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Times are changing. In the last 18 months, we have seen a seismic shift in retail and consumer behaviour, with 63% of British consumers now wanting to shop locally. Meanwhile, 70% like to shop on their local highstreets. It’s the reason why Mastercard committed $250 million to support local businesses globally, because they see the push to support companies that usually have to fight to take up space.
Whilst the public support is great, the question on everybody’s mind is how do we find these local businesses? Independent brands have always struggled with visibility, topped with lack of education and time. In an online survey run by Semrush, 34% of respondents said that the business owner was also the person running the marketing campaigns, meaning many business owners are spread thin. Not all independent businesses will have the experience when it comes to marketing themselves digitally. BritYard, the revolutionary online department store reminding us to buy British, has the solution.
Founder, Lara Chant, wanted to create an easier way for time-poor consumers to purchase locally and sustainably, with an emphasis on redefining what it means to buy British. Having only launched in April 2021, the company currently represents over 80 independent British brands including Rollo London, SABINNA and RAIMES English Sparkling Wine.
What differentiates BritYard from the crowd is that they will create a hybrid of retail combined with high quality content. With a Publishing and Strategy background spanning just under a decade, Lara knows a thing or two about creating curated content for specific audiences and generating revenue from it. You can read about Lara’s story here. Whilst BritYard is known for their impressive online shopping experience, they are also passionate about providing the visibility small-time founders need to survive and thrive. They plan to do this through journalist-grade written, audio and visual content to tell the stories of British brands and the remarkable people behind them.
This couldn’t be even more timely as in a recent report by Deloitte, researchers share the need for brands and retailers to prioritise content creation, stating:
Content management has become critical and has changed the way businesses communicate with consumers. Businesses need to focus on informing and educating consumers rather than solely selling to them. Making as much information available to consumers as possible, will help them move more independently through the shopping journey.
In an exclusive interview with Seedrs, Lara shares that the key advantage BritYard has over competitors is that they sell stories backed by a great product, not just selling a product. After all, “people buy from people”.
There are many benefits to buying British goods such as you can typically expect good quality products by skilled artisans and makers, you’re investing in the British economy, lowering carbon footprint and have the peace of mind that the products you purchase were created in a safe environment. But as an investor, you’re also exposed to the opportunity the e-commerce industry is bringing to many people.
With 87% of UK consumers having bought at least one product online in the last year, putting us second to Norway in overall e-commerce purchases across Europe, it’s forecast that £185bn is to be spent in the UK online this year, with 40% of total retail sales now coming by way of e-commerce. The impact of COVID-19 accelerated the growth of the ecommerce industry by 4 years; it’s estimated that B2C marketplace sales worldwide could reach $3.5 trillion by 2024. This is an opportunity for investors to cash in on an industry that can only grow in the digital world we are becoming.
BritYard are tapping into this and are bringing over 100 investors with them. Could you be one of them? The British-brand ambassadors are currently raising £220,000 on Seedrs to enhance their online shopping experience, grow their list of partners, invest in quality content and eventually fulfill their brick and mortar dreams. They’re also giving their investors these exclusive perks!
To learn more about BritYard and invest in a company putting British makers back on the map, visit the pitch here.
