Welcome to the New World of Shoppertainment!
… where shopping meets entertainment and Gen Zs and Millennials can’t get enough of it!
Imagine this...
What if all the independent retailers in the world disappeared today? How would that impact our daily lives, our choices, diversity and individual unique-ness?
Reality hits
Independent retailers in the UK small business retail sector had been on their knees even before Covid-19. Global e-commerce giants with deep pockets, massive marketing budgets, ultra-low priced commodity products, overnight delivery options and algorithms that are built to keep customers shopping for more and longer are hard to beat. Gen Zs and Millennials instinctively prefer to shop online rather than on the nearest High Street or with local shops to spend their money.
Covid-19 threatened to be the last nail in the coffin for those independent retailers who are only depending on their local footfall for their sales revenue.
In 2023, the UK ranks as the 3rd largest e-commerce market by online sales. Over 80% of the UK population have bought an item online. 44% of them are millennials, and 54% of Gen Z said they will shop entirely online in the next decade. No surprise, Amazon led the UK online market in 2023, earning US$33.6 Billion.
Let your shopping do the talking!
Time is running out to save these independent retailers from extinction. We can all play a part in doing something small.
If 1 in 10 people in the UK bought an item from independent shops every day, their shopping dollar would not only keep their money circulating within their local economy and community, but also promote a positive social, environmental, and sustainable eco-system.
Being a hero has never been easier!
How are we doing our part?
Makeke is a start-up funded by InnovateUK in 2020 to help solve this problem.
We help independent retailers reach new customers and sell their products online easily and affordably. We help shoppers find local independent retailers effortlessly so they can shop locally.
Makeke uses short-form videos to help retailers sell their unique products where a single click takes you straight to the purchase basket.
Think of Makeke as Etsy Meets TikTok!
What sets Makeke apart is our hyperlocal approach, where you can choose the exact location in the UK where you like to shop from. Since launching in Nov 2023, we are now live in 12 cities in the Southeast of England and growing.
With Makeke, shopping isn't just a transaction – it's a statement of solidarity, a lifestyle, a pledge to support the people and places that make our world a little brighter every day.
This is our David versus Goliath story, where we hope Makeke is the magic sling that independent retailers use to win their battle against the Goliath of the retail industry!