North Bay's One Red Maple Inc. (ORM) released an app today that will take on the likes of Amazon, WalMart or any corporate retailer that has an online presence.
Using the app prompts a pop-up that shows shoppers where they can buy that same product locally. "Imagine 1,000’s of David’s taking on Goliath," says a company news release.
The app is all about supporting local independent retailers and local independently owned franchises.
"By supporting the local economy more money stays in the community resulting in more local wealth and jobs," says Mark Sherry, President of One Red Maple.
“We created the real Robinhood app that gives customers an easy way to shop local while they are shopping on sites such as Amazon. The One Red Maple app pops up over the product webpage to show you your local choices. Click on the local choice and purchase. It is that simple.”
Sherry says the app was developed in response to the devastation Covid lockdowns have had on local businesses and how the corporate players made huge gains at the expense of the small independent retailers.
“As a society, we need to decide if we want to shop from a small number of retailers in the future or if we want choice," adds Sherry. "Do we want hollowed-out downtowns, or do we want vibrant cores to our cities and towns?"
TheOne Red Maple app is available for download from the Chrome Web Store and is currently only available for desktops and laptops. Safari and Firefox extensions will follow in 2022.
By using the app, consumers are also drastically reducing waste by reducing packaging and transportation explains Sherry.
The app went live in beta test in North Bay and area today in time for the Christmas season.
"We are hoping that everyone in North Bay and the surrounding area will use the app to help support more local businesses. After Christmas, more cities will be rapidly added to the app as it expands across North America," concludes Sherry.
