Hello Charlotte Shops!
Become a Localist Host and turn your business into a neighborhood pickup spot for products made right here in Charlotte.
The Localist is an online marketplace built to connect Charlotte Creators & Shoppers... and we need great local places to bring them together!
Coffee shops. Breweries. Boutiques. Cafés. Studios. Markets. The neighborhood businesses people already love visiting.
You provide the pickup spot. We bring new people through the door.
What is a Localist Host?
Localist Hosts are local businesses that serve as convenient pickup locations for orders placed through The Localist.
Customers shop from local Creators online. Creators prepare and package their orders. Then, Creators bring those orders to a nearby Host for temporary holding.
Customers stop by to pick them up within a few days.
And while they're there? Maybe they grab a latte. Stay for a beer. Browse your shelves. Or discover a new favorite neighborhood business.
It's local businesses supporting local businesses.
How It Works
1. Submit your application to be a Host.
Our short application asks basic questions about your location to be accepted as a Host.
2. Set up your Host page.
Choose the pickup days and times that work for your business. We'll make your location available as a Localist pickup destination. You will also be featured on our website as a local Host!
3. Creators bring the orders.
Local Creators prepare, package and label their customer orders before bringing them to your location.
4. You hold them for pickup.
Your team keeps the labeled orders in a designated Localist pickup area until customers arrive.
5. Localists come to you.
Customers receive pickup instructions and stop by your business to pick up their products.
6. You meet new customers.
There's nothing else they have to buy... but they're already through your door.
Keeping it Simple
We're designing the Host experience to require as little staff involvement as possible.
Creators arrive with completed, packaged and labeled orders.
Customers arrive knowing where and when to pick them up.
You provide the space in between.
No selling. No packing. No shipping.
Why Become a Host?
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Bring New People Through Your Door
Every pickup creates another reason for someone nearby to visit your business.
Some will already be customers.
Others may be walking in for the first time.
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Support Your Local Small-Business Community
The Localist is built around keeping more commerce close to home.
Hosting gives local Creators an easy way to reach customers without shipping—and gives your business a tangible way to support the people making and creating in your community.
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Become a Neighborhood Destination
We want Localist Hosts to be more than dots on a map.
They're part of the experience.
Shoppers can discover where they're picking up, learn about your business, and hopefully find another local place worth coming back to.
Who Makes a Great Localist Host?
Anywhere people already enjoy stopping by.
Coffee shops and cafés. Breweries and bottle shops. Boutiques. Bookstores. Garden centers. Salons and studios. Coworking spaces. Specialty shops. Neighborhood markets. And other locally owned establishments.
If you're a business that believes a stronger local economy is good for everyone, we'd love to meet you.
Questions You May Have
What does my team have to do?
As little as possible.
Creators arrive with orders already packaged and labeled. Your team receives the orders, keeps them in the designated pickup area and makes them available when customers arrive.
The Localist handles the online marketplace, ordering and customer communications.
What kinds of products might we receive?
Depending on the Creators participating in your area, orders could include art, stationery, jewelry, home goods, candles, accessories, plants, flowers, gifts and approved packaged foods.
The Localist will establish product guidelines for what can and cannot be distributed through Host locations.
How long do we have to hold orders?
Pickup windows will be clearly defined.
Creators drop orders off during a designated window, and customers are instructed to retrieve them within the specified pickup period. These hours are set by you.
We expect most packages to be picked up within 3 days. For orders that aren't picked up within 7 days, a team member will pick them up so your business isn't stuck storing packages indefinitely.
Can we choose our drop-off & pickup schedule?
Yes. We want Localist pickups to work with your normal business operations—not disrupt them.
Available days, drop-off periods and pickup windows can be established with each Host.
Does it cost anything to become a Host?
The Host fee is $50 for the remainder of 2026. The Host fee is refundable if you do not have any pick ups by Jan 1, 2027.
In addition, our Hosts must provide a dedicated and secure location to keep products.
Our goal is to make hosting worthwhile for participating businesses while keeping the program simple to operate.
Do Hosts sell the products?
No. Customers purchase and pay for their products through The Localist before pickup.
Creators remain responsible for their products and orders. Your business simply serves as the designated pickup location.
What if a customer has a problem with their order?
Send them our way.
Product quality, missing items, refunds and other order issues are handled through The Localist and the Creator—not at your counter.
Your employees are not Localist customer-service representatives. This will also be communicated in their order confirmation.
Can we limit how many orders we accept?
Yes. Host capacity should be based on your available space and what your team is comfortable managing.
Do we need to handle payments?
No. Product transactions happen online through The Localist.
Hopefully, customers may decide to purchase from your establishment, in which you would treat them like any other customer!
Are we responsible for the products while they're here?
The Localist will establish clear Host Terms covering storage, damaged or abandoned orders, prohibited items and each party's responsibilities.
The storage location should only be accessible to your employees.
Hosts do not inspect, open or evaluate Creator products.
Can we promote our own business to Localist customers?
Please do.
We want Localists to discover the businesses serving as Hosts.
A pickup can become a coffee. A coffee can become someone's new Saturday routine.
That's exactly the kind of connection we're trying to create.
How much space will we need?
Not much. We'll work with each Host to determine an appropriate order capacity based on the space you have available.
A small designated shelf, cabinet, closet or other agreed-upon space may be all that's needed.
The space must be available only to your employees. It cannot be accessible by customers (such as an open shelf in the lobby).
Will we need refrigeration?
No! At this time, we are only accepting products that can be safely held at room temperature.
In the future, if you have cooler or freezer space, we may consider expanding this option.