Ballinasloe’s version of Amazon takes national award for its innovative approach

A website described by one of its designers as akin to Ballinasloe’s own Amazon has nabbed a national award in recognition of its innovative approach to local commerce.

ShopBallinasloe.ie was born out of necessity last year as retail was forced to close amid Covid-19 restrictions, but over the last year, it has become a thriving hub for businesses in the town selling their wares to a whole new market.

Joe Glennon of Kickstart Web Design, one of the team of four who set up the website, said they were both delighted and a small bit surprised to have won the .IE Digital Town Award in the Large Town category.

Joe, with his business partner David Ansley at Kickstart, and with Honoria Mitchell Black and Niamh Creavan Connaughton of Araya Business Support Services, all operate out of the Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre and it was through this collaborative approach to business, as well as their involvement in the local business network, Pulse, that the website came about.

“As soon as the pandemic hit, we said we wanted to do something for the town. Through our involvement with Pulse, we came up with the idea of designing an online market place,” recalls Joe.

“Ours is a bit different. Where a lot of towns have a website that is more of a directory for businesses, we have created an online market place that’s a bit like an Amazon for local businesses,” he says.

Read the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now. Or you can download our digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie