operate online, without the need to build their own websites from scratch.

It also aims to focus attention on the need for everyone to support Edinburgh’s valued local businesses or risk losing them forever.

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Friends and co-founders Sean Errey, Tom Haddock and Rob Hanley were “skyping with a beer” when they decided they’d like to pool their skills to support the community, rather than watching from the sidelines as others played their part.

Sean, who works in digital marketing, says: “With independent businesses being particularly vulnerable to the economic shock of this crisis, we saw it fit to take action and lend a helping hand using the skills we had available to us.

“We hope this platform will inspire Edinburgh consumers to reconsider their purchasing habits. As a community we have a big decision to make during this pandemic. We need to decide where and who we purchase from, both now and immediately following the lockdown as this will shape the coming years.”

Michael Mangus, of Bambu Living Sustainably, said: “From a local business standpoint, I know others like us are unlikely to have the financial reserves to survive the unpredictable times ahead. We want to ensure that we are able to meet our customers’ requirements as best we can, maintain our presence and connect with other independents across Edinburgh. Localburgh enables us to do all this with minimal effort.” Participants can sign up for free, manage their own inventory and employ the same delivery solutions they have always used.

For those already trading online, the aim is to raise their profile as local providers and drive traffic to their own websites. www.localburgh.com

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