Mastercard Expands ShopOpenings.com to the U.S. & Canada, Delivering a Search Tool That Identifies What Stores Near You Are Open for Business

Search solution complements new Digital Acceleration for Small Business global initiative which helps small businesses advance digitally and drive online commerce

As businesses seek to draw customers back both in store and online, Mastercard is introducing new tools to support them. Mastercard announced the geographic expansion of ShopOpenings.com, a new online search tool that confirms which shops and businesses are open to customers, bringing the search capability to the U.S. and Canada. The company also introduced Digital Acceleration for Small Business, a global initiative to deliver insights and resources for those small business owners looking to expand their business digitally and build an online presence. The initiative is being rolled out first in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.

Welcoming Back Customers Through Open Doors

Leveraging Mastercard insights, the expanded ShopOpenings.com, built in partnership with data analysis company Sixth Sense, provides people with a continually updated place to determine which local shops and businesses are open. This includes those businesses that are reopening their doors after temporarily closing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The unique site includes retailers of all types – from restaurants to pharmacies and dry cleaners to boutiques – and identifies merchants that accept contactless payments. ShopOpenings.com is optimized for mobile phone use to support consumers on the go and is regularly updated to ensure the reliability of the information delivered. Shop owners do not need to register to take part.

“Businesses large and small are the engine of growth for economies around the world and right now they need our collective support to navigate these uncharted times,” said Jess Turner, Executive Vice President Products & Innovation in North America for Mastercard. “The resiliency and drive of small business owners is unprecedented and ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary is the single most important thing we can all do for economic and social vitality.”

Expanding Digitally with Customer Experience and Safety Prioritized

Consumers across the globe have shifted to digital shopping as a result of the pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders. Small businesses looking to accommodate evolved customer behaviors and drive new revenue streams are following suit. To help this online expansion, Mastercard has launched the Digital Acceleration for Small Business global initiative that is being customized regionally to provide small businesses a pathway to expand their online presence, protect their online operations and succeed in the new normal.

The initiative delivers localized, end-to-end digital tools and will launch first in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. In the U.S., Mastercard has rolled out Digital Doors with partners like BigCommerce, Hello Alice and Shopify alongside Mastercard solutions including cybersecurity, standardized online checkout Click to Pay and a customized digital skills curriculum. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the company has launched Digital Acceleration for Small Business with partners like Linio, INCAE, Leafgrow and Sheworks.

ShopOpenings.com and Digital Acceleration for Small Business are part of Mastercard’s wider Recovery Insights program, which has been designed to support businesses and governments across the globe looking for resources to help better manage the health, safety and economic risks presented by the recent pandemic. Recovery Insights offers a set of tools, innovation and research that can provide some certainty today and support data-driven decision-making for a more digital tomorrow. More information on Mastercard Recovery Insights can be found here.

Source: Mastercard