No monkeying about for festive shoppers: Boutir app delivers virtual guide through Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year Fair
Creators plan to enlarge its functions from map and online shopping platform to cater to market stalls keen to jump into round-the-clock e-commerce
Festive shoppers can now turn to a social shopping app to help navigate the busy Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park in Hong Kong and also buy seasonal knick knacks online.
Social shopping app Boutir Collect, owned by RedSo, has launched a map of the temporary market by Causeway Bay that serves as a virtual guide to all the goodies on offer from various stalls along with the option to shop directly through the app.
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“The [market] is very crowded and many times people do not know where to shop. Even if they find an interesting product in the media, they don’t know where to find it, because it’s very crowded,” said Eric Ng, founder and CEO of RedSo and producer of the Boutir and Boutir Collect apps.
More than 170 dry goods stalls have signed up with Boutir to feature their products, ranging from soft toys cashing in on the Year of the Monkey to pug pillows and tote bags printed with MTR-related puns.
Stallholders can use the app for online promotions - even after the Victoria Park event closes, Ng said.
Launched last year, Boutir and Boutir Collect allow shop owners to create online stores, and users to browse and share items they wish to buy - both within the app and on Facebook.