Localtile.com Boosts Business At Local Boutiques

LAKE AND MCHENRY COUNTIES, IL — In an effort to boost sales at McHenry County's small businesses, a group of local entrepreneurs has launched a new one-stop shop website featuring many boutiques from across the area.

Localtile.com is now live and includes stores in Crystal Lake, Woodstock, Algonquin and Lake Zurich, which may have seen a drop in revenue due to the pandemic and other factors.

“A wonderful benefit is the ability to purchase locally and ship anywhere,” said Erin McElroy, the chief marketing officer for LOCALTILE. “Individuals who are committed to supporting local and shopping small now have access to their favorite shops through LOCATILE.com. As well as learning about other boutiques they can support. ”

During the pandemic as more sales shifted online, small businesses have lacked the resources to capitalize on this undisputable shift in spending. The cost, time, and knowledge needed to develop and maintain a competitive online presence is more than most small businesses can sustain.Locatile aims to give small brick + mortar shops the opportunity to compete with largeretailers online and bring awareness to the benefits of shopping locally.

Shoppers on the site can peruse the online products and add items to their virtual cart,or they can click on each store and learn the business focus and philosophy from theowners.

Shops that have virtual storefronts on LOCALTILE include:

• Mum 117, Crystal Lake
• Mellie’s Chocolate and Co., Crystal Lake
• Wear Did U Get That, Crystal Lake
• Apple Creek, Woodstock
• The Thoughtfulness Shop, Woodstock
• My Little Bow Peeps Shop, Woodstock
• Swedish Ivy, Algonquin
• Anuyu, Lake Zurich also have virtual storefronts on Locatile.com.

Lulu’s Wiggin’ Out in Crystal Lake and Savior World in Woodstock will also be
launching products soon on the site and Localtile is currently seeking more partners.

“We are meeting with small business owners in the region to review the site, answer questions and explore partnerships with Chambers and other Organizations and share the benefits of joining Locatile," McElroy said.

Each business has a shop page highlighting their unique products as well as an owner
spotlight section. Shoppers can search the site by product category, type, and pricing,
or by shop name and city.

Dan Hartke, Chief Executive Officer of Localtile, and Scott LeRette, Chief Operating Officer, helped make the site a reality.

The site launched this past week. Brittany Sebby of Lakewood had good things to say about the site.

"I had made an online order at Wear Did You Get That and while at the store for local pickup I found more items. There were a couple other items I didn’t get and returned again for purchase. So that was three different purchases in a little over a week I wouldn’t have made without shopping online at Locatile," she said. "It encouraged me to get downtown which I otherwise wasn’t doing due to the busy schedule of work and family. While downtown I also stopped in Marvin’s Toy store and The Olive Tap."

More via localtile.com.