Leeds start-up's Comparison Shopping Service offer is free and easy for small businesses

Vendably claims some businesses are struggling to take advantage of the discounts that are on offer from Google for CSS advertisers.

The start-up says many of the big players in the industry have built their CSS for existing clients to use as a value added service, shutting out smaller retailers who cannot afford the fees that are involved.

To try to address the problem, Vendably is pledging to provide a free CSS platform, so small and medium enterprises and independents can tap into Google’s range of advertising discounts.

Vendably founder Nigel Copley told Digital City: “The service is of no use to the end consumer if only the big players can get involved, or if it’s not a genuine comparison service.

“Once a CSS has been set up the actual work involved in delivering the service to merchants is minimal, so there’s no reason for these discounts to be locked up in expensive fees.

“There remains this air of mystery and ‘magic’ around so much of digital, which confuses and controls.

“But if we take the headache away from e-commerce, everyone can benefit.”

Vendably describes itself as an “early stage, growing e-commerce systems business which believes every retailer can be greater with data”.

Around 80 merchants currently use the company’s CSS platform, including Complete Care, NRS and Co-op.

For further information about its free CSS offer, visit the www.vendably.com website.

The Yorkshire Evening Post runs a regular Digital City column in partnership with Sky Betting & Gaming.

The platform aims to highlight the giant strides being made by a sector that boasts around 3,000 organisations in Leeds.