CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce is building on the success of it’s Shop Local initiative and offering more digital tools to help businesses weather the economic storm brought on by the pandemic.
In addition to their Shop Local Cornwall and Area website, the Chamber is also planning to launch a Eat Cornwall and Area website to support restaurants and agricultural producers as well.
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“The e-commerce support has been very positive,” said Greg Pietersma, Executive Director of the Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce. “What we need to do is to get businesses to understand that e-commerce has become very important.”
The Chamber also has another website in the works to promote non-profits in the region called Give Cornwall and Area. This initiative is a partnership with the Social Development Council (SDC) and will facilitate local charitable organizations to connect with and receive donations from their supporters digitally.
Finally, the Chamber will be working in partnership with the City of Cornwall to produce a smartphone app that will serve as a map and commerce guide for the city.
These initiatives are being supported through partnerships with the Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsorships. Cornwall Seaway News is a sponsor of Shop Local Cornwall and Area.
“We will be growing our business too box so that any businesses can move their commerce online,” Pietersma said. “E-commerce is important for businesses to remain resilient if something like this pandemic ever happens again.”
So far, Shop Local Cornwall and Area has nearly 200 businesses participating in the program, with 30 businesses having e-commerce websites created for them. The platform has around 200 unique visits per day.
