What is LocalFor.Me?
LocalFor.Me is a local-first directory and commerce platform for verified UK and Isle of Man shops, makers and tradespeople. Here is what it does and who it is for.
Support local, it's worth it
LocalFor.Me is a local-first directory and commerce platform for the UK and Isle of Man. It helps you find the shops, makers and tradespeople on your doorstep — bakeries, plumbers, hairdressers, florists, cafés and dozens more categories — and, where a business has switched it on, buy from them directly.
The difference from a generic search engine is trust. Every business carries a green Verified tick only after a real person on our ops team has checked their paperwork. You are browsing your actual neighbourhood, not a sea of anonymous listings.
What you can do
- Browse businesses near you — real opening hours, real photos and the Recommended by N trust signal from other locals.
- Search by business name or keyword from the bar in the header.
- Save favourites so you can come back to a shop later.
- Recommend the businesses you rate, helping your neighbours find them too.
- Buy and check out securely where a business has enabled it, paying through Stripe.
Coming soon: Private Sales — a peer-to-peer marketplace for neighbours selling everyday things like used bikes, garden tools and kids' clothes. You'll see it marked Soon around the site until it launches.
The three kinds of people on LocalFor.Me
There are three roles, and which one applies to you simply depends on what you are here to do:
- Shoppers (consumers). The default. Anyone can browse the directory without an account; creating one unlocks favourites, recommendations, saved items and checkout. This is the role you get the moment you sign up.
- Businesses (merchants). Vetted shops, makers and tradespeople who list a profile so locals can find — and buy from — them. Becoming a business does not mean a separate account: you sign up as a shopper first, then list a business from the same account.
- Owner / admin. Our internal team. They run the verification checks, approve applications and keep the directory honest. You won't manage anything here yourself, but they are the reason the Verified tick means something.
How verification works
Every listed business goes through a four-step check — an identity check, an address check, a live human review and an annual refresh. You can read the full detail on the How verification works page, linked from the footer of every page.
Getting started
- Just looking? Head to Browse businesses and explore.
- Want the full experience? Create an account (see Creating an account & signing in).
- Run a local business? Choose List a business to apply.
- Know a great local shop that isn't here yet? Use Invite a business to nudge them on.