A NEW social enterprise scheme has launched in Ilkley to encourage residents to shop locally.

The town has become the fifth place in Leeds and Bradford, including Otley and Guiseley, to join ShopAppy, a platform that allows customers to shop locally via a website, while giving independent shops an online presence in an increasingly competitive retail environment.

ShopAppy aims to preserve the unique character of Britain’s high streets by promoting independent retailers in an era where local shops are struggling because of increasing competition from supermarkets and online shopping.

Launched in 2016 by Saltaire-based entrepreneur Jackie Mulligan, the ShopAppy service follows a simple three-step model:

• Customers place their orders on the ShopAppy website

• Shops pick and bag customer orders

• Orders are collected from either the shop in question or from a unified pick-up point, usually a local pub

It was launched on Tuesday at Ilkley's bandstand on The Grove when shoppers and residents had the chance to tuck into a range of produce from some of independent shops that have signed up to the ShopAppy scheme, including artisan brownie boutique Love Brownies, The Loafer Bakery and chocolatiers Poppy Pickering.

A total of 24 independent stores are involved so far including greengrocers R.K. Asquith & Son, florists The Green Room and butchers J.B. Wilkinson and Sons. The pick-up point for Ilkley orders is the Black Hat pub on Church Street.

ShopAppy founder Jackie Mulligan said: “We want to celebrate Ilkley becoming our fifth town in the Leeds and Bradford area by giving commuters a taste of what their local, independent shops can offer them and encouraging them to do their shopping locally.”

Chantal Teal, owner and head baker of Love Brownies says: “When we heard about ShopAppy and saw how well it had done in other nearby areas such as Otley, we wanted to join immediately. Not all our customers can come into the shop on a daily basis – ShopAppy lets them still shop with us, but gives them the choice of picking up their shopping after work, when many shops have closed for the day."

Ilkley ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Independent), who visited the Grove Bandstand for the launch, said: “It is essential that we keep business here in Ilkley to help improve the local economy and ShopAppy helps the town do that. If we don’t, we’ll end up looking like just another high street. The reason people come to Ilkley is because it is different to many other places – we need to preserve that.”

Customers are encouraged to sign up to the scheme for free by visiting shopappy.com.