Trade goes digital with new app

By Lisa Riley

Published: 14 December, 2020

Hospitality members’ club Trade has launched a free app for hospitality workers providing access to the community and perks beyond the walls of the Soho club, which closed its doors in March 2020.

A virtual version of the former members’ club, the app provides a hub for hospitality professionals to access an ecosystem of resources, perks and tools to equip them in a post-lockdown world and beyond, said Trade founders Xavier Rousset MS and Gearoid Devaney MS, who first revealed plans for the app back in June this year.

The app includes a ‘Covid Business Support’ section, which provides access to resources and support to help staff and businesses thrive, including licensing and employment lawyers, advice lines and links to hospitality-specific social distancing guidelines, and a ‘Perks’ section offering members discounts and added extras at restaurants and bars; exclusive deals at hotels and gyms; wine and equipment offers; digital marketing support; discounted courses and consultancy offers.

In addition, a ‘News’ section provides access to the latest industry news from trusted sources, including Harpers, all collated in one place, while ‘Events’ includes invitations to Trade-hosted events, seminars and webinars.

The App also includes ‘Jobs’, ‘Wellbeing’ and ‘Marketplace’ sections, with the latter providing a forum for members where they can sell surplus equipment/furniture and advertise flat shares.

“Xavier and I took time out during lockdown to consider what the industry would find useful given the new challenges we’re facing, thinking back to the vision we had when we first launched Trade, said Devaney.

Now seemsed like a “better time than ever” to launch an app-based hub in which to share resources, advice, news, ideas and jobs, he added.

Trade’s current paying membership base of 1,600 will become ‘founder members’ of the app, giving them extra benefits including exclusive access to partner members clubs such as 67 Pall Mall, Quo Vadis Club, The Court and Blacks Club in addition to discounts on food and drink at the Trade founders’ new bar, The Black Book.

Open to all, The Black Book [formerly the Trade Soho site on Frith Street] opened its doors in September this year specialising in "interesting wines" at discounted prices.