Inside a finance pro’s quarantine project, Local PHL Market, that makes it easy to shop locally

Kasie Clifford, a finance and accounting associate at healthcare transportation startup RoundTrip, found herself like other Philadelphians who had weathered the coronavirus pandemic storm, job intact — wondering how, in her privileged situation, she could continue to support local businesses.

Clifford was a fan of shopping locally as much as she could before the pandemic hit, but when hundreds of small businesses in the area had to shut down or lay off staff, she realized how important buying power can be. While quarantining and with extra time on her hands, Clifford and her boyfriend, Gianni Parenti, launched the Instagram account @localphl to highlight the local businesses they were supporting.

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“I started thinking about the local Philly economy and how affected it was going to be,” Clifford said. “And I was lucky to be in this group of people who were employed, and looking to spend money in good ways.”

So in May, they launched the site, Local PHL Market, as a way for Philadelphians to easily find makers, creators and small businesses to support. The online marketplace currently sells goods from more than 50 local businesses specializing in anything from food to home goods to clothing and art work.

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Each month, the site donates a portion of their proceeds to a different charity, and this month, proceeds will go to CORA Services, a Northeast Philadelphia-based nonprofit that supports children and families experiencing emotional, academic and social challenges.

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At first, Clifford was reaching out to creators and business owners about including their products on the site, but now creators can inquire about being included by emailing localphlmarket@gmail.com. All items on the online market are the same price to consumers as buying them in-store or from the vendor, and Clifford works with the creators to come up with a commission.

While it initially started as a quarantine project, Clifford said she believes the site still serves a purpose as we navigate the reopening process, and hopes that it provides an easy route for folks to continue to shop locally post-pandemic. As street fairs are still not allowed in the city, and as much holiday shopping will likely move online this year, it’s a way to offer a quick online shopping experience that still supports local business owners. She also hopes that by gathering a lot of different creators in one place, fans of one specific business or maker will learn about new ones in their community.

“If you’re checking out someone’s Etsy, that’s great, but you’re only seeing their things, ” Clifford said. “I’m hoping this encourages some cross-pollination.”