The site takes the weirdest and most wonderful stories already produced across Local World's network of more than 70 websites in the UK and repurposes them for a new, national, audience, say the publishers.
It is the first national content website launched by Local World and is part of a broader strategy to innovate for a digital, social audience.
Quirky stories already published locally are selected by a small national team, based in Local World's Kensington HQ, and re-edited to target a social audience – then published directly to the site, with links back to the originating article.
The site was developed by Local World's in-house digital team, working together with Shoreditch-based agency Wilson Fletcher.
Steve Anglesey, digital content director, said: "Quirker is a terrific home for the most eccentric, funny, Man-Bites-Dog, weird and real life stories we produce as a group every day. This platform gives us an opportunity to really capitalise on the virality of this content, reworked in style and format for a young, mobile audience."
Matt Kelly, group digital director, said: "Quirker is just one strand of our strategy to grow in relevance to a digital audience. There is no more enticing, or commercially exciting, opportunity in digital today than reimagining the power of local content. Watch this space."
