Jo McGrath, of Bembridge Emporium, who has created a website to sell Island products.
A WEBSITE that brings together some of the best of independent Island businesses and artists into an on-line market place has been launched.
Bembridge Emporium’s Jo and Mike McGrath have created Not in the Wight Street, a site that features a host of items from local artists, artisan shops and other unique Island gifts.
"Our aim is to actively display how wonderful the Island shops are. With more and more shopping moving on line, we felt it was important to enable the consumer to buy with the confidence that can only be given by caring local traders.
"Furthermore, we saw Island people want to shop locally and support independent shops," said Jo.
Artwork from Amanda Selway, photography from Chris Boynton and Available Light, and Wight Stonecraft’s Alum Bay sand-created plaques are all available on the site, in addition to stock from shops such as Galerias of Cowes, Crocus Interiors and Bembridge Deli.
Customers place a single order and receive a single delivery, no matter how many different items they buy from different producers on the site.
Mike said: "Even we were taken aback by the huge amount of interesting and unique crafts the Island has to offer. Our difficulty now is the time it takes to bring them all on-line. It really is very exciting."
The process of bringing the site to life has been hard work, according to Mike.
"It all worked very well in mine and my wife’s heads but when it came to getting things on paper and then the logistics of creating the site and all the processes involved, that was the most difficult part.
"By having a website like this it will hopefully give shops and artists a greater web presence than they might normally have. We know what it is like when you are working behind a shop counter every day and they cannot dedicate the time we are able to," he said.
Reporter:
ross.findon@iwcp.co.uk