© redkart 2024
main street (n.):
/ˈmān ˌstrēt/a metonym used to denote a primary retail street of a village, town or small city in many parts of the world.it is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in the central business district, and is most often used in reference to retailing, socializing, and the place to go to find "common" concerns.
Why should you care about buying local?a few reasons...--better investmentFor every $100 spent at a local business, $68 stays in the local economy, compared to $43 when spent at a national chain. Local businesses are owned by people who live in your neighborhood, and are therefore invested in the community.better environmentLocal businesses make local purchases, which means less transportation. Meanwhile residents save an average of 26% less automobile miles with local stores and restaurants. Opening stores in town centers means means less congestion but also less urban sprawl.better jobsSmall businesses are the largest employer nationally, creating up to 90% of net new jobs in the U.S. Adding entrepreneurs and skilled workers to a community adds to local prosperity.better characterIt’s local unique businesses that give a town its character. Think about it. When you visit a place anywhere in the country, it’s that local ice-cream spot, that local coffee shop, that local brewery, local pizza shop that you just have to go visit.better serviceA local business always has better customer service. It’s probably one of the few things that a small mom-and-pop can do better than a big box retailer. They know their customers well, and take the time to offer the right product or service for their patron.better communityLocal businesses donate more to local charitable causes, events, and school teams than larger national competitors. Additionally, more local business means a stronger tax base, which better schools and other public services.
MOBILE APPS COMING SOONstore app (for merchants) and customer app are currently under construction.when ready, visit app.redkart.com and store.redkart.com for respective mobile apps.
MISSIONRedkart is building a range of tech products to help local independently owned businesses (aka mom-and-pop shops).Our mission is 3-fold: to modernize, connect, and reimagine main street for the digital age.
Modernize: upgrade small businesses by giving them basic tech to catch up to the digital era, and compete with national retailers.
Connect: we want to create a local network of these independent businesses, so they can collaborate and benefit each other.
Reimagine: invent new ways that make the local shopping experience for consumers more unique and attractive than big box chains.
We're a Cambridge-based startup on a mission. Join us as we reimagine Main Street for the digital age.
ABOUT USBased in Cambridge, Redkart is a mission-driven tech startup focused on in-store logistics for small businesses.Started as a curbside pickup app for local merchants in the Boston area during Covid-19, Redkart today is striving to provide a comprehensive solution for the entire mom-and-pop shop experience.Main Street has been hurting for years before the pandemic even began, facing fierce competition from big-box retailers and e-commerce giants alike. Small businesses constantly struggle to adapt to the digital era, lacking the proper infrastructure, resources, or assistance.We believe in buying local, and we believe in local businesses. Together, we can help Main Street not only survive, but thrive in the post-Covid digital age.
PROGRESSAfter iterating our product 7 times, we finally arrived at something new that works. We're getting it into the market now in Spring 2024.Updates will be posted here. Stay tuned!
FOUNDERHi, I'm Neelan, Founder of Redkart.I grew up in Boston, where my parents own a small ethnic food store. I’ve been around these stores since I was 10 years old, and always had an idea of where they were strongest and where they could use some help. When Covid hit, I thought this was as good a time as any to try and see if some of these ideas could be of help.Small businesses are tough to run, but brick-and-mortar retail specifically is even tougher. And no app or product on the planet can guarantee their success, especially in this highly competitive digital age of e-commerce and big box retailers. But technology can at least help level the playing field. We just want to see them have a fair fight. First, we’ll help them catch up to the present, and then we prepare them for the future.
HOW IT WORKS
We set up local businesses with tokens (represented by digital icons), with each business choosing their token's price and reward. These tokens can be redeemed by customers in-store using their app.
Sign up to be a redkart merchant. Existing members, login here.
Step 1:
Step 2:
$100/month
cancel anytime.
- Physical token cards.
- Custom token image.
- Full access to our app.
- Any new beta features.
- Priority customer support.
For $50/mo, use code: MA50For $300/yr plan, click here.
MERCHANT PRICING