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The city of Purcellville officially unveiled on Tuesday a new digital shopping platform created through a partnership with GLASS, a global e-commerce company based in Silicon Valley.
The concept was approved by city council in July as a way for local businesses to digitize their products and services. The goal is to provide Purcellville’s more than 300 businesses with global reach through e-commerce and easier access to potential government purchases, according to a report from city staff.
City Council authorized $ 10,000 to launch the portal.
So far, 12 companies have signed up for the portal, including Scott Kinney, owner of Shamrock Music Shoppe, who spoke at Tuesday’s event. He described how his business pivoted during the pandemic with online music lessons and shipping products around the world.
“I have seen how consumer businesses have permanently changed,†Kinney said. “I think the call of [the portal] is to get the average consumer to see your product and emphasize what it means to the community. We don’t want to see the windows empty and we want to support local businesses. “
“We want the money to stay in town or else it go somewhere else and that’s somewhere we don’t want it to go,” he said.
Through the portal, businesses in Purcellville will be able to create online stores to start receiving digital orders and payments. It will also help the local municipal government update its business directory and provide municipal staff with a way to identify new suppliers, request quotes and make purchases, according to GLASS officials.
“This platform increases sales and visibility of our local business, with lower operating costs and convenience for customers. With many of our businesses facing staffing challenges, this electronic marketing and sales platform will reduce that burden, â€Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser said in a prepared statement. “Unlike our previous static business directory, this dynamic platform can measure and report actual customer sales and each store owner’s engagement. Making the buying journey and experience easier and cheaper increases the speed of revenue for our local businesses and benefits our tax base.
Paola Santana, CEO and founder of GLASS, said the company’s mission is to connect small businesses to their local and government markets.
“We are excited to be working alongside government leaders in Purcellville who see a tremendous opportunity to accelerate the local economic recovery with our technology platforms,†Santana said.
The platform will also provide on-demand delivery options, smart dashboards with socio-economic indicators and 24/7 technical support via live chat, hotline and email, a-t she declared.
Purcellville city councilor Joel Grewe said he was concerned about the supplier agreement with Glass Commerce, given the fees associated with it, he said.
Local businesses selling on the platform will have a 5% fee deducted from each transaction in addition to the 2.2-2.7% credit card fee that will be deducted, Grewe said, adding he was concerned that fees are difficult for local businesses. .
To see the Purcellville portal in action, visit www.commerce.glass/purcellville.
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