Case Study · B2B Healthcare
Discover how they built Jarrold Store Folk — a vibrant online marketplace helping small local retailers reach audiences they could never reach alone.
At Jarrold, we have a passion for helping small retailers across our city and our region succeed by reaching a wider audience. By establishing Jarrold Store Folk, powered by Marketplacer, we have managed to create a vibrant online store that showcases the very best of what is on offer locally.
⸺ About Jarrold
Established more than 250 years ago, Jarrold is a fixture of the Norfolk retail landscape and one of the UK's most enduring independent department stores. The iconic retailer has built its reputation on showcasing the best artisan creations from small businesses and sellers across the county and throughout the region.
Jarrold's mission is to inspire and delight through brilliant curation and outstanding experiences — a philosophy that extends far beyond its own shelves.
⸺ The Solution
The retailer has long played a role in championing local producers, giving small-scale artisans and boutique manufacturers a platform to reach customers beyond their own communities.Recognising the growing challenge small retailers faced in building an online presence, Jarrold saw an opportunity to take that mission into the digital era.
During 2020, the team began designing a new concept that would put the full breadth of Norfolk's artisan community in front of a wider online audience — without each retailer having to build their own web presence from scratch.
The Challenges
No Established Web Presence
A high proportion of small retailers had no website of their own, making it impossible to reach new customers outside their existing foot traffic and local networks.
Unknown Outside the Local Area
Individual artisan brands were not known outside their existing customer base, capping their growth potential regardless of the quality of their products.
Missing Marketing & SEO Skills
Many lacked the digital marketing and SEO expertise needed to ensure their products appeared in online searches — meaning they couldn't compete for attention even if they had a presence.
Opportunities
Jarrold Already Had the Trust & Traffic
As a 250-year-old brand with an established online presence, Jarrold could give small retailers instant access to an audience that would take years — and significant investment — to build independently.
A Shared Mission Around Local Commerce
Jarrold's core passion — championing small local retailers — aligned perfectly with the marketplace model. The platform could extend that mission online at scale without Jarrold holding any inventory.
A New Digital Route to Market
A curated marketplace would give Jarrold itself a broader product range and a new revenue channel — complementing its bricks-and-mortar store with a compelling digital destination.
⸺ The Solution
After evaluating a range of platforms, Phil Leahy chose Marketplacer as the foundation for the Medcart portal — enabling a sophisticated multi-supplier marketplace to go from idea to live in just four weeks, with all core commerce operations handled out of the box.
A Dedicated Brand & Web Portal
Jarrold's team designed and built an innovative web portal under a new brand — Jarrold Store Folk — providing local retailers with a home that felt distinct, curated, and trustworthy, underpinned by Marketplacer's platform.
Seamless API Integration
Marketplacer integrated via API with Jarrold's existing e-commerce CMS, creating a frictionless experience for sellers and shoppers alike — with products shipped directly to customers by each retailer.
The Norwich region is home to a diverse collection of artisans and boutique manufacturers of quality goods. Many, however, have struggled to build an online presence that allows them to showcase their offerings to the world.
During 2020, the Jarrold marketing team realised the firm had an exciting opportunity to assist local sellers to reach a wider audience. A decision was taken to use the Jarrold website to boost awareness and drive sales.
Working closely with local businesses, the team designed and built an innovative web portal and developed the brand Jarrold Store Folk. When it came time to select an underpinning platform to support the new site, the team partnered with Marketplacer.
Marketplacer’s platform seamlessly integrates with Jarrold’s existing e-commerce platform which enables a frictionless experience for their small retail partners to sell their products through the Jarrold website. Indeed, Marketplacer handles the mechanics of complex shopping carts with multiple sellers’ products.
Seamless integration via api to the Jarrold.co.uk CMS and shipping direct to customers by the sellers
Since going live in September 2021, Jarrold Store Folk has attracted more than 50 independent retailers and 2000 products
Jarrold Store Folk’s marketplace is now enabling the retailer and its community of local sellers to emerge stronger post the recent global disruption and delight both new and existing customers by knowing what their customers desire and how to innovate to deliver it. At the same time, Jarrold is continuing to complement its bricks and mortar in-store environment with a new route to market and offering a wider range of products to support its obsession with customer connection and experience.
