Scoutmob seeks out the best in local goods and makes them accessible to the world.

Think Local

One of the best things about the internet is that it connects the world, making business and communication networks global. Unfortunately, that often causes local businesses, economies and craftsmen to suffer. ScoutMob exists to bridge the increasing gap between local and global. The website can be accessed from anywhere in the world, but it offers deals and products from local providers in your hometown. The page for New York, for instance, currently features a 50% off coupon at Fanny, a French restaurant in Brooklyn. It also features recommendations for things to do over the weekend and other NYC-specific articles. But the best part about ScoutMob’s location-specific pages is the locally-made goods that it offers. The Chicago page, for instance, features an elegant-looking walnut bread cutting board. When you click on the item, background information about Bonnie, the creator of the product, is displayed. She explains her love of antique bread boards, and her desire to make a product that can be used for a long period of time. The personalization of each product found on ScoutMob, from the location to the creator, makes the shopping experience feel much more like the real, offline experience of buying cool products from cool people.

Act Global

Scoutmob currently offers location-specific services in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. That’s a lot of cities, but nowhere near the amount of places that have awesome people making awesome stuff. Thankfully, you can still use the website even if you don’t happen to live in one of the major U.S. metropolises listed. Scoutmob ships its products all over the world, and it offers a lot of products. Categories on the site include men/women-specific items, home goods, food & drink, art, jewelry and gifts. Anytime you click on a product, Scoutmob informs you of the person that made it, and what locale that individual calls home. After clicking around the site for just a few seconds, I immediately wound up finding a “DIY Mustard Making Kit.” There are tons more unique, interesting products made by local vendors to be found on the site.