A SALTAIRE resident has helped give a boost to the village’s traders through a new shopping website.

ShopAppy.com has been set up to give residents who live within a five-mile radius of Saltaire the chance to buy goods from their own home from a number of the village’s independent shops.

Users can go on the website at any time and order goods which they are then able to collect.

It has been set up initially in Saltaire and also Otley by Jackie Mulligan, 46, a Saltaire resident who says she wants to offer an alternative to major supermarkets and online retailers.

Saltaire retailers who have signed up to the scheme include greengrocers Orange Grove, Jeanette’s Cakery, a vintage tea room in Bingley Road, and homeware shop, Butterfly Rooms.

Users to the website type in their postcode to find their nearest participating independent shops.

It features 28 retailers who have signed up, which is split equally between Saltaire and Otley.

Online shoppers are also given the option to pick up their orders from the village’s shops themselves, or from Saltaire Wines.

Ms Mulligan, of Victoria Park, who has lived in the village for the last ten years, said: “I am a customer in Saltaire and wanted to help protect the shops.

“There are a lot of independent shops closing.

“My site has been inspired by Saltaire and its lovely independent spirit.

“We have great local shops, a butchers, bakers, grocers as well as lovely gift, home, design and clothes shops.

“We are very lucky to have all this, and I, like many others, want to keep it that way.

“It will give our High Street in Saltaire a boost.

“The feedback from local businesses and people has already been positive. All of the money goes to the retailers. There is no commission taken by me.

“ShopAppy will give every independent in every local town a 24-hour shop window.

“It is super local and I want to try to make it a level playing field between the local retailers and the High Street names.

“The idea behind the name is that it makes you feel happy when you shop locally.”

Dipak Patel, owner of Saltaire Wines, one of the participating shops, has backed the online scheme.

He said: “We have had a few test runs and customers have really enjoyed coming in to our shop to click and collect their goods from local shops.”

Mani Iles, of Paul Binns Butchers, said: “ShopAppy brings a new way for us to work together as independent retailers to bring more customers to our shops both online and in person. The click and collect service is convenient and ensures people continue to come into the High Street.”

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