Powering up local shopping to help communities thrive.

We’ve all seen it happen. That toy store that your kids loved so much when they were little. The local hardware store where you could go in with any DIY question and get friendly advice. The quirky little gift shop where you could always find just the right thing for friends or family. Every. Local. Bookstore. Just gone.

Every time one of these community jewels disappears, we all lose something. Sometimes a chain store comes in and fills a gap—but it’s not quite the same.  Imagine a “Main Street” without independent stores. Between the growth of mega online stores and the strain of the pandemic, many communities are facing massive losses of the businesses that give them their character, vibrancy, jobs, and funding for parks, libraries, and more.  And that’s what prompted us to act.

We created Towne to level the playing field for local merchants and give them a fighting chance. Towne serves as an online collective for your favorite local stores so that they can, together, provide a product selection that can compete with the big guys. We work closely with each business to help them set up the processes and systems that they need to successfully sell online.

We ensure that product inventory is updated in real-time so customers always know what’s actually available and can buy it online at the same price as in-store. We also handle all the customer service and offer free next-day delivery (and even faster options) to delight each and every customer and live up to our merchant partners’ high standards. And ultimately, that’s what really sets Towne apart from other online marketplaces.

In turn, these local merchants become a stabilizing force, providing the foundation for their communities to thrive. If we are successful, more local businesses will open their doors (or keep them open), “main street” will flourish, and our communities will get stronger. We’re pretty inspired by this mission. If you are too, help us help our family of merchants by spreading the word to your friends and family.  Tell them to shop Towne the next time they need great products delivered to their home in a hurry!

Finally, a real reason to “smile” about shopping online.