SINGAPORE - Online marketplace Carousell is offering 1,000 packages to heartland retailers and service merchants to take their businesses online.

Eligible merchants will receive a one-time 90 per cent funding support from Enterprise Singapore (ESG), under its enhanced Enterprise Development Grant, when they sign up for the CarouBiz Booster Package.

Each package is valued at $720 before ESG funding.

The package comprises a six-month Carousell for Business (CarouBiz) subscription - which gives sellers access to tools such as video listings, custom collections for product categorisation, profile cover photo for branding - and $480 in Carousell coins, which are credits to purchase additional ads and promotional tools on the site.

Merchants can sign up for the CarouBiz Booster Package from now to Dec 31, 2020, Carousell said in a statement on Monday (May 25).

Carousell added it also has a website with tips and guides on how to maximise its tools, and organises weekly webinars to introduce the tools and best practices. Merchants who need more help can use the live support chat or request a sales consultant. It said these resources allow businesses to showcase their products like a virtual showroom within their Carousell profile.

"While there are other e-commerce solutions available today, many heartland merchants are still struggling due to their lack of e-commerce experience," said Carousell Singapore managing director Ng Chee Soon.

He said Carousell is well-positioned to help heartland merchants reach out to a sizeable portion of its highly engaged community as its platform is easy for anyone or any business to use.

Mr Lee Yee Fung, ESG director of Infocomm and Media and Digitalisation, said: "The current situation has highlighted the importance of having alternative channels for businesses to generate leads and sales. We expect that online shopping will continue to be an important channel even after the resumption of all physical retail activities."