Stoa · For patrons
I'm looking to shop
Stoa puts the shops you actually live near in your pocket. Search by what you need, browse by neighborhood, reserve at a counter, or have it brought over today.
What you can do
Search across local shops for the specific thing you need, whether that's a book, a record, a tool, a gift, or a pantry restock, and see who near you actually has it, in stock, today.
Reserve at the shop counter and pick up when you're nearby. No "service fee," no markup. The price on the shelf is the price you pay.
Same-day delivery where the shop has signed on for it. Delivery is transparent: you see the fee, you see who's delivering, you see what reaches the shop. Food is the one fixed exception. Reserve and pick up in store; Stoa does not deliver it.
Pin shops and neighborhoods you return to, and get notified when something you've been looking for shows up at a shop you trust.
What you don't get
Hidden markups. Algorithmic feeds optimised to keep you scrolling. Sponsored placements that surface paid shops over local ones. Stoa does not run on the patron's attention as the product.
How to start
Stoa opens first in Chicago, then region by region as shop networks form. What you see in the app follows where you are. No city selector, no pretending coverage that isn't there. If you'd like to be notified when Stoa is live in your area, write to patrons@sage-institute.org.