Otley 20p Shop: Owners say it's 'probably the cheapest shop in the world' and they're looking to expand

The market town of Otley is perfectly sandwiched between the hubbub of busy Leeds city life and the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales.

While the famous cobbled streets and town’s rich tapestry of history is a draw in its own right, a certain flurry of tourists have instead travelled to this beautiful area to take a look inside the famous 20p Shop.

“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 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 into 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 second hand bric-a-brac. 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.”

But the 20p Shop has seen growth.

He added: “We’re thinking about setting up a shop in Ripon. It could work from what we’ve seen. Where we could hold as much stock as possible. And it’s a gamble even then.”

Stewart is looking for a landlord offering a low-cost premise to rent in the area.

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