Liverpool’s Foursquare Group launches UK first “Pay What You Can” COVID-safe package for independents

Foursquare Group champions independents and its new ‘Pay What You Can’ pack is the company’s latest initiative to kick-start the hospitality and retail industry post lockdown

Foursquare Group – committed to helping independent businesses – has launched a ‘Pay What You Can’ Covid-Safe package aimed at hospitality and retail businesses to help them reopen following lockdown.

The initiative, which simplifies the new health and safety measures businesses need to implement, was created to kickstart the independent hospitality and retail industry following the devastating effects of COVID-19. The pack consists of guidance and templates which all businesses can use to carry out risk assessments and plan their safe and successful reopening. It has been carefully designed to meet new and existing compliance requirements so that businesses can safely return to operating as soon as possible.

Also included in the pack, is a face-to-face audit by a Foursquare safety professional to independently verify that each business is ready to reopen. Businesses taking part in the scheme will receive a Covid-Safe certificate to display on their websites and window fronts, which will boost consumer confidence and contribute to a faster industry re-start.

The Pay What You Can pricing model for this initiative is the first of its kind in the UK and makes this support accessible to as many businesses as possible at a time when they need it most. A ‘suggested price’ is provided by Foursquare Group for the pack, but the actual price paid is decided entirely by those businesses who use it. This is based on how much they feel is affordable to them, rather than a fixed price which may be inaccessible.

A plethora of independents have already took advantage of Foursquare Group’s incredible offer including Duke Street Food and Drink Market, Bold Street Coffee, Maray, Leaf, Bacaro, Free State Kitchen, floatation therapy centre Float Planet, The Brain Charity café, Ropes and Twines and So Salsa, to name a few.

Liam Jones, Foursquare Group’s founder and CEO, added:

“I started Foursquare Group back in January 2019 and since then we’ve been on a mission to make compliance as simple and cost-effective for independents as possible. These businesses have all the same regulations to meet as the chains they’re competing against with a fraction of the resources, so we try to level the playing field as much as we can.

“Covid-19 has devastated our beloved hospitality and retail and we had to step up and help the sector we serve. The contents of the Covid-Safe pack we’ve developed makes it much easier for businesses to navigate the new regulations on their business, so they can reopen as quickly and safely as possible.

“We also felt that we had to help as many businesses as we possibly could which is why we’ve radically changed our business model to now offer all of our services, including the Covid-Safe

pack, via a Pay What You Can pricing model. Fundamentally, we believe that business compliance, and the fight against Covid-19 in particular, shouldn’t be compromised by cost. Cash flow is a huge concern for the sector in the short and medium-term, and this concern should never find itself in a trade-off with operating safely. Our Pay What You Can pricing model ensures all businesses have access to the tools they need regardless of their cash position.’

Matt Farrell, Director of Graffiti Spirits Group, said:

“Foursquare Group’s Covid-Safe package helped us to safely reopen both Duke Street Market and Bold Street Coffee and made complying with government requirements much easier.

It’s Pay What You Can package is really fair and has come at a time when independents need it most after what’s been a really devastating last few months for the hospitality industry.

Duke Street Market

“We’re really excited to be open again and welcoming our guests back for takeaway at Bold Street Coffee and Click+Collect on the market’s dishes and drinks. And we’ll be using Foursquare’s Covid-Safe package for GSG’s other venues to ensure they meet all health and safety requirements when they come to reopen.”

Get more info about the package here.

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