18 Cork Stores now signed up to BEZZU including Bella Donna Ladies Fashion in Clonakilty
Bezzu, a new free mobile app designed to support independent fashion retailers by connecting them with customers online, has launched this week and is available to download on Android and IOS devices for retailers and shoppers alike. Bezzu enables all independent fashion and lifestyle retailers across Ireland, without any existing online presence or ecommerce function, to easily connect with and sell to customers online, at no cost to them. The new app has already seen 18 independent retailers from County Cork opting into the service.
Cork-based retailers include: Bella Donna Ladies Fashion, 15 Ashe Street, Clonakilty; Corali, 60 McCurtain Street, Fermoy; Cork Jewellery, Cornmarket Street; Suza Boutique, 48 McCurtain Street, Fermoy; Vanilla Boutique, Unit 2, Fitzgerald’s Place, Fermoy.
Bezzu moved forward its intended summer launch in an effort to help Irish retailers now facing an uncertain future due to the Coronavirus pandemic, to trade online while their physical stores are closed. The highly personalised app offers fashion lovers a streamlined experience to explore, shop and share products from independent retailers in Ireland and, in time, globally. There are currently over 440 Irish retailers on Bezzu with more than 8,000 products available to purchase, with more being added to the platform daily.
Lauren Murphy, Bezzu Senior Communications Manager said: “Bezzu’s mission is to help small independent retailers to compete with online fast fashion giants, and deliver a positive impact within their local communities. For every €100 spent in a local store, €68 goes back to the local economy, but buying from international online-only behemoths gives almost nothing back to communities. It’s the local shops that keep our streets and communities alive and we want to help them thrive.
“Given the horrific impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on local retailers who have had to close their physical stores, we decided that we would launch a lot earlier than planned in an effort to help them survive during this extremely challenging time. The fundamental aspects that are most important to independent retailers are in place and working well, and while updates and improvements are being made to the platform daily, retailers who join Bezzu now will find a free, easy-to-use way to list, display, promote and sell their products online – a process that retailers who are holding stock at their homes can safely fulfil without having to physically interact with customers or store colleagues.
“We understand that it will take longer than normal for customers to receive their purchases, but hope that this doesn’t deter people from supporting their local retailers. Even if a delivery arrives slightly later than expected, that purchase could be the difference that helps a local independent retailer survive this crisis.
“This is just the beginning for Bezzu and our retail partners, and we plan to expand rapidly in the coming months, launching in London, New York and Melbourne and a number of European cities once it is safe to do so. There is a lot more to come in terms of the services we can offer to both retailers and consumers, so watch this space!”
