Shop Downtown

Improving the Economic Vitality of Our Downtowns

Shop Downtown connects communities with local businesses, promoting economic vitality and supporting downtown development.

Shop Downtown Virtual City

Revitalize Your Downtown Now

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Virtual City

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Community Health

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What We Offer

We solve the downtown urban redevelopment puzzle by turning your downtown into a virtual city, expanding your reach and bringing local businesses into the 21st century.

Discover Local Shops

Browse through a curated selection of local businesses in your community. Filter by category, location, or special offers.

Easy Online Shopping

Purchase products from multiple local shops in a single transaction. Schedule delivery or pickup based on your preferences.

Support Your Community

Every purchase helps local businesses thrive and contributes to community health initiatives through our donation program.

Our Health Initiative

Eight years after the domain was registered, founder and CEO Daniel Wells had a close family member diagnosed with bone cancer and he and his wife were desperate to learn more about the condition, treatments and current research. They turned to the American Cancer Society (ACS) for support.

So when it came time to partner with local merchants, take shop local efforts nationwide and provide users with a new online shopping option, it just made sense to include the nonprofit as well as local cancer centers and clinics in the equation so that others in need can continue to count on their support.

A percentage of each sale on the platform is donated to support community health.

Why We Do It

Short answer: Somebody had to! As business owners ourselves, we feel the pain of our derelict and disappearing downtowns - so we decided to do something about it. Something big.

Just consider the benefits:

  • Increased foot traffic and online sales for local businesses.
  • Drives increased tourism and attracts new businesses and residents.
  • Showcases your downtown to a global audience.
  • Fosters economic growth and community pride.

How We Do It

We bring the tried-and-true discount shopping card model into the 21st century, pair it with the latest virtual city technology that reproduces a faithful digital representation of participating downtowns and downtown merchants and their shops, while sharing proceeds with community nonprofits. We deliver search engine optimization, business consulting services, and platform integration to participating communities and merchants.

Virtual City Technology

Shared Proceeds

Business Services

About Us

Drive More Customers to Your Business

What is ShopDowntown.org?

ShopDowntown.org is a directory, virtual shopping platform, and advertising platform designed to help local businesses thrive. We connect businesses with customers through both digital and in-person channels, helping to drive both online traffic, and visits to your store.

Benefits for Your Business

1. Increase Foot Traffic

  • Get discovered by local shoppers searching for businesses like yours.
  • Leverage location-based advertising to target customers nearby.
  • Promote special offers, events, and discounts to draw people into your store.

2. Boost Online Traffic & Sales

  • Feature your products on our e-commerce platform to generate additional revenue.
  • Benefit from SEO optimization that improves your business's online visibility.
  • Tap into a shared digital audience through cross-promotions with other merchants.

3. The Power of Backlinks

  • Your listing includes a high-quality backlink to your website, improving SEO ranking.
  • Gain exposure from a trusted local platform, increasing domain authority and credibility.
  • Utilize featured articles, blog posts, and event pages to expand your digital footprint.

We've been working on this project since 2019, after owning a downtown business ourselves and watching Main Streets all over the USA suffering due to the advent of e-commerce and the spread of 'big box' stores. Our recent partnership with WonderSouq has enabled us to take our platform to the next level and we're ready to provide downtown merchants with the solution to this vexing problem.

Read Our Backgrounder

Our Journey

Shop Downtown began as a simple idea in 2013: What if we could leverage the growing power of the internet to help, rather than hurt, local downtown businesses?

Our founder, Daniel Wells, had owned a downtown business and witnessed firsthand the struggles that traditional brick-and-mortar establishments face in the digital age. The rise of e-commerce giants and big box stores was draining the lifeblood from America's Main Streets.

After years of research and development, we created a platform that combines the convenience of online shopping with the community spirit of local commerce. By creating virtual versions of real downtowns, we're giving small businesses the digital presence they need without losing their local identity.

Our recent partnership with WonderSooq has allowed us to enhance our virtual city technology, creating immersive experiences that truly capture the essence and charm of each downtown district.

Today, we're proud to be launching in several cities across Southern Oregon, with plans to expand nationwide in the coming years.

"This project is not just about a single city—it's part of a larger national and global ecosystem, creating new economic opportunities and redefining how businesses engage with their communities in the virtual space..."

— Mohammed Radwan, CEO of WonderSouq

Our Mission

It's simple really. We want to revitalize downtowns all across the country by turning them into online, virtual cities; provide mom-and-pop stores expanded reach and audience; reward consumers with discounts and an engaging and immersive online experience that allows them to shop local as an alternative to corporate big-box stores; and, support local charities in the process.

Shop Downtown, A Platform You Can Trust.

We've been doing this for twelve years, fine-tuning our approach and iterating. We're excited to be moving ahead with several cities, including the county seat, in the southern Oregon region.

Virtual City Demo

We are seeking partnerships with forward-thinking city officials and business leaders to replicate their downtowns and launch immersive virtual cities together.

Customer Testimonials

The following testimonials are from people who have seen the full presentation and live demo of the system and have had a discussion on our future plans.

Karen Kahusi

Business Development Manager, BBSI Southern Oregon

ShopDowntown.org is an absolute game-changer for discovering and supporting local businesses! Whether a person is looking for unique gifts, great dining spots, or special deals, this platform makes it so easy to connect with amazing small businesses in my community. Plus you can invite your friends and have a Virtual Shop Date, and this is a perfect solution for people with mobility challenges who can't get downtown to walk through the stores – Simply Brilliant! I love knowing that every purchase helps keep our downtown vibrant and thriving. Highly recommend!

2045 Cardinal Avenue, Suite 100

Medford, OR 97504

Phone: 541-200-2111

Mobile: 541-951-1626

Email: karen.kahusi@bbsi.com

Priti Patel

General Manager, Rodeway Inn Medford

It was truly a pleasure meeting with you and getting the chance to explore the demo version of ShopDowntown.org. I was literally amazed by how immersive the experience was—it felt like I was actually walking through downtown Medford, entering the shops, and interacting with everything.

ShopDowntown.org has truly redefined the way we experience local shopping with its cutting-edge virtual city platform. The ability to explore a downtown district in an interactive, immersive environment makes it feel as if you are physically walking through the streets, visiting stores, and discovering businesses in real time. This seamless integration of technology and commerce offers an engaging and convenient shopping experience while maintaining the charm and uniqueness of local storefronts.

901 S. Riverside Ave

Medford, OR 97501

Phone: 541-776-9194

Fax: 541-776-9908

Website: www.medfordrodewayinn.com

What's New?

Well, we're glad you asked. To keep up with what we're doing, please sign-up for our email newsletter.

Contact Us, email Daniel at: daniel@cmxi.org or hit the button below.

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