Fredericton Entrepreneur Puts Local Businesses On The Map
FREDERICTON – Ray Harris, the owner of Data Wazo, is putting Fredericton businesses on the map with his Shop Local Fredericton web application.
The project was created to act as a resource for people looking for local businesses to shop from during the holiday season and beyond.
“People think there’s a certain item they just can’t get in the city and because of that they immediately go online. If we can make that information a little more readily available, it might encourage people to spend their money in the city,” said Harris.
While the map currently features over 100 local businesses, Harris hopes to add additional local online locations in the near future.
The map allows users to filter by category based on what they’re searching for, key phrases, and the part of the city where they want to shop.
If their store is not on the website, there is a form they can fill out to have their store added.
Related: Fredericton Company Expands Online Food Truck Map to More N.B. Cities
“I thought I was pretty in tune with what was available locally, but just through this project, I’ve learned there’s a lot more than I thought there was,” said Harris. “So hopefully others can get that experience too. Just being able to quickly find places to shop locally.”
Harris and Data Wazo have worked on a number of past projects including a map showing food truck hours and locations, a map of New Brunswick hiking trails, and a map of New Brunswick golf courses.
Harris is particularly interested in this map because of its usefulness in shopping locally, especially amidst the ongoing pandemic where local businesses need more community support than ever.
“I think more than usual, there’s a big intention to shop local,” said Harris. “Everyone knows that with the pandemic, local entrepreneurs are suffering.”
This map makes it easier for consumers to find the right gifts in the local marketplace.
Liam Floyd is a reporter for Huddle. Send him story suggestions: [email protected].