Cyprus Mail 26 April 2020 - by Gina Agapiou
The GenuiIN online platform
The user-friendly website allows the public to search for products in different categories and easily compare their prices.
Four entrepreneurs are determined to help local businesses survive the challenge of the coronavirus crisis.
The GenuiIN online platform, which was two years in the making, aims to bring together different local producers and craftspeople and offer them access to a greater network of clients.
“People did not experience such unique circumstances in the past,” said GenuiIN founder Minas Kyriacou. “But there are no problems which are more difficult. There are only problems that require alternative solutions. GenuIN is an alternative solution.”
Since its soft launch last year, the platform now hosts 80 producers and 400 products, varying from herbs and traditional desserts to clothing and woodwork. An executive decision was taken after the outbreak of the coronavirus effectively closed down businesses to offer the platform’s services for free to all businesses or producers until July.
“It is our social responsibility. The main purpose is to help people and support the local economy,” Kyriacou said.
The parallel aim is to create a community of all local producers and make genuine traditional products relevant again.
The user-friendly website allows the public to search for products in different categories and easily compare their prices.
The main issue currently is the delivering the products, Kyriacou said, as at present it has to be arranged between seller and their client. The company however is in contact with courier services and hopes to arrange a delivery service.
“We view all our members as family, and we want consumers to feel they are getting genuine products from their own grandpa or grandma.”
For that reason, the website has always offered free subscription for the first three items advertised. This package has now been expanded for all products until July.
“Even if one producer escapes the financial crisis because of our initiative, our struggles for the last two years will be worth it,” Kyriacou said.
The agriculture ministry and the deputy ministry of innovation also expressed their interest towards the platform and are in communication with the founders.
The dream begun in 2017 and it took about a year to fund the company and create the online website. The first producers registered in October 2019 and pilot orders were put via acquaintances.
“The initial idea was to offer a way out for people whose life was getting nowhere but had a hobby they loved.”
According to Kyriacou, when the pandemic hit Cyprus, director Costantinos Pantazis, general manager George Kokkinos, and Costantinos Hadjistefanou in charge of public relations sped up the process as part of their social contribution.
The company also participated to Covid-19 response in Greece, offering their help to provide about 30,000 pieces of protective equipment to health professionals fighting in the front-line.
Phone number 70000385 Website https://www.genuin.com.cy/
