20p Shop in Otley: Has sights set on new upmarket 50p shop

The most regularly asked question the 20p Shop in Leeds gets asked is: “Is everything really 20p?”

Market trader Gary Goodson, 49, who works at his friend’s 20p shop said: “They’re looking at setting up another shop still but it’ll probably be more upmarket where everything is 50p or more.“

Their current shop has put the market town of Otley back on the map after going viral on social media.

Mr Goodson, who currently runs a market stall in Leeds, is a dab hand at flogging cheap second-hand goods.

“It’s all about high turnover, I sell everything cheap but you can make up to £500-£600 a day.”

The 20p Shop, which sells a large array of bric-a-brac, is sandwiched between a range of charity shops, independents and is close to the famous open-air Otley Market set within the stunning Yorkshire Dales.

“Otley is a little town so it’s a central point,” said 28-year-old Stewart Nelson, who owns the shop with his father Steven and mother Angela Nelson.

The shop which started as a 20p Aladdin’s Cave-style market stall five years ago has since grown into a tourist attraction in its own right, as well as a community hub.

Stewart said: “We’ve had so much media attention, people come from all over. Locals regularly come in to socialise. They come in, have a look and a chat.

“It has that community feel in the shop so we know regulars by names. A lot of elderly come in to have a natter.”

The 20p Shop is full of surprises too, offering a wide array of items from new consoles to a second hand carpet cleaner. But Stewart and his parents regularly rifle through pallets and parcels they’ve bought containing thousands of items.

The main draw for customers - who are as diverse as the stock, ranging from Tiktoking tourists to the elderly - is the price, said marketing graduate Stewart.

He said: “We’re the cheapest shop in Britain, maybe the world. We’ve shown businesses and the wider public it can be done and things don't have to be expensive.

“We try to keep costs down which is of the essence, but it’s very difficult to just keep the lights on. We’re not millionaires.”

Despite this, Stewart insists the price won’t change with the rising cost of living like many other bargain stores increasing their prices.

The family run business is determined to carry on with Stewart often working from 6am until after 9pm at night.

He said: “We’re struggling to stay afloat like many small businesses in the current climate.”

The Otley 20p Shop is open daily 9am-5pm except Sundays which is 10am-3pm.