A SHOP owner who set up a delivery service to make sure her customers could still buy eco-friendly goods during lockdown is our Trader of the Week.

Mel Metcalf opened The Giftery & The Shop of Small Changes, in Burton Stone Lane, York, last year with the aim of selling eco-friendly gifts and household items to the local community where she has lived for 20 years.

During lockdown, she set up a delivery service to make sure her customers "could stay eco" and order gifts for loved ones while shops were closed.

Open again, she is continuing the popular delivery service.

If you would like to nominate your favourite trader - or if you are a shop owner and want to tell us what makes you special - fill out this online form.

How long has the business been going?

We launched in September last year.

York Press:

The Giftery and The Shop of Small Changes, Clifton, York

What do you sell?

We are two shops in one space. There is a gift shop and also a non-food zero waste shop stocked with all your eco essentials.

The Giftery area allows customers to purchase a range of gifts, cards and products made from recycled goods.

Meanwhile the Shop of Small Changes section gives green-minded customers the chance to bring their own plastic bottles to stock up on various products including shampoo, conditioner, washing-up liquid and cleaning products.

With climate change developing at such a fast rate, we want to do our bit to reduce waste and prevent damage to the environment by setting up a business like this.

Sometimes people want to reduce their plastic waste but they don’t know where to begin, we wanted to help with that.

York Press:

Presents galore in The Giftery

How is your business is special?

This is a unique business as it is two shops in one space.

Being outside of the city centre was a definite choice and we always wanted to be in Clifton.

This is where we have lived for more than 20 years and we wanted to bring something unique to our community that we love.

Having a combined gift shop and zero-waste shop where you can refill on items such as shampoo and washing-up liquid is a unique concept but it works well so well here.

York Press:

Huge refill section at The Shop of Small Changes

How have you adapted during the Covid-19 crisis?

The shop introduced deliveries seven days a week throughout York and to surrounding areas as soon as lockdown began.

We delivered as far away as Easingwold and continue to do so.

We were honoured to be asked to deliver gifts on behalf of people and were delighted to deliver contactless birthday, anniversary, get well soon and other occasion gifts throughout lockdown.

And we continue to offer this and it is so very popular (and still lovely to do).

We also delivered our wide range of zero-waste products throughout this time and are very proud to say that despite the madness at the beginning of lockdown, we never once ran out of loo roll and our customers continued to get what they needed.

York Press:

Lovely thank you card from young customer Scarlet

Have you won any awards?

We are very new so no awards yet although we have just been nominated for a York Mumbler award which we’re delighted about.

Although Scarlet, one of our younger customers, did make a poster thanking us for keeping her and her family eco during lockdown. We think this is all the award we may ever need! Thank you, Scarlet!

Know someone who should be our Trader of the Week? Nominate them through this online form.