UK's Hard-Hit Small Businesses Get Free Digital Boost to Rebuild from COVID-19

Builder.ai Launches Free 'Digital Starter Kits' to Help Retailers and Restaurants Drive Sales, Keep Customers Safe and Deliver Exceptional Customer Experiences

LONDON, April 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Builder.ai, the leading AI-powered software development platform, today announced the launch of its new programme providing 'digital starter kits' as a means of giving hard-hit British businesses a fighting chance at rebuilding and thriving amidst the pandemic. The programme will make it easy for British small businesses to sell online with a free ecommerce 'shop in a box' and for restaurants to reopen safely with a free queueing app through Studio Store.

This comes at a critical time as the first set of UK lockdown restrictions are set to ease up on 12 April, 2021, when in-store shopping and outdoor dining at restaurants and pubs will be legally permitted. By taking their business online - at no charge and quickly - British retailers and restaurants will be able to generate more sales, while also keeping their customers safe, improving the customer experience and cultivating long-term loyalty.

The programme is specifically designed for:

• Retailers who want to offer a digital customer experience (website and/or native app) to allow customers to make online purchases for click-and-collect or delivery
• Restaurants, pubs and bars who want to reopen safely, allowing customers to book tables through a rich queueing system, which reduces wait times and delivers an exceptional and safe customer experience

The programme is especially important given the fact that retail sales volumes in the UK sank 8.25 percent in January 2021 compared to the previous month and 72 percent of UK restaurants/pubs feared they would be forced to close in 2021 due to the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. To make matters worse, the Centre for Economics and Business Research has just revealed that a year of COVID lockdowns cost the UK economy £251 billion.

"As British businesses gear up to reopen after months of lockdown, digitally-driven efficiency will be paramount for restaurants looking to turn over the maximum number of tables per shift and for retailers looking to offer delivery and click-and-collect options efficiently and safely," said Sachin Dev Duggal, Co-Founder and CEO of Builder.ai. "And software will be vital in making this happen. Our 'digital starter kit' programme gets to the very heart of the problem and provides a much-needed digital boost for British small businesses, who lost so many customers and so much revenue due to the pandemic. This will allow them to thrive post-pandemic by focusing on key business objectives, such as reaching their customers online, attracting new customers, managing deliveries and – most importantly - generating consistent revenue. At the same time, it will inject new life into the UK economy. We want the British business community to know they're not alone; we're in this together and we're committed to helping them rebuild and thrive."

Builder.ai polled approximately 300 retail business professionals in the UK to gauge how valuable free apps could be in their COVID-19 recovery efforts. The results were eye-opening, with 77 percent of British retailers saying they would happily accept an offer to build a free ecommerce store and launch it in under a week, as a way to accelerate their COVID-19 recovery. As these findings reveal, British businesses are desperate for help, but haven't had the support. Builder.ai's free 'digital starter kit' programme not only provides these businesses with relief, but offers a glimmer of hope for a strong COVID-19 recovery.

During the lockdowns, restaurants and retailers have been paying large portions of their revenue to aggregators and marketplaces like Deliveroo, UberEats, Amazon and eBay, who can charge up to 35 percent commissions, to serve their customers who moved to ordering online. This is something that small businesses simply cannot afford. Essentially, businesses have been paying high commission fees to serve their own customers, who haven't been able to enjoy the in-store shopping and dining experiences they would have pre-lockdown. To that end, British restaurants have been especially vocal about expressing their frustrations about how these commission fees are robbing them of their ability to survive and thrive post-pandemic. Builder.ai understands their pain.

Sachin Dev Duggal concluded, "Our vision is to put an app into the hands of every entrepreneur and small business without asking them to give up a share of their revenue, especially now when budgets are tight and consumer spending is down. This is why Builder.ai won't charge any fees - so the free apps can be free forever - and businesses will only be charged after they grow to generate more than 50 orders per month. Instead, their hard-earned money can be reinvested into operations, cash flow and paying staff. The average retail order value is £48, which means retailers can earn £2,400 per month before spending a penny with us. It's impossible to argue with that kind of ROI. For restaurants, on the other hand, launching a free queueing app will not only keep customers safe, but it will also reduce wait times and improve the overall customer experience. That will translate into more trust, more loyalty and more repeat business."

To get started with building a free ecommerce store, visit this page.

To get started with building a free restaurant queueing app, visit this page.

About Builder.ai

Builder.ai is a leading AI-powered software development platform that empowers enterprises, small businesses and entrepreneurs to build, run and scale their software – using reusable Lego-like features, a vetted network of developers and a state-of-the-art software assembly line running in the cloud. They don't need technical expertise or to write any code. Led by serial entrepreneur Sachin Dev Duggal, Builder.ai is reshaping how software is built and operated with its suite of products, including Builder Studio, Builder Cloud, Builder Care, Builder Now and Studio Rapid.

Builder.ai is a global brand with its headquarters in London, supported by offices in New Delhi, Singapore, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Dubai. Customers include everyone from the bakery in Riyadh to globally renowned enterprises like the BBC, Virgin Unite and the US Air Force. Builder.ai was created so that everyone can be empowered to unlock their true potential, irrespective of their knowledge and skills.

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Media Contacts:

Madano for Builder.ai - UK Press Office
Joshua Ayodele, Madano
Phone: +44 (0)7738 832189
Email: builder@madano.com

Builder.ai Corporate Communications
Ragini Bhalla
Director of Communications
Email: ragini.bhalla@builder.ai