Local price check - Web people wanted.

[Andy Hamilton]

Just had an idea for a site that would be similar to the money supermarket et al websites but instead promoting local shopping.

....Everyone in our area shops at either T***o, lidl or aldi and they don't realise that Stellas Fruit and veg, Butternut deli and the food hub are cheaper for better quality goods. Now I am sure I could get the prospective shop keepers to keep updating their prices on a website and I assume that it would not be too difficult to set up a price checker for one area. But how about one that you type in your postcode and it shows your local area and your prices cheaper to the supermarkets?? In fact it would be good not just to focus on prices and to focus on quality and knowing your suppliers.

I really would not know where to start with an idea like this and even doubt it could work. It would be brilliant if it did! what do you lot think?

[mamos]

I don't know a lot about websites etc but I would design a logo for free for you if that would help

mamos

[Graye]

I like the concept but it would take a lot of hard work to make it viable.

I can imagine independent shops might be interested in keeping the database up to date though. After all they are under such serious threat from the big supermarkets that anything which gets them new or more regular customers would be a plus.

I can think of three fruit and veg shops when we are back in the UK which are much better value (quality and price) than the bigger chains, sometimes better pricewise than the local Lidl's too. (This is two miles out of town - and we have amazing parking problems in Whitby which mean that if you find a space you hang on to it unless seriously obliged to go somewhere - but we always walk up there, as do various friends). The fruit and veg shop nearest to us also have free-range eggs at half the supermarket price, locally caught fish, etc, etc. I know they don't advertise so anything which would "put them on the map" would probably be welcome, although whether you would find anyone there who is up to using a computer database might be questionable...

[cookie]

Business wise I don't think you'd do very well. You wont make affiliate sales as they wont purchse online.

Idea wise - nice but a few downfalls.

If I was a local producer and my prices were higher than michael's down the road i wouldnt want that advertised. Also you mention the quality of produce. Unfortunately round here T***o is better quality than some of the local stores. And you've got to remember the average person these days is used to the perfect vegetable - by EU standards as crazy as it is. The farm shops are ok quality but either out in the middle of nowhere or sell in farmers markets. You'd be better of encouraging people to go to farmers markets if you were doing it from a moral stance.

Also for a cause you believe in I'd never try and force it into price wars. Places like Tescos will price the local producer out of the market even if it means taking a loss.

I totally see where you are going and it is fantastic - but I think you could do it in other ways.

One idea that is missing is a database of local places to buy from small holdings, farms, or stella's. I would like to buy local but have no idea where from - even though I live in a rural area surrounded by hundreds of farms. If its a business idea you could charge a minimal fee to the farmers - £5 a year (nationally that would be huge). You can feel good that you are encouraging those that may not buy local to try it, and you'd be helping out the local farmer.

[invisiblepiper]

Round here the local green grocer is pricey , limited and sometimes poor quality - I buy from Morrissons if I can't grow it/enough. However - the local butcher and deli is expensive BUT the quality is far higher than the super market.
I don't know much about setting up websites - but I could write/edit if needed.

[gdb]

Maybe you could try opening a Wiki site - shop people/local traders/smallholders could add details about themselves and keep their own shop prices up to date.

An administrator would have to keep up with T***o etc.. prices and publish those.

And then people would be able to compare prices direct online.

Not easy. A lot of work too....