Shopping season – Virtual marketplace Spots on the Fox opens in Geneva

Shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic can be a problem, especially for people with compromised immune systems.

So Ana and Kiel Tredrea came up with Spots on the Fox, an online local marketplace where businesses can have a virtual storefront to sell their goods.

“With everything going on and it getting cold out, that’s making it harder for people to visit a store,” Kiel Tredrea said. “We wanted a solution that helps all local businesses, that provides a local marketplace that they can join as a benefit for customers to shop their favorite stores and take it from one transaction.”

Customers have one cart and one checkout, and 100% of sales go to each vendor. Each vendor handles shipping and customer service.

Spots on the Fox does not take commission on the sales, but rather makes its profit from a monthly membership fee of $39.99.

For restaurants, Spots on the Fox has a coupon model. A customer would buy a $25 coupon for $50 worth of food, for example.

Again, the company does not take a percentage of the profits – 100% of the sale goes to the restaurant.

Restaurants’ membership fee would be $24.99 a month and the vendor decides whether it’s for delivery or pickup and handles their own customer service, Kiel Tredrea said.

The website, spotsonthefox.com, had a soft launch in late September with Artemisia, Harvey's Tales, Kernels Popcorn, Lina's Paintings, Intrinsic DM2 – an accounting firm – and Kiel Tredrea's marketing firm, Red 27 Creative.

He said they’re hoping to have a dozen more businesses sign on before they start doing a paid marketing campaign.

Ana Tredrea, who previously was in sales before becoming a stay-at-home mom, said the couple is particularly sensitive to people who are immunocompromised – as she is – and want to shop and support local businesses, but don’t want to risk going out.

“I am 100% quarantined,” Ana Tredrea said. “I have not left the house.”

They are looking to expand outside of Geneva to Batavia, St. Charles, Aurora and all along the Fox River.

The couple live in Aurora. Kiel Tredrea grew up in Geneva and his family still lives there, so they are building on their Geneva connection.

More information also is available on the Spots on the Fox Facebook page.