Calatañazor (Soria)
Ringgggg!! The phone at home rings. It is a package in our name and its packaging doesn't come from a giant warehouse or bear the Amazon logo. It comes from Soria!
From its irresistible torreznos to its famous butter, going through freshly harvested mushrooms and truffles: the 'Buy in Soria' platform, made up of more than 100 companies and small businesses in the province, takes products from the area to any point of the Peninsula, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
Also Known As the "Sorian Amazon" , this marketplace of rural Spain, was created by the Federation of Trade Entrepreneurs of Soria (FECSoria) , with the collaboration of FOES and the Junta de Castilla y León.
And this project of "collective entrepreneurship" lives not only on torreznos and mushrooms: in 'Buy in Soria' we find up to more than 2,000 products in one click and with free shipping. The objective? “modernize and give visibility to the economy and SMEs in this area of Empty Spain”.
Marching a bundle of freshly picked mushrooms!
A PROJECT EMERGED DURING THE PANDEMIC
“The idea of ‘Buy in Soria’ was born in the spring of 2020, as a result of the first strict confinement that was declared. At that time, as happened to many other companies, we observed that the only channel that was opened to be able to access, in many cases, the client was online commerce ", bill Adolfo Sainz, Spokesperson for FEC Soria (Federation of Commerce Companies of Soria), to Traveler.es
And he continues: “Because of all the circumstances that surrounded us, what had previously been thought of as an alternative to physical sales had practically become a necessity. That was the great trigger for which we embarked on this -for a province like Soria-, small, but exciting, adventure”.
Thus, in full confinement, this online store was born, which brings the product and good work of the province of Soria to all parts of Spain.
Today, “we are by no means a multinational, as we have very limited human resources –explains Adolfo Sainz–; well like many of our products, in 'Compra en Soria', so to speak, we manage in an artisanal way”.
They do not have "super experts" specialized in specific disciplines, but rather they all do a little of everything: “We talk to the end customer the same way we talk to the transport company to find out the status of a shipment, we resolve a doubt from one of the sellers...”.
“In addition, we have the support and collaboration that FOES provides us – the CEOE of Soria – when it comes to having the services of the Communication office or Financial Department”, continues Adolfo.
But speaking in tangible figures, to number the template as such, there are too many fingers on the hand... "We would love for the team to be able to grow because that would be a fantastic sign," he adds.
The 'marketplace' that brings Soriano products to all of Spain
A VERY DIVERSE CLIENT
Currently, 'Buy in Soria' has more than 2,000 products and items for sale on the platform. As Adolf points out, "The most demanded products correspond to the food sector and, within this, those by which people identify Soria".
“When people listen to Soria, it is very likely that the first thing that comes to mind is 'torreznos', 'butter', 'mushrooms', 'mycology'..." Adolfo comments when referring to that client who is not from the province and who comes to the web in search of typical products.
There is also the profile of the client who lives abroad but who, for whatever reason, has a relationship with Soria: "These are already inclined towards products that they usually buy when they visit Soria and which they cannot now have: assorted sausages, sweets, pasta, wines, cheeses... We have received many tokens of appreciation from people who Due to the confinement, they could not travel in Soria and in this way they could buy the chorizo or the cheese that they like so much.” Adolfo Sainz tells Traveler.es
Then there are the customers residing in the province itself for whom 'Buy in Soria' means the possibility of making the purchase of the week: "buy fresh products of all kinds, fill the fridge, with the convenience of having them delivered to your home, whether it is in a small town or in the city of Soria itself," Adolfo concludes.
"Looking at what we have close, sure, we will go further"
MUCH MORE THAN TORREZNOS
In addition to the Butter with denomination of origin, the delicious honeys and natural infusions, the rich mycology and the famous sausages from Soria such as the Torrezno de Soria , in this online market that supports local businesses, you can buy clothing, small appliances, gifts, technology... and even new and used cars, flats or plots.
The 'Buy in Soria' product portfolio continues to grow day by day and is open to any company in the province that wishes to participate.
“Currently we have around 120 companies that sell their products through the platform. For many, this is the first experience of online commerce”, says Adolfo.
Today, they have standardized the possibility of placing orders to the Peninsula and the islands within 24/48 hours. "We are studying extending the coverage to Europe, since we have received inquiries from interested people from countries such as Switzerland, Portugal... but this is still a project, in the medium term, as it involves increasing paperwork and bureaucracy," adds Adolfo.
Products have already been sent to all the autonomous communities and in a geographical breakdown, Madrid, with 20% of the total, and Barcelona, with 15%, are the leading provinces the ranking of purchases in the Soriano marketplace stands out.
In all these product sales, there are no middlemen, 100% of the profits are for the merchant, that is to say, there is no commission whatsoever as occurs on other platforms and it is the trade federation that assumes the management costs of 'Buy in Soria'.
Torreznos: from Soria to the door of your house
HOW DOES IT WORK?
'Buy in Soria' is an online market, that is, a virtual food market. “It is as if each seller had a stall within this market, where they can put up for sale all the products they want”, explains Adolfo Sainz.
The seller is the one who deals after sending the products purchased by the customer. 'Buy in Soria' works in the manner of "a large supermarket that, As a great advantage for both the customer and the seller, it offers the possibility of paying for the purchase electronically and choosing the place of destination to which the purchase is to be sent. We are that mediator” , he goes on to say him.
Currently, and about to celebrate its first year, they are focusing on improving the customer experience both to shorten delivery times and to implement a picking system. that will allow the purchase of a customer who, for example, has bought products from several different vendors, to be combined in a single shipment.
To the rich Sorian truffle!
“IF YOU WANT TO THINK BIG, IT IS REASONABLE TO THINK SMALL”
When we ask Adolfo what he would say to consumers to convince them of the importance of supporting local businesses, he answers us bluntly: “Let them be, in quotes, “selfish”. Yes, this statement may seem strange, but if you reflect on which action is the one that benefits you the most, you will discover that when you buy at the shops in your neighborhood, or in your city, you get a return on investment, perhaps you do not receive it directly, material and tangible. But it comes to you."
Why and how does this return come about? “When you introduce that injection in the circuit of your neighbourhood, of your town, of your little city, the amount of that purchase of ten euros begins to circulate. And that ten euro note that you gave to the greengrocer, then goes to the fishmonger, and then to the bar counter, and then the owner of the bar needs to buy a flat because he has finally saved money and it turns out that flat is the one I was put up for sale”, develops Adolfo Sainz.
The Soriano "Amazon"
And it is that, as the FEC Soria spokesman affirms, “To save two euros on a product, we buy from a seller on the other side of the planet and we don't realize that we are losing a percentage of that purchase we have made. We think that nothing is happening and yes, we are literally losing money.”
"For this reason, whether you make the purchase by entering the store or remotely through a route such as 'Buy in Soria', if you want to think big, it is reasonable to think small”, says Adolfo.
The above have been discovered and corroborated throughout these months: “We also see how satisfying it is to put people in contact, so that, for example, the delicious pastries that a bakery in a town makes – and that only the town’s residents and occasional vacationers know about – They can be discovered and appreciated by an unknown client or by that tourist who passed through the town one day, he bought that bag of sweets and he loved it. For that, this is worth it. Looking at what is close to us, surely, we will go further”, he concludes.