Cathedral Quarter launches new digital platform to showcase local businesses
Derby Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) has launched a new digital platform www.cqlive.co.uk to showcase local businesses and encourage more people to shop local at this crucial time in the run up to Christmas.
CQ Live replaces the BID’s annual CQ Winter Life magazines which have been popular with visitors for the past 12 years.
The digital platform focuses, in the short term during this second lockdown, on how businesses are trading online and operate takeaway, delivery and click and collect services – and then how they will safely welcome back visitors from early December.
The platform features a host of Cathedral Quarter businesses, allowing the visitor to see the latest information and view goods and services by accessing business websites and/or social media platforms from a single location whilst sections highlight Christmas gift ideas; fashion, hair, health and beauty; food and drink and future events.
Martin Langsdale MBE, chair of the Cathedral Quarter BID Board explained: “We have developed CQ Live in line with changing consumer habits and the on-going effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Instead of a printed glossy magazine, we are able to update information and new offers online and provide direct links to businesses’ online and social media platforms. We hope that this will encourage people to shop local this Christmas and provide much-needed support to our quality national and independent businesses”
He continued that the decision to launch CQ Live was backed by recent national research by Maybe which is part of the Government’s High Street Task Force which revealed:
- 31% of people said that Covid-safe procedures will determine where they shop this
Christmas
- 32% said they were planning to shop local
- 67% said that it would be ‘Christmas as usual’
- 58% said they would be researching online before shopping this year
For more information on the unique, inspiring and diverse offer available in the Cathedral Quarter this winter, please visit www.cqlive.co.uk and follow the CQ social media channels.