Did You Know?
Did you know that the Greater Cobourg area is home to more than 1200 businesses, most of which are locally-owned and operated 'independent' businesses?Neither did we when we first started ShopCobourg.com. Not only did we not know how many businesses there were, we had no idea just how many products and services were available locally that we had been driving to other communities to purchase or ordering online.
It turned out that pretty much anything we needed could be found in our own backyard with some 'digging', but it required more effort than most people were willing to spend to find out what was available. At the same time, big box stores and online mega stores with more marketing power were capturing customers' purchases and drawing them in and away from the downtown core and local independent businesses.
About Dawson Campbell, Owner ShopCobourg.com
Born and raised in Cobourg, Dawson's roots run deep in this town. His mother is a
photographer and he has had multiple small businesses of his own. Being a small business
owner has taught him the importance of shopping local and to always know where your
money goes after you spend it. You'll often find Dawson smiling and telling great stories of all
the amazing people he knows around town.
For Shoppers
ShopCobourg.com is accessible from both computers and smart phones via a mobile version.
When you're researching online for the specific products and services you want, ShopCobourg.com is the perfect place to find the information you need.
The ShopCobourg.com community marketplace enables you to buy products online for in-store pick-up or delivery, find coupons and deals, read and write reviews, purchase online gift certificates, view restaurant menus, find out when businesses are open and how they can be paid, as well as contact business owners via email.
There are also helpful links to businesses' websites and social media profiles.
For Businesses
Local independent business owners, even with limited marketing budgets, can now present and promote their products and services online using our comprehensive local marketing platform.
This platform optimizes participating businesses' content so it will be found when people are searching locally and makes it easy for shoppers to take action, whether that's buying online or sending an inquiry through email..
Now business owners can deliver consistent messaging to their website and social media platforms as well, with one-stop updating through their ShopCobourg.com business control panel.
We give local business owners the ability to level the playing field with the biggest of companies.
As you can imagine, all of these features offer both businesses and consumers tons of value, but the real power of ShopCobourg.com is the offline community marketing campaign that involves hundreds of businesses displaying signs and stickers reminding people to shop locally at ShopCobourg.com
By coming together with a common message that also drives people to a web destination where they can take action, ShopCobourg.com harnesses the collective power of the local business community to give independents a voice that's even louder than the big corporate brands that are taking money out of Cobourg.
Local independent businesses generally keep more of the money spent with them, within the community than corporate chains (45% for independent vs. 15% for chains), therefore, shopping with local businesses leads to a much stronger local economy.
This benefits everyone in the community as a strong local economy creates more jobs and provides funding for local initiatives like parks and recreation, services and infrastructure, health and education.
What You Can Do to Help...
There are several easy steps you can take to help us build up the community and support local businesses:
- Use ShopCobourg.com as often as possible to learn what products and services are available locally
- Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShopCobourg
- Make informed purchases and consider the total impact of your spending, not just the price you pay
- Encourage great local business owners to keep going by posting reviews on their profile pages
- Buy our local online gift certificates instead of plastic gift cards from big box stores
- Frequent locally-owned restaurants and shops instead of the national chains
- Shop locally first whenever you can
We can always use more help spreading the word, and we greatly appreciate those who help convey the message by putting up signs and stickers or by linking to us online.
Click here to request free stickers or a badge for your website
ShopCobourg.com is part of the ShopLocally.com Network, and is based on the successful local model developed with ShopMidland.com, serving the community of Midland, Ontario.
The network is leading the shop local movement.
We invite you to join almost 50,000 shop local fans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shoplocally
The trend toward shopping “locally” is catching on, both online and offline, and we encourage you to be a part of it. For additional reading on the subject, check out The Small-Mart Revolution, a groundbreaking book that makes a strong case for local independent business and provides a road map for restoring our local economies.
Thank you for taking the time to read about ShopCobourg.com. We are passionate about building up Cobourg and love to connect with like-minded individuals.
Sincerely,
Dawson Campbell
City Manager
ShopCobourg.com
