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Lift-off for online route to high-end food firms
SHOPPERS can go online to buy and have delivered products from a variety of boutiques and stores that sell organic and local foods.
P.E. Mead and Sons Farm Shop in Wilstone, Tring Brewery, Eastwoods Butchers in Berkhamsted and Smith’s Coffee in Hemel Hempstead are among a host of quality independent retailers which have joined online shopping service withtilia.com.
The company has brought together the best products available in Hertfordshire to offer people the opportunity to buy local conveniently.
The business, being launched on Friday by entrepreneur Robert Ford, will be delivering goods from 15 Hertfordshire shops that have signed up to the scheme.
P.E. Mead and Sons sells home-produced meat, apple juice and rapeseed oil while Eastwoods is famous for organic meats.
Mr Ford’s vision was to help independent retailers and artisans by promoting, selling and delivering their goods online to help them compete with corporate giants.
In the run up to the launch he had to changed his business model to concentrate on luxury products because he found so many shop owners lacked the business acumen to make the idea work.
He said: “About 80 per cent of the businesses I wanted to involve were not standing up to the plate. It’s a real shame.
“It’s great to be working with the top end retailers but the social message has had to be tweaked.”
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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outofhemel
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:31 PMI was talking about withtilia.com
longtime
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 03:11 PMHave been using Abel & Cole every week for years. Yes, you can get cheaper food but can you get better? By the way, just checked Abel & Cole organic white loaf and it's £1.35. Of course you can get cotton wool wrapped in a light crust if that's what you prefer!
outofhemel
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 01:59 PMWe tried able&cole same sort of thing, great idea but turned out alot more expensive not knocking anyone for trying, but a loaf of bread on there £2.40 Tesco £1.20, i know with delivery costs etc you need to mark your costs up but i'll stick to Waitrose home delivery full weeks food for 2 of use plus the dog £70 delivered.
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