A CONTACTLESS order and pay service to help local businesses respond to Covid-19 restrictions has been launched in Milton Keynes.
The deal supports Milton Keynes Council’s #ShopLocalMK campaign, which it launched last week, with a competition for six residents to win £100 worth of vouchers to spend on Milton Keynes high streets.
Ritual connects local restaurants and cafes to their customers by offering a way to place, pay and pick up orders through the web or an app. The introduction of Ritual in Milton Keynes will help local restaurants and cafes deliver their takeaway service and enable them to accept orders via QR code ordering for those dining in safely in line with new government guidance.
The council has secured a deal with Ritual and PayPal which allows businesses to keep 100% of the profits of sales made through the Ritual platform until the end of January 2021 with no commission, start up or subscription fees taken by the platform in this period.
The offer gives independent businesses the ability to accept digital orders from their own websites and social media accounts. Ritual has also integrated with Google ordering which will help local businesses reach more customers.
Businesses must sign up by October 26 to be eligible for the four-month free subscription. Cafes and restaurants will be provided with ongoing support to help them get the best out of the service as contactless orders become increasingly popular.
The introduction of Ritual will play a fundamental role in supporting small businesses as part of the council’s #ShopLocalMK campaign, the council says. It recently announced a £2.25 million economic recovery package to support local businesses recover from the impact of Covid-19.
Cllr Caole Baume, cabinet member for economy and culture, said: “This is an exciting partnership which will give local businesses the ability to expand their capabilities to accept digital orders in a new way.
“Ritual’s launch in Milton Keynes as part of our Shop Local campaign could give local businesses a vital lifeline to boost their sales. We know it is extremely hard for local businesses at the moment and we want to play our part in helping them get through these challenging times.”
Ritual chief executive Ray Reddy said: “It is important to Ritual to help Milton Keynes businesses stay up and running while keeping everyone as safe as possible during this time. We believe local businesses are what make our communities thrive and we are here to support them as we work with Milton Keynes Council and PayPal to help kick start the economy again.”
Council staff have been working closely with Ritual to develop the scheme, said Cllr Baume.
“They are a welcome addition to the market, which has seen other innovative apps launch since the start of the Covid-19 crisis,” she added. “I am sure local businesses will appreciate all that Ritual has to offer, including the free subscription and no commission.”
