When the COVID-19 virus started making big news and Ontario’s government ordered all non-essential businesses to close, almost immediately business people everywhere took a deep breath.
“Our downtown merchants and restaurant owners went into shock. Some thought they wouldn’t survive,” says the Executive Director of Belleville’s Downtown District BIA Marijo Cuerrier.
For small- and medium-size businesses especially, cash flow is king. “When cash flow stops it’s like blood stopping in a person’s veins. It didn’t take long for panic to set in throughout the downtown.”
Cuerrier and Media and Marketing Officer Kelsey Moniz had already planned launching an online marketplace next year but the coronavirus crisis pushed that project directly to the front burner.
Most technical glitches were worked out and last Friday the Downtown District Marketplace was launched. More than 25 merchants and restaurants have joined and more businesses will join in the next little while.
In the marketplace you’ll see photos and/or descriptions of over 600 products and services. You can ask questions online and you can easily purchase items and arrange for delivery.
“The marketplace offered hope to our businesses and a way to keep them busy and engaged. So far we’ve had over 4,000 people visit the website and we expect many more will be checking it out after an advertising campaign begins next week.”
Cuerrier says it was crucial to get the marketplace up and running and do it fast. “We don’t want our potential customers going to Amazon. This Downtown District Marketplace does what Amazon does except it’s hyper-local. Now more than ever it’s important to remind people to shop local.”
Meanwhile, the Downtown District Marketplace has gained a lot of attention from business-oriented organizations nationwide.
