The Municipal Association of South Carolina, along with Main Street South Carolina, its downtown revitalization technical assistance program, created WeShopSC, a statewide e-commerce marketplace.
Small businesses in South Carolina can choose to participate in the program by setting up a free profile, which connects them with customers online in a single online marketplace. The website provides statewide product searching capability and gift card options. It also provides order fulfillment options such as in-store pickup, curbside delivery and shipping.
The program’s origins came from the commerce disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted by the relative lack of online sales capacity among small businesses, according to Main Street SC Manager Jenny Boulware. Statewide surveys showed that in 2020, 65% of South Carolina’s small businesses were not connected to e-commerce sales options.
“There is a real need for a virtual shopping marketplace for these businesses. Now that shoppers have become more reliant on online options, it’s time to provide a platform that reaches the state’s virtual audience,” Jenny Boulware, Main Street SC manager, said. “This platform can boost the economies of communities with 100 residents to our largest cities of over 150,000 residents.”
WeShopSC aims to amplify the Municipal Association’s goal of supporting economic development strategies in municipalities of every size.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our cities and towns. Their unique products and services are what make our downtowns destinations for residents and visitors alike,” said Todd Glover, executive director of the Municipal Association. “By providing an e-commerce platform, we can assist these businesses in offering their wares to a larger audience, making the probability of success for their brick-and-mortar locations greater.”
Businesses that want to participate can sign up for an account with no charge at www.beyondmain.com/signup. Beyond Main serves as the software provider for WeShopSC.
For questions or more information about WeShopSC, contact Jenny Boulware at jboulware@masc.sc or 803.354.4792.