Localito Named Manchester's Answer to Amazon — And You Made It The Most Read Story of The Week

Localito Named Manchester's Answer to Amazon — And You Made It The Most Read Story of The Week

I want to tell you something that happened this week. And I want to tell it properly, because it matters.

On 9 July 2026, I Love Manchester published a story about Localito. Written by journalist Lowri Simmons, the article was titled: "How Manchester's answer to Amazon is bringing independent businesses together."

By the end of the week, it had become the most read article on I Love Manchester.

Not the most read business story. The most read story. Full stop.

I'm still processing that.

Why This Happened

I've thought about this a lot since the numbers came in. And I don't think it went viral because of Localito specifically. I think it went viral because of what Localito represents — something Manchester has been waiting to see.

The article told a story that a lot of people in this city recognise. A small business getting undercut by Amazon. A founder who lost something he'd worked for. And instead of giving up, deciding to build something better.

That story resonated because it's not just my story. It's the story of every independent business owner who has felt the ground shift beneath them over the last decade. And it's the story of every Mancunian who has watched a favourite shop close and felt like there was nothing they could do about it.

Localito is what happens when someone decides there is something they can do about it.

What The Article Said

Lowri captured something in that piece that I've been trying to articulate since the day I launched this platform.

She wrote about how Localito works — how shoppers can browse hundreds of independent businesses, buy securely, and get things delivered or collected locally. Just as conveniently as shopping on Amazon.

She wrote about the humans behind the businesses. About the fact that these aren't faceless organisations. They've got families, dreams and aspirations. And when you buy from them, your money stays here — in Greater Manchester — rather than disappearing into the accounts of a trillion-dollar corporation.

And she wrote about what's coming. Including our Amazon Receipt Swap event on Market Street on Sunday 26 July, where we're inviting shoppers to exchange an Amazon receipt worth up to £20 for Localito credit.

Because supporting locals shouldn't feel like a sacrifice. It should feel like a choice.

You can read the full I Love Manchester article here — ilovemanchester.com/manchester-fight-back-against-big-tech

What This Means For The 380+ Businesses On The Platform

Every business currently listed on Localito should know what this week meant for them.

That article was read by tens of thousands of Mancunians. People who now know that Localito exists. People who now know that there is a place — one single place — where they can find and buy from independent businesses across Greater Manchester without having to search around, without having to worry about reliability, and without having to compromise on convenience.

That is your audience. It just got a lot bigger.

If you're a business on the platform and you haven't shared the I Love Manchester article yet — now is the time. Your customers read I Love Manchester. They trust it. A story in that publication about a platform you're part of is more powerful than any ad you could run.

Share it. Link to your Localito listing when you do. Let your customers know you're part of this.

What This Means For Businesses Thinking About Joining

380 independent businesses are already on Localito. The platform is growing every week. And this week, one of Manchester's most loved publications told its entire readership that Localito is the place to find them.

If you're an independent business owner in Greater Manchester and you're not on the platform yet — the window to be an early mover is still open. But it won't stay open forever.

Listing is free. It takes ten minutes. And the audience that just discovered Localito this week is looking for businesses exactly like yours.

List your business free at localito.com

What's Next

The I Love Manchester feature is one moment in a much longer story.

We have the Amazon Receipt Swap event on Market Street on 26 July. New businesses joining the platform every week. A neighbourhood spotlight series running across our social media. And a growing body of press coverage that is starting to tell Manchester — loudly and clearly — that there is an alternative.

This is what the beginning looks like.

Thank you to Lowri Simmons and the I Love Manchester team for telling our story with such care. Thank you to everyone who read it, shared it, and sent messages of support.

And most of all — thank you to every business and every customer who believed in this platform before it had any press coverage at all.

You are the reason this story exists.

Now let's go and make it even bigger.

Lee Berrow

Founder, Localito

localito.com | @localitomarketplace

Localito is Greater Manchester's only independents-only marketplace. 380+ independent businesses. Zero chains. Shop local, earn cashback, keep Manchester brilliant.

Published: July 2026