Small businessman Adam Blackwell wants to rally New Zealanders around small businesses impacted by the recent lockdowns.
"People often forget that 97% of businesses in New Zealand employ 20 or fewer people," says Blackwell. "That means small
businesses are the backbone of the economy. So while online businesses can't use couriers right now to get products to
you, we are asking Kiwis with the means to spend to support small businesses and SHOP IT FORWARD!"
The concept behind Shop It Forward is to encourage those New Zealanders that do have some spending money to support
local businesses by continuing to make purchases online. Those companies will arrange delivery of your goods as soon as
it’s legal and safe, and in the meantime, those purchases will mean small New Zealand businesses can keep working. "It
means that for those people who do shop and wait patiently, they'll basically get a second Christmas in 2020," says
Blackwell.
A website has been set up at www.shopitforward.co.nz where small businesses can sign up for free and be discovered by online shoppers that want to help.
"Shop It Forward is a volunteer non-profit concept from Stun," says Blackwell. "That's a little kiwi agency of creative
people that love helping businesses tell their story, sell stuff and succeed. We’ve just put this together to do our bit
to help." There's a website already up and running and small businesses are already beginning to sign up.
We want to spread this message as far and wide as possible," says Blackwell. "Let's make SHOP IT FORWARD a unique kiwi
solution to keeping businesses in business during the lockdown."