Adam Hackney, Shopnate

Adam Hackney Shopnate

When Adam Hackney touched down in Melbourne from the United Kingdom two and a half years ago, he mightn’t have realised the opportunities that lay ahead. In just a short time he has launched Shopnate, a website which allows shoppers to donate to their favourite charity at no additional cost, and entered the frays of the bourgeoning sectors of online retail and humanitarian causes.

We are sitting outside at a cool Mexican cafe in Richmond. The weather is typically (temperamentally) Melbourne, and trams a rumbling past. Adam tells me that he had worked in marketing before, but was looking for the opportunity to give something back. “I wanted to do something that I was proud of” he chuckles. “My background is in digital marketing, and when I came to Australia I noticed that there weren’t many – any – sites like this” he says. “There are millions of dollars spent every year on advertising in Australia – I want to turn this into some kind of benefit for the charities.”

Perhaps given his background in the ruthless world of marketing, Adam Hackney names rather more introspective topics as occupying his thoughts. “I’m really interested in happiness – being grateful is the key to happiness, and the secret to living is giving”.

As we tuck into a tasty lunch, I ask him why he chose Melbourne as a place to start things. “I love Melbourne – it’s a modern, happy city. The people are happy and friendly – although it helps being a foreigner! The food is amazing, there’s so much going on – music, the comedy festival… and I adore Richmond!” he smiles, gesturing towards the intersection just down the road. “And everyone seems to have a decent standard of living – they can go out mid-week and not feel that it’s a luxury. There’s much more discretionary spending, and this helps the economy…”

Shopnate’s homepage

And what about the challenges that he faces as a entrepreneur in Australia? “People in Australia tend to be skeptical of this kind of thing – you are buying something, and donating to charity at the same time, and at no extra cost. It’s almost too good to be true”. Keen to allay any fears, Adam describes Shopnate’s affiliate marketing strategy, meaning that the site directs traffic through to a retail site. Shoppers make purchase like normal, but because they were referred to the retailer by Shopnate, the retailer pays a commission to Shopnate. As part of the purchase, a percentage is donated to charity, and the customer receives an email saying how much they donated.

“We have over one hundred charities registered” says Adam proudly. “The National Breast Cancer Foundation, the UNHCR, RSPCA in various states, the Domestic Violence Resource Centre of Victoria, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Beyond Blue… One Girl, which is involved in women’s education in Africa, has a similar demographic to us – they’re really switched on and savvy.”

Shopnate’s charities are listed on the homepage, along with details of each affiliate agreement

So how exactly does one go about setting up a brand with a humanitarian focus in a retail environment? “I started developing the idea about one and a half years ago” Adam says. We launched at the end of May 2014, and it grew fast – it very quickly became too much, and we needed investors. My developer, who also has business interests in Kenya, invested in the site, and has been a full-time collaborator since September.”

And why does Shopnate have what it takes to be successful in the cutthroat world of online marketing? By his own admission, similar concepts have been tried in Australia before and failed. According to Adam, it’s a perfect mix of circumstances which makes Shopnate work. “Rather than just one thing, Shopnate covers the whole range. We have our awesome charities, plus all sorts of retailers on board”. Indeed, Shopnate is affiliated with more than 300 retailers, including the likes of popular online fashion brand ASOS, travel booking site Expedia and Booktopia, plus more traditional stores like Angus and Robertson.

“People have a sort of giving fatigue – and Shopnate takes it away. Plus it doesn’t cost the charities anything, so it can be used for charities for all sizes,  and that’s important, because the government is cutting charity funding at the moment.”

Adam Hackney says Australia is a fertile ground for such a venture

Australia also presents a unique opportunity from a business standpoint, says Adam. “I love Australia, but Australia is a number of years behind in the digital economy. 50 per cent of Australians shop online, and compare that to 80 percent of British and Americans. It’s been done before, similar British sites have raised $20 million in their five year history”. “The point is that people need to go to Shopnate first. And we have a presence on social media of course. I’m planning to raise over $1 million for Australian charities in the first two years. Really, the sky is the limit.”

In the lead up to Christmas, Shopnate expects an surge in sales, and that’s just part of the hope that Adam has to contribute his bit to those in need. “Simon Sinek believes that we should ‘start with why'”, quotes Adam. “If you know why the company exists, it can be successful”. And with the right intentions, why not?

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