Maple Ridge, BC: Dozens of local small businesses will soon have access to personalized ecommerce support to build their online presence, thanks to a new City-sponsored initiative. The ShopHERE powered by Google program will provide digital storefronts for 25 small businesses across Maple Ridge, free of charge.
Digital Main Street will administer the program and hire recent graduates from local postsecondary institutions to create the online stores, which will be powered by cutting-edge software from renowned e-commerce companies Shopify and Square Online.
Participating businesses will also receive training on generating traffic to their new online shop, as well as inventory management and shipping integrations to ensure they are set up for success. Other perks include a free .CA domain for one year, advertising credits and a one-on-one meeting with a Google expert.
“We’re delighted to bring this leading program to Maple Ridge. E-commerce is here to stay and is
more important now than ever before as we navigate the impacts of COVID-19. If this project
proves successful, we hope to expand it even further and assist more local merchants in their
digital transformation,” said Wendy Dupley, Director of Economic Development.
The Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association and the Chamber of Commerce
Serving Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will work together to identify businesses for the pilot
program.
Digital Main Street is supported by a group of strategic corporate sponsors, including Google,
MasterCard, Microsoft and Shopify.
Media contact:
Mick Ramos
communications@mapleridge.ca