Community News
Shop BenGil revealed to local business owners
TJ Allan, co-founder of Shop BenGil, explains to business owners it is all about convenience.
Shop BenGil is the first online e-commerce site in Macoupin County that will benefit the shop local initiative as well as support the community. The site, which has been under creation for the last 16 months, is in the final stages before launch and about 80% complete. Launching is planned for early February in 2012, but the site was revealed to local business owners on Thursday evening at Ageless Fitness Center.
Local business owners and potential business owners were invited to witness the revealing of the first ever e-commerce ‘mall’ site in Macoupin County as Shop BenGil is going to be working with these local business owners in the last 2 building months to get their virtual store front available on the site.
E-commerce is an important component to business development, therefore Shop BenGil and Macoupin Economic Development Partnership will be teaming up to aid merchants in this essential on-line transition. MEDP will be expanding its business service offerings in 2012; e-commerce, business marketing, development and access to capital will all play key components.
“Every small business needs to take advantage of this opportunity to reach a larger customer base and increase sales,” Executive Director Shari Albrecht opened. “Successful small businesses adapt to their customer needs; virtual storefronts are that need.”
TJ Allan, co-founder, explained that a web presence is so crucial to the vitality of a small business these days and his main initiative was to create a venue that would be user friendly, easy to operate and increase sales of merchants in the community.
“I think many of our businesses are missing sales because we are only open 8am-5pm which is the regular work shift,” Allan explained, “Therefore we are missing the people that are at work with all the money.” The web presence will be the middle-man in this equation and will allow customers the convenience to shop local establishments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
The solution to bring customers back to shopping local is convenience and according to Allan, we think we have the solution. Shop BenGil is going to be no different than a shopping mall and essentially, that is all it is. All of the stores will be posted on one site and consumers will be able to purchase products from any local store with just a few clicks.
One debit card or credit card transaction can get you a toy from Torpani’s or a decoration from Sullivan’s and even a walker from Michelle’s to a cheesecake from CP’s Five & Dine. “Everyone recognizes the shop local drive, but for some odd reason most of us are not shopping local,” Allan went on to say, “I really think it comes down to convenience and this is the perfect time to get our stores on the internet and selling online through an e-commerce channel.”
An e-commerce site compared to a brick and mortar store will hopefully expand the selection and lower expenses. As long as business owners get their products online, customers can shop their products at any time of the day or year. Business owners will now be able to offer more products online since they will be able to tell what products are popular and not.
Business owners watch as TJ Allan reveals the site to them first hand.
They can consider bringing the popular items into their store and not bringing the unpopular items in, but yet still offer them to their customers because they can order them at any time so the business does not have to tie their money up into inventory.
All the costs associated with a brick and mortar store will not be associated with an e-commerce site. A warehouse full of products is replaced with data on an e-commerce site and this is why internet businesses can make much more money.
“We are not trying to change your business model,” Allan noted, “Brick and mortar stores are essential to downtown Gillespie, but we believe in a hybrid type of business which will combine a brick and mortar store with an e-commerce site and we think this site will be the solution.”
Local business owners will have so much data through the Shop BenGil site that they will not know what to do with all of it. The data will make the business so much more efficient when it comes to marketing and even the day to day operations. Business owners will be able to see what customers are choosing to buy and what they are not and offer to ship the purchased items out or have them available for pickup.
People shop local because they trust the business owners and the relationship is based on trust. The BenGil area is the pilot segment of this e-commerce platform. Eventually this model will incorporate other communities and additional facets creating a new hybid business model.
Business owners will be able to manage their own products as well as all pictures and/or videos. Shop BenGil will take 5% off each product ordered and use that small amount of money to pay their merchant accounts. Anything rest will be pulled together and used for advertising to advertise the site which will stair step down to advertising for all the businesses featured on the site.
TJ Allan displays what Shop BenGil will look like and how easy it will be to make purchases off the site.
“I applaud any business that is uptown right now,” TJ Allan closed, “I know for a fact Ageless would have been out of business in 6 months if we would have stayed up town on Main Street.” Allan went on to say he realizes the cost that brick and mortar stores have and Shop BenGil will hopefully relieve some of that. If a business can build their foot traffic online, hopefully they can eventually move into a store front in downtown Gillespie.
All the sales tax generated through the Shop BenGil will go back into the community and this is just another way that it will be beneficial to everyone.
