Forum Topic

Bringing together our independent retailers - share your favourites!

Hello! My partner & I are locals who love our richly diverse, independent retailers so we are building an app to bring them together into a virtual Chiswick High Road: the app is called Our High Road and we're hoping to launch in July.We want to make it as easy as possible for shoppers by creating a "one-stop shop" to access the local independent retailers that we all know and love, and help retailers to improve the in-store experience for those still shopping in person and bring back those people who have moved their shopping online while isolating.We've already got a great selection of retailers across food & drink, fashion and our wonderful specialist stores, but it would be fantastic to have more for our launch in the next few weeks. So please let us know your favourites - who would you love to be able to browse and order your click & collect from, rather than queuing along the pavement for?Please let us know here, or e-mail us on hello@ourhighroad.com - even if you're just interested to hear more closer to our launch- we look forward to hearing from you! Chris & Ami

Chris Cole ● 2318d13 Comments

Brilliant idea!.

Penny Ledbury ● 2318d

Great idea Chris.I don't know if it is the sort of thing you are thinking about, but the ability to click through and book at businesses with limited capacity (for example, haircut at Big Jims Trims, a table at the Italian Job) and for click and collect, bike parts from Fudges.

Michael Robinson ● 2318d

Amazing - thank you - I do hope Oswald Copperpot is on your list - the most enterprising coffee cafe next to Gunnersbury Tube - incredible young people.

Ruth Mayorcas ● 2318d

A Chiswick oriented app sounds like a fantastic idea to support local. Tony G, Tamp, Lemongrove gallery and Marmalade are my some of my favourite businesses outside of the restaurant scene.

Matthew Swain ● 2318d

This does sound fun. Urban Pantry and Marmalade are two of my favourites

Tim English ● 2318d

Chris I've sent you a PM.Please consider delivery. Please also consider the entirety of business options throughout W4.I believe there is an opportunity to create a Chiswick hub facilitating transactions for all types of trade. It could create a micro delivery zone a bit like Ocado Zoom. It would be easy to enlist some of the local Deliveroo drivers and services like Zipcar make it easy to access a range of vehicles for larger items. Depending on how fees are charged to use the app, it might mean less could be charged for the service (Deliveroo and Uber are 30%) and more could go to each business. I know Hammersmith is considering delivery hubs for the supply chain to local businesses which I can't wrap my head around. If myriad suppliers use a centralized drop-off point how then does each venue receive its goods? In part the aim is to reduce road use for the last mile. Perhaps this could tie into that?? On some level it might entail a local courier staff?

David Lesniak ● 2318d

In part the aim is to reduce road use for the last mile.If its like a drop shipping facility it would make sense to have a centralised hub however I always considered last mile delivery solutions as the migration of the White Van to solutions like e-cargo bikes. It impressive how much cargo those bikes can carry and how they can be modified to be specialised (e.g refrigeration). The question is what are the incentives and how best to mobilise a scheme like this. Do you focus your messaging on supporting the high st or do you tilt it towards convenience, delivery availability.

Matthew Swain ● 2318d

If you have an app like this and there is no delivery option it will only irritate users. Close that app. Open any other app and have something delivered. Simple. It doesn't have to tilt one way or another.The aim would be to have it inclusive of all options. Cargo bikes are still limiting. Look up and down the high street and ask what would be needed to facilitate the entire range of businesses. How would you deliver a chair? A sofa? Large bulk order of electrical goods, etc.So if there is a centralized hub, or even if items are collected from showrooms, how then do they get distributed? It would be better to deliver than click and collect as you would be better able to control the traffic and consolidate multiple drops to one zone. For anything perishable and delicate, I wouldn't be trusting it to a delivery service.

David Lesniak ● 2317d

Hate to be a pedant but it's Ozwald Copplepot.They couldn't call it Ozwald Cobblepot (real name of the Penguin in Batman) as it would have unleash a storm of copyright issues.

N V Brooks ● 2317d

Are you planning to tie your service in with The Chiswick Calendar?  This offers a Customer discount card for local businesses.

Lucy Chambers ● 2317d

I've not forgotten  the much needed independent businesses in Chiswick and certainly wont be using your services - why would anyone wish to take revenue away from our independent businesses ?Furthermore, if you wish to advertise your services suggest you pay for it by advertising on CW4 .

Loraine Pemberton ● 2316d

Great idea, I hope to hear more soon!

Anna Spiteri ● 2316d