Combining eCom & Retail with Jackie Mulligan, Founder of ShopAppy

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Jackie Mulligan, Founder of ShopAppy.com, joins the eCom Ops Podcast to share the importance of a strong online presence for the retail stores, how the combination of physical and online presence derives more traffic to the store, and how to stand out among the big brands. Check out the other episodes here.

Key facts

  • Jackie’s LinkedIn
  • ShopAppy’s website
  • Jackie has a PhD in Philosophy from Leeds Beckett University
  • Jackie has a PGCHE certified from Leeds Beckett University 
  • Jackie is the founder of ShopAppy.com 
  • Jackie is an award-winning Service Industries Entrepreneur 
  • ShopAppy is an online platform that brings local physical shops together under one platform for a seamless online customer shopping experience
  • ShopAppy is a non-commission, membership-based web platform

Key Takeaways

  • Jackie’s vision is to bring local physical stores under one platform to help them in creating an online presence and drive more traffic 
  • The idea of ShopAppy was conceived in 2016 when Jackie met with physical shop owners and discussed the need for an online presence 
  • Coming from a non-tech background with no prior experience in eCommerce, Jackie first recruited tech developers to create a platform that would serve as an online display of retail stores
  • Unlike other traditional eCommerce stores, ShopAppy provides an integrated platform that showcases the physical stores, where buyers can place their orders online 
  • With ShopAppy, you can:
    • Get your order delivered to your doorstep from your designated retail store
    • Drive traffic to your retail store 
    • Meet and interact with potential buyers and sellers 
  • ShopAppy provides you with the convenience to get your orders delivered to a local pub or any other location even when the shops are closed
  • In an effort to  highlight retail stores at a low cost, ShopAppy works on a non-commission/one-time membership fee basis with retailers
  • COVID-19 has pushed many SMEs and small retail stores to shut down due to isolation and social distancing. ShopAppy provides an online medium for retail stores to keep up with digitalization’s new normal 
  • Apart from creating visibility space for small retail stores, ShopAppy also trains and coaches shop owners on automation and digital requirements to aid growth in the digital era 
  • ShopAppy uses Magneto and several plug-ins as its backend interface to ensure state-of-the-art UI/UX
  • Jackie believes that digitalization innovates businesses. During the pandemic, Jackie and her team introduced a DIY pizza and make-your-own-cocktail idea to help the physical pizza points and cocktail bar owners, who were on the verge of shutting down due to social distancing 
  • ShopAppy’s next years’ plan is to target football stores 

Jackie’s biggest influence

Coming from a non-tech background, Jackie believes that ShopAppys software developers have taught her a lot about technology and automation

Advice for local businesses in small towns

“Take technology as an opportunity and not a challenge!”

Key Resources

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