“This is really a good example of a public/private partnership,” Executive Director of MEDP Shari Albrecht closed, “MEDP is very proud to work with Shop BenGil. This approach to business development is ground-breaking and we are very excited to bring this to local business owners.”
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SPRINGFIELD — Lincoln Land Community College has announced its full-time and part-time President’s and Vice President’s lists for the spring 2025 semester. Part-time students are enrolled in six to 11 credit hours while full-time students are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours.
Students who earned a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) are noted with an asterisk and earned President’s list honors. Students who earned between a GPA of 3.5-3.99 earned Vice President’s list honors. The excerpt below features Macoupin County students.
FULL-TIME STUDENTS
Bunker Hill – Logan R. Helling
Carlinville – Reid P. Evans*, Brody M. Reif
Gillespie – Maris E. Brill, Austin L. Grace*
Girard – Max Allen*, Katie Angulo*, Mick B. Downs*, Josh Hagerman, Reed Lewis, Michael S. Prose*
Mount Olive – Jakobb E. Brown*, Georgia G. Kampwerth
Palmyra – Alexis R. Bowman*
Staunton – Paige N. Horstmeyer*, Michael J. Matesa*, Lauren R. Mathis, Brandon Mo
Virden – Zorah E. Austin*, Michaeh N. Barnhouse*, Maddie Carver, Jackson R. Pierce*, Morgan C. Snell*, Grant M. Strickler, Courtney N. Ulinski*
PART-TIME STUDENTS
Benld – Christopher Young*
Carlinville – Alex C. Nance*, Jerry D. Nance Jr.*
Gillespie – Jessica L. Tiek*
Girard – Lindsey J. Ferguson*, Jackson R. Henke*, Natalie Moriconi*
Mount Olive – Kara A. Harmon*, Justin D. O’Neill*, Hayden Wylder*
Virden – Candace L. Carlile*, Lillian M. Carlile*, Natalie M. Little*, Josie P. Patterson, Luciano Pierce*
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The 2:18 Missions Team, a dedicated local outreach group based in Gillespie, is excited to announce its upcoming cookout fundraiser to support its community initiatives. The event will take place on Saturday, June 21st, at Randy’s Market in Benld.
From approximately 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., community members are invited to enjoy delicious homemade food while supporting a worthy cause. The menu will feature pork chops, pork burgers, hot dogs, and refreshing water — perfect for a summer day of good food and fellowship.
“All proceeds from this event will go directly toward our mission efforts to serve and uplift our community,” said a spokesperson for 2:18 Missions Team. “We’re grateful for the support of our neighbors and look forward to seeing everyone there!”
Come out to Randy’s Market in Benld on June 21st to enjoy a tasty meal, support local endeavors, and connect with others in the community.
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CARLINVILLE, IL – On June 14th, concerned citizens are invited to join a coalition of grassroots organizations to nonviolently protest in front of the Macoupin County Courthouse at 201 E. Main St. in Carlinville, IL, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. This protest is one of over 1,400 protests taking place nationwide with millions of participants as part of the NO KINGS National Day of Action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.
Trump’s unconstitutional actions include suppressing free speech, detaining people for their political positions, deporting American citizens, defying the courts, and much more – all while enriching himself and his billionaire allies.
“Now Donald Trump is planning a military parade in Washington, D.C. on June 14th. This display of might is intended to intimidate opponents and solidify his image as a strongman, while paying for it with taxpayer dollars.”, said Kelley Hatlee, a volunteer organizer with the Macoupin County 50501and Indivisible movements. “Instead of allowing this military parade to be the center of attention, the NO KINGS nationwide protests make action everywhere else the story of America on June 14th: people coming together in communities across the country to reject strongman politics and corruption.”, said Hatlee.
“We’re showing up together as neighbors, friends, and fellow community members to say NO to authoritarianism and yes to a government that serves everyone,” said Chelsa Pruden, a volunteer organizer with Macoupin PRIDE and Macoupin County 50501 and Indivisible. “We’re tired of watching powerful people trample our rights and our voices. This protest is about reminding everyone, especially those in power, that real strength comes from the people.”
Participants are encouraged to make protest signs that convey their personal messages. Packaged, nonperishable food items will be accepted for donation to local food pantries to help low-income families who will be hit hardest by Trump’s policies.
The NO KINGS protest in Carlinville is organized by a volunteer coalition of the Macoupin PRIDE and the Macoupin County 50501 and Indivisible grassroots movements. The coalition has created a Facebook page titled “Macoupin County 50501 and Indivisible” for concerned citizens to follow.
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