I'm so excited that Little Independent is featured in this week's Chicago Magazine Sales Check newsletter. As a recently launched startup, we're happy for any opportunity to increase awareness and improve SEO. Thanks so much Chicago Magazine!
Get ready for some competition, eBay and Amazon. Lesley Tweedie, owner of Roscoe Village Bikes, recently launched an online marketplace of sale-only items from independent boutiques. Appropriately named Little Independent (littleindependent.com), the site is dedicated to helping shop owners better market their hard-to-sell items. “Everyone has a sales rack, and sometimes items just linger a little too long,” says Tweedie, who came up with the concept shortly after having a hard time selling a high-end bike helmet at her brick-and-mortar location. “We give locally owned businesses the opportunity to leverage a wider audience online to help them turn inventory quicker.” Since launching in June, Little Independent has compiled a roster of nearly 30 boutiques from the Chicago area. Find everything from edible shimmering body powder ($12; originally $22), via Early to Bed (5232 N. Sheridan Rd.; 773-271-1219, early2bed.com), to a Micralite FastFold Superlite stroller ($229, originally $299.95), fromBellybum Boutique (4347 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-868-0944, bellybumboutique.com). All items posted on Little Independent are at least 10 percent off their initial brick-and-mortar price. “It’s kind of like seeing everyone’s sale rack in one place,” Tweedie says.
