WILLIAMSBURG — A new app is letting you shop local this holiday season — without needing to schlep around dozens of stores.
Shophood, an app that launched Friday, lets you browse 16,000 items from 40 Williamsburg stores, ranging from artisanal cheeses and locally-made jewelry to clothing and kitchenware.
Its co-founders hope the app will combine shopping locally with the ease of browsing online.
"The perfect gift is probably just right around the corner," said co-founder of Shophood Lukas Thoms, 25.
"Local stores really are the best place to shop. [But] often they're scattered all over your neighborhood and you may not know where they are, let alone what they carry."
The app doesn't allow buying online, but shoppers can find what they want before the head to the store.
With its plethora of small, independent stores, Williamsburg was a natural place to launch Shophood, Thoms said, though it's hoped it will expand into Greenpoint and other Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Items can be sorted by price, by new shops in the area, by location or by the store itself. Featured shops include Bedford Cheese Shop, designer In God We Trust and home decor store Abode.
Once you add an item to your cart, the app checks with the store's inventory to make sure the item is in stock before you head out.
"It's a pretty great idea considering how Williamsburg is being inundated with a bunch of corporate buisnesses." said Emily Tigges, 32, a manager at Smoochie Baby at 110 Berry St, one of the 40 stores included in the app.
"It's really nice to see something that's directed toward your mom and pop shops."
