By Megan Kelley
Staff Writer
OXFORD – Shopping in Downtown Oxford just got a little easier with the launch of an online marketplace where shoppers can now purchase items online rather than only in shops.
Oxford is one of the just 10 Main Street communities in Oakland County that have been selected to pilot the program.
“We’re explaining it as Oxford’s very own Etsy,” said Kelly Westbrook, executive director of the Oxford Downtown Development Authority.
The site is relatively simple to use: businesses upload images and information on their products to the website and customers can select Oxford (or another participating Oakland County) and browse the shops online, or search the kind of item they’re looking for and view all the options available. Users can select the items they would like to purchase, add them to their cart and only have to go through one checkout process.
Shops can use the site to sell products, food and beverages, gift cards, tickets to events and more.
Businesses also have the opportunity to ship products directly to customers through the mail, but it is up to the businesses to decide which items, if any, they will ship and which are store pick-up only.
The program is paid for, in part, by Main Street of Oakland County as well as the DDAs in the participating areas. The program was created as a way to support local small businesses by giving them another way to sell products.
“I believe that this is the future for our small town businesses and our brick and mortar stores. We are constantly in the conversation about foot traffic and how to bring more people into the community, so this is such a great way for our businesses to expand and, on those days where there might not be as much foot traffic, for them to have a presence online so that people are still shopping and we’re still bringing money into the community,” said Westbrook.
Current participating MSOC downtowns are Franklin, Highland, Holly, Lake Orion, Oak Park, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester and South Lyon.
“The 10 communities that Main Street Oakland County chose are ones that are thriving communities that they see the business owners being really involved and the DDAs are really involved,” Westbrook said. “From there, they’re hoping to expand to the 28 communities in the Main Street program.”
To check out the participating shops and browse their online catalog, visit shopocmainstreets.com.