Black Businesses Invited to Apply for a Store or Kiosk in First Black Virtual Mall
January 5, 2022Founder Alquincia “Akanundrum” Selolwane created the virtual space during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to approximately 40% of Black-owned businesses shuttering. She wanted to create a one-stop shop for these businesses and used malls as her inspiration. This means the space includes shops, kiosks, a movie theater, and a food court.
“The movie theater hosts entertainment and informative content for you to consume for free, then there’s the food court that actually works and functions, and you can go to the restaurant of your choice in your city, and you can activate the Uber Eats, Grubhub, or whatever they have, and get food delivered to you,” Selolwane said.
Black-owned businesses, which means at least 50% Black-owned, are invited to apply for a space or kiosk in the mall. To be eligible, you must have a website, and all restaurant and food vendors must be on at least one existing food delivery app, such as UberEats or Postmates.
The Black Virtual Mall will handle everything else, including building and branding your store or kiosk, inputting your information, and “moving” your shop into the appropriate floor:
- Premium store level (max of 20 stores)
- Food court level (max of 25)
- Regular stores level (max of 30)
- Kiosk level (max of 40)
All spaces and kiosks in the mall are leased on a month-to-month basis. Spaces for bookstores are $50 per month; music stores, $50; kiosks, $100; food courts, $125; regular stores, $150; and premium stores, $200. Black filmmakers, comedians, poets, rappers, and singers can be featured in the movie theater for free.
Apply for a store or kiosk here. Apply to be featured in the movie theater here.
Applications are reviewed from the 1st to the 14th of each month, and accepted stores are notified on the 15th. All new stores are required to be moved in by the 1st of the month.
Learn more about renting a space or kiosk in the Black Virtual Mall at theblackvirtualmall.info.