Almost three years after its founding, ShopLocalRI.com is growing, having recently launched a new redesigned website that features an updated marketplace where more than 50 vendors have posted hundreds of items for sale.
More than just a directory of local businesses, founders Lori Giuttari and Scott Indermaur said the site was developed at the start of the pandemic as a way to help small-business owners who needed a digital footprint. As co-owners of Visual Thrive, a social media and marketing firm based in Cranston, they immediately did what they could to support their clients and other local businesses. Over the last two years, the site has since morphed into a membership-based marketplace and tool for small businesses in Rhode Island to expand their brand.
The site has more than 2,400 Rhode Island businesses listed and the new marketplace has over 400 products in stock, with the organization taking no percentage of sales. Over the last two years, Giuttari has leveraged innovation grants from Commerce RI to help the site grow.
Rhode Island is one of the only states with its own online small-business marketplace.
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In September 2022, Giuttari launched an entirely new e-commerce platform, featuring a newly designed marketplace, which she said makes listing and selling products extremely easy and affordable for business owners. It also allows shoppers to consolidate their picks from a variety of vendors with one simple check-out process.
"It has the lowest entry cost for selling on any e-commerce exchange, and now includes accessible business growth tools and classes so small business owners will be able to learn how to grow and expand by using their Shop Local RI landing page and marketplace," Giuttari said.
Right now, the highest annual cost for members is $230 annually, which covers a landing page, products page, and marketing and management. Usually, Giuttari said, e-commerce websites can cost thousands to build and maintain, not to mention the time and learning it takes to operate it successfully. As a comparison, she said Visual Thrive’s full service e-commerce website starts at $4,500 and includes design, content creation, development or editing, hosting, updates, and management.
Currently, ShopLocalRI.com is financially supported by vendors, advertisers and sponsors. Giuttari wants the site to become self-sustaining by gathering even more members and larger sponsors.
"We are in need of sponsorships and finding a pathway to profitability, but we now have a beautiful streamlined marketplace from which to work on that goal," she said. "We are increasing sales and vendors everyday. We are well-positioned for growth and see it happening in a number of ways. Like most businesses we have options ahead of us, and will take it one step at a time. We will keep the Rhode Island marketplace and business owners at top of mind."
Giuttari said with the launch of ShopLocalRI.com, many small businesses have found they don't really need to operate a website anymore.
"The cost savings is significant," she said. "If they sell products or services on the site they would ‘own’ two digital pages: their landing page, which can be as robust as they’d like based upon the membership level, and their products page. They can also customize the URL for their business."
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