As we all grapple with the ongoing pandemic, we are becoming more comfortable with the idea of managing our lives digitally, which includes shopping on the internet. But how do we focus on buying Black without putting our coins in Jeff Bezos’ bank account? According to Input Magazine, there’s an app for that! It’s called Miiriya and it means “thoughts” or “ideas” in the language Bambara out of West Africa.
The site’s similarities to Amazon are limited to both being buy-anything-you-need marketplaces, though. Unlike Amazon, Miiriya doesn’t charge vendors any overhead for their listings or transaction fees. Every penny you spend on the site goes directly to the small business that created your product.
As a nascent marketplace, Miiriya isn’t perfect. But it’s providing much-needed space for Black-owned businesses to thrive in the face of Amazon’s ever-increasing empire.
JUST AS EASY AS AMAZON — Amazon’s rise to power is directly related to its ease of use: just a few clicks and a few days (or hours) later everything you need is at your doorstep. Amazon’s buying process is convenience personified; that keeps people coming back.
Miiriya borrows from the online marketplace design popularized by Amazon, only without the big tech corporation watching what you buy. There’s a search bar that indexes products across every vendor, but you can also browse by category, if you’re not sure exactly what you want. You can also explore a particular vendor’s shop if you have a favorite.
Like Amazon, Miiriya also has a review system to help you decide whether or not a product is trustworthy. The reviews are a little thin right now, seeing as the site is brand new — but that’s sure to fill out as the site’s user base grows.
Read more on input.com
