Page 12 - BusinessWest August 8, 2022

munity that has become home to small business- es across many sectors, from technology to the arts to hospitality, that were negatively impacted by the pandemic.
In partnership with the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, the city secured a grant from the state’s Rapid Recovery Plan, which was set up to address the economic impact COVID-19 had on cities and towns. The grant resulted in an online retail effort run by the chamber known as easthampton.shopwhereilive.com.
“COVID was a huge challenge for businesses. This site allows them to respond to those challenges and to build more resiliency for changes in the future.”
Moe Belliveau, executive director of the cham- ber, explained that the Shop Where I Live pro- gram is an Amazon-type experience involving local businesses.
“Many businesses don’t have the resources or the time to set up online shopping, so this site makes that possible,” she said.
Consumers can choose offerings from sev- eral local businesses, put them all into an online shopping cart, and make one payment. Because the site is supported by a state grant, it’s open to all Easthampton businesses whether they belong to the chamber or not.
“For members, this will be an ongoing ben-
efit,” Belliveau said. “For non-members, the first year is free, then they can choose to join the cham- ber or pay a service fee to remain on the site.”
Each merchant can offer up to 100 products in their online store, said Belliveau, adding that Shop Where I Live is not restricted to retail opera- tions. Services such as health clubs, web devel- opers, and insurance agents can be found there, too.
“COVID was a huge challenge for businesses,” Belliveau said. “This site allows them to respond to those challenges and to build more resiliency for changes in the future.”
KW Home, an inte-
rior-design firm and
retail showroom, was one of the first businesses to open an online store on Shop Where I Live. Owner Keith Woodruff expects the site to benefit his business going forward.
“For the last two years I’ve had to operate
by appointment only with limited hours,” he explained. “Many consumers are still concerned about shopping in person, so having the online store will be a big help.”
KW Home is an example of a business that provides a service and sells products. Most of
Staff Photo
Keith Woodruff was one of the first local business owners to open an online store on the Shop Where I Live site.
Woodruff’s work is driven by working with clients to present design plans specific to their homes and then providing the furniture, lighting fixtures, and other items to execute the plan.
He said 80% of what he sells are special orders for clients. Most items run the gamut from a spe- cific type of fabric for a chair or couch to custom
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12 AUGUST 8, 2022
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
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