Cool! Cards and Gifts, 16 Coach St, Skipton BD23 1LH
Cool! Cards and Gifts on Coach Street is one of Skipton’s most loved gift shops. With it’s huge and varied range of interesting gift cards and unique gifts, its the first point of call for many locals seeking a gift for a loved one and tourists looking for the perfect souvenir.
The shop in Skipton was opened six years ago by owner Tina Botterill. The business, however, has been trading for much longer. Prior to opening her popular shop, Tina spent 13 years trading in a Lancashire mill before moving her business to Skipton’s Handpicked Hall and then to her current location a year later.
Tina says: “I have been trading in Skipton for six years and during that period have come to love the town and the people I have met through the shop. The town still has a lot of individual retailers who are the life blood of the town.”
Since she started her cards and gifts business, Tina has been recognised in various industry awards. Cool! Cards and Gifts was named “Best Card Shop in the North of England and Northern Ireland” when based in Lancashire and was more recently named as a runner up for “Best Newcomer”.
Tina is passionate about supporting local makers and suppliers so many of the lovely gift cards she stocks are made by artists based in Skipton. She says:
“Customers love it when they bring a card to the till and I tell them it was ‘made in Skipton’. We try to stock ranges exclusive to us in Skipton and actively promote them.”
In addition to her extensive range of unique gift cards, Tina is also known locally for her large range of mugs, many of which are excusive to her shop so cannot be bought elsewhere. Her shop is stacked high with quirky gifts, artistic creations, and local souvenirs which are immensely popular with tourists and can probably now be found in homes all around the world. At Cool! Cards and Gifts you’ll find a card and gift to suit people of all ages and interests. As a major Jellycat stockist, her selection of cute and cuddly characters is pretty impressive so if you’re looking for a cuddly companion or a birthday gift for a child, it’s well worth checking out.
Like most independent retailers, Tina is all too aware of the struggles currently being faced on our local high streets. When she isn’t with customers or replenishing her wonderful stock, she’s offering support to other local businesses and encouraging local people to use the great independents that make our towns unique.
” I urge people to continue to buy locally and keep Skipton as this great place that encourages people to visit from afar. And, to the local residents, who are a vital part of my business and the businesses of my friends and acquaintances – please keep coming! The expression ‘use it or lose it’ has never been more important.”
This article is part of our “We Love Skipton” campaign, launched to highlight the importance of supporting local independent businesses and highlight some of the wonderful places to shop, eat, drink and unwind in Skipton, North Yorkshire.
If you’re a Skipton resident, don’t forget to enter our competition to WIN a Skipton Hamper worth over £200!
