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Hyperlocal site’s ’99p shop’ story goes national

A hyperlocal news website recorded one of its highest ever levels of traffic after covering a half-price sales fiasco at a local 99p shop.

The story, which followed chaotic scenes when a discount shop suddenly called off its ‘Everything 50p’ promotion, was read by nearly 80,000 people on wrexham.com which launched in 2011.

Reporters from the website posted live tweets from the Regent Street shop after police were called to deal with angry bargain-hunters who had refused to pay 99p for goods that had been advertised for 50p.

The website’s online report was picked up the following morning by regional newspapers including the Wrexham Leader, before national news outlets including The Mail and The Independent also picked it up.

 

The story was soon picked up by national news outlets

“The story went pretty crazy with several hundred concurrent readers throughout the evening,” said wrexham.com co-owner Rob Taylor.

“The story was perhaps depressingly, or amusingly, at one point the ‘most read’ on the BBC News website.

“The nation’s marmite publication The Daily Mail also chose to run it with their comments section providing its usual delights.”

The website also used the innovative Google Glass –  a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display –  to speak with the resident who gave them the original tip off.

“As the Glass developer programme is only USA-based at the moment and units are scarce in the UK we are pretty sure this is one of, if not the first public use of Glass by journalist types over here,” added Rob.