New app offers lifeline to local shops in Kerry

THE backers of a new app designed to help small local businesses recover after the COVID-19 lock-down are seeking to work with Kerry County Council to roll the service out across Kerry

VillagePod – an app that allows small businesses to take contactless payment from consumers without expensive setup costs – recently ran a pilot roll-out in two Wicklow towns, Bray and Greystones, and now the firm is hoping to expand into Kerry.

The Wicklow-based firm behind the app company has made a proposal to Kerry County Council seeking funding for a roll-out of the shop local platform in Kerry towns under the Government’s recently announced Town and Village Renewal Scheme for COVID-19 response measures.

VillagePod Partnership Manager Louise O’Neill said the company is eager to move into Kerry.

“We’ve been greatly encouraged by the interest in the platform coming from local businesses and towns around Ireland and would love to be in position to roll-out in the towns of Kerry.”

The Small Firms Association Director estimates that if we all spent €20 a week in small businesses over the next three months it could boost the economy by up to €875 million.

The VillagePod app is designed to promote just that, helping both the local community and economy to thrive. The digital payments, gifting and rewards solution will help retail businesses to attract shoppers back in-store and keep them coming back.

Launching the app in late 2019, the team behind the app never imagined a pandemic would result in such demand for apps such as VillagePod

In addition to its basic contactless payment service, the app also features customer reward tools to engage customers.

It also supports retailer and local area gift cards, which can also be delivered contactlessly.

The availability of grants and local council supports for small businesses who need to improve their digital strategy for customers after COVID-19 represents ideal timing for businesses to adopt the VillagePod platform said founder Comac McKenna.

“Not only will businesses improve the safety of customers through contactless payment, but they can also boost the local economy through #shoplocal initiatives, offering rewards and enabling local area gift cards.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made it virtually impossible for many local businesses to trade. As many of the lifestyle restrictions are lifted, small businesses and towns require a much-needed boost to encourage consumers back into town centres and to #shoplocal,” Mr McKenna said.

“The VillagePod platform enables business owners to do just that, helping local businesses engage customers and allowing them to gift locally with ease.

“Thankfully, many supports are available from government at the present time, and we can help towns and businesses that move quickly navigate these aids to get VillagePod launched in their area,” said Mr McKenna.

Cormac McKenna of VillagePod