The GreatBritishStore.com is a new service we are offering to UK companies as part of the First Time Exporter package and will be a customer journey option as part of the Exporting is Great campaign launched the Autumn. It sits alongside other private sector digital interventions like Export Savvy (Export Training) and Open to Export. I would be grateful for your help in introducing this new service to your member companies, both buyers and sellers. A flyer is attached for ease and could usefully be shared with your members.
What is the Great British Store?
The GBS is a collaboration between GreatBritishStore.com and UKTI. GBS is a UK based SME run by Nick Lewis and Mark Lesniak; Nick is a serial entrepreneur and Mark a marketing expert. Following a UKTI market visit to Sweden, Nick and Mark approached UKTI about the possibility of creating an interface/portal that would enable small business to business producers of UK goods and services to present their products to independent retailers, buyers and agents overseas (UK buyers are also welcome). UKTI teams overseas are introducing the site to overseas buyers.
The store provides a portal for SMEs to list a number of their UK designed and or produced goods and services. It is specifically aimed at the Business to Business market and not intended to compete with the numerous B2C websites available to sell goods and services direct to customers. UK companies pay £199 for a 1 year registration, the site is free for buyers and there are no transaction costs. As currently configured, buyers who are interested in a product are able to click through or send a direct message to the seller. Further development of the service is likely to include full buyer/seller support including a fulfilment service. You can view the Beta version of the site at GreatBritishStore.com – there are already a number of buyers and sellers registered on the site.
The site will be formally launched at the Autumn Fair at the Birmingham NEC on 6 September. We are also planning a series of Webinars over the next few months to explain the workings of the store.
More information about the Great British Store can be found in the flyer below or online at www.greatbritishstore.com/
GreatBritishStore_Flyer.pdf (1006 KB)
