Virtual initiative supports independent shops across Lewes District


Click It Local lets independent retailers in Seaford, Lewes, Newhaven, Peacehaven and surrounding areas sell products online and have them delivered locally the same or next day.

Click It Local is described as ‘an ethical alternative to Amazon’. It’s an opportunity for local independent retailers in the Lewes district to sell their products online and have them delivered by Click It Local on the same or next day to local customers across Lewes district, Brighton & Hove, into Mid Sussex and along the coast to Worthing. Retailers can also offer a click and collect service via the platform.

The virtual high street initiative is a partnership between Lewes District Council and Click It Local – funded by the European Regional Development Fund via the Welcome Back Fund. Click It Local can help each business set up their virtual ‘shop’ on its site. Retailers pay a 7.5% transaction fee for every sale made through the website and a Stripe fee for payment processing. Customers pay a delivery cost of £3.50 per order.

Who’s on the site in Lewes?

Dozens of businesses across the district, including many in Lewes, already feature on the site, selling food, beer, clothing, gifts, flowers and lots more. See who’s on it here.

Fran Sterry from Cheese Please in Lewes who joined Click It Local when it first launched, said: “We joined Click it Local late last year, the process couldn’t have been easier. Knowing that it was a busy time of year for the physical shop, Katie [from Click It Local] took all work off my hands – setting up our virtual shop entirely. She has been extremely supportive, it is clear that Katie is passionate about small independent businesses – taking time to understand our individual needs and limitations.

“Click it Local is a very user-friendly service, the online portal is designed very well – making it easy to access orders, amend stock and alter business information. Orders come through to my email and I get a text alert, meaning that no orders get missed. The orders then get collected on an allocated day. It really couldn’t be simpler.” Learn more

To have a look around the site just go to www.clickitlocal.co.uk (input your Lewes district postcode as requested to see which businesses offer delivery to your location). If you would like to register your business or have any questions, contact Katie at Click it Local by emailing katie@clickitlocal.co.uk.