A bird's-eye view of Leeds, Sheffield, and Yorkshire
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Business
There’s a shop in Leeds where everything costs less than a Freddo frog- everything is 20p
Generally, there's an incredible range of greeting cards for sale, as well as sweet snacks, savoury packets (like Pot Noodles), over 1000 vinyl records and more for sale.
That's less than the average Freddo frog these days.
The store started off at the markets but decided to take the plunge and open a permanent store around four years ago- and have kept their prices low ever since.
The store isn't a charity shop, it simply relies on buying from wholesalers to keep their prices down. As the owners aren't afraid to buy in bulk and purchase a variety unconventional goods, given the store's popularity, any and all products tend to be snapped up quickly.
Image: The 20p Shop, Otley
Generally, there's an incredible range of greeting cards for sale, as well as sweet snacks, savoury packets (like Pot Noodles), over 1000 vinyl records and more for sale.
More recently, donations are being taken and resold at the single price of 20p, regardless of their value. Usually, that might mean greeting cards or DVDs, but the store has been known to stock what look like Christian Louboutini shoes and pictures worth £120 that have been resold by buyers for a profit.
In a recent interview, Owner Steve Nelson said that "Everyone gets a chance, everyone is equal. Not everything has to be about money".
Image: The 20p Shop, Otley
The store is run by Steve and a team of volunteers, including family members, who welcome anyone into their bargain hunter's paradise.
Inside the 20p store, the same buyers can be found two or three times a day checking for new finds, whilst on a Saturday the hidden gem is packed with individuals looking for rare finds or a tasty bar of chocolate alike.
The store has attracted customers from as far as Glasgow and Ireland, but locally The 20p Shop is a popular spot for students and locals alike.
Although Steve has said it would be near impossible at present to open a store in any other location due to a lack of staff, but he did hint that Headingley would be their next opening if or when the timing is right.
For now, the Otley store remains a hidden treasure trove of bargains, even Owner Steve has admitted: "People don't like telling each other because they're worried they'll take the bargains".
To find out what bargains you could get your hands on, Steve posts regular Facebook updates, but the majority of finds can only be seen in the flesh inside the 20p store on Kirkgate, Otley.
Feature Image- The 20p Shop, Otley
Business
A ‘Mini Mall’ full of independent food traders and local brands is coming to Leeds city centre
The Merrion Centre is set to become the home of an exciting new retail and food destination this summer.
Introducing The Mini Mall, an innovative retail concept designed to create a flagship city-centre destination for local brands, artisan producers and independent food traders.
The new 4,885 sq ft ground-floor space will be completely dedicated entirely to independent Yorkshire brands, artisan producers, and local food creators.
Operating as a premium 'satellite department store', The Mini Mall provides established independent businesses with fully staffed, centrally managed retail bays.
Image: Supplied
Shoppers can expect a carefully curated selection of Yorkshire-based homeware designers, fashion labels, craft producers, and street food vendors under one roof.
The Mini Mall will open on Saturday 25July with an official public grand opening featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live brand showcases, and the full launch of the Mini Food Hall.to meet the makers behind the brands.
Shaz Westfield, founder of Eventszo, said: "The Mini Mall was created to give independent businesses the opportunity to trade in a prime city-centre location without the barriers that often come with traditional retail.
“Yorkshire is home to an incredible community of makers, creators and food businesses, and our goal is to provide a platform where they can grow, connect with new customers and thrive. We're delighted to be launching our flagship venue at the Merrion Centre and look forward to building a destination that champions local talent and entrepreneurship."
Charles Newman, asset management director at Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), owners of The Merrion Centre, said: "What makes the Merrion Centre different is the breadth and character of our occupier mix. We've always championed businesses that bring something unique to the city centre, creating a destination that offers visitors experiences they won't find elsewhere on the high street."
You can find out more about Leeds' new Mini Mall here.
The Yorkshire designer who’s put together the official FIFA World Cup scarf collection
Danny Jones
A Yorkshire-born and bred artist and his creative team have earned the huge honour of creating the official FIFA scarf collection for this year's World Cup.
Nothing short of massive for anyone from our part of the world.
The local legend in question is Tom Pitts, who was born in Sheffield and is now based just beyond Leeds, leading the campaign right from the helm.
Hand Drawn Pixels is a graphic design and digital studio based in Otley, and while you'll see plenty of folks wearing football shirts and even the odd scarf on the town's famous pub crawl, these lot are venturing on an entirely different kind of run this summer.
In fact, the work has very much already started, with Tom and co. collaborating directly with FIFA and US manufacturers, Global Scarves, to create the World Cup collection.
With this year's tournament obviously taking place across America, Mexico and Canada, they've joined up with a big LLC, but they describe themselves as "a true English custom scarf company with American parents."
In their words, "We knit scarves for clients all over the world", with a presence both near Leeds and over in Seattle, Washington.
The fixtures themselves kick off next month (England's first game coming against Croatia on 17 June), and so Hand Drawn Pixels have been hard at work meeting the briefs for each of the nations taking part.
Here's a quick breakdown of how the opportunity came about, their vision for the project, and how everything starts for them as a whole process.
You can see more of their work HERE, but as the brand name would suggest, it's pretty simple to begin with: nothing more than a pencil.
It's worth noting that the 2026 World Cup also featured the largest number of teams in the competition's history: 48 qualified national squads, to be exact. So, technically, they've had even more designing to do than they theoretically would have in any of the previous years, too.
Tom confessed that winning this bid is obviously a big deal on its own and that seeing his creations being worn in person by supporters at the stadiums will be a "surreal" experience.
Speaking exclusively with The Hoot, he said: "It’s been an amazing creative challenge for us to truly reflect the individuality and diversity of the nations competing in this prestigious tournament on such an iconic product as the football scarf."
He went on to add that "the whole project has been a huge learning experience, gaining deeper cultural insight into every nation involved."
We can't wait to cast eyes upon a sea of colour and finely crafted fabric in unique but somehow universally familiar patterns, all designed right here in 'God's Own Country'.
Sophie Smith -
11th March 2022 
