The owner of a popular online gift shop has announced she is due to open her first ever in-person store in Ormskirk this August.

Local resident Michelle Henriksen, who has owned an online gifting company since 2014, will be opening “Personalised Gifts Ormskirk” to the public from 20th August 2022, and says the shop is expected to fill a much-needed gap in the market for made-to-order goodies in the town.

Selling hand-made jewellery, t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, aprons, chopping boards, metal signs, and much more – Michelle hand-makes or hand-prints every item in the store, and almost every single product can be personalised to include names, special messages, or dates.

With a passion for local businesses, crafting and gift-making, she says that her gifts will offer something different to the market in Lancashire this summer - and hopes it will also encourage more people to support local businesses, instead of large-scale online retailers.

“Right now, following the pandemic, it’s proving more important than ever that people support local,” says Michelle.

“Equally, I believe in-person shops are becoming increasingly popular again – with more people wishing to purchase their gifts in-person, right away. One reason for this is definitely an increase in people who are focusing on sustainability and the impact of their carbon footprint. When ordering gifts from huge retailers online, it often comes with heaps of plastic packaging and the impact of constant deliveries isn’t exactly great for the environment – which I think people are starting to realise. But aside from that obvious point, people really just want to purchase items and gifts without the hassle of returns, incorrect deliveries and long waiting times.”

“For locals in Lancashire now, gone are the days of ordering last-minute gifts online, hoping to personalise them before realising there’s a long waiting time for deliveries and a hugely expensive additional cost with personalisation.”

“With us at Personalised Gifts Ormskirk, locals can now simply pop into the shop, tell us what they need in person – and we’ll go to additional lengths to ensure they get exactly what they need. Whether it’s a personalised t-shirt for a friend, a mug for your parents, or handmade jewellery for your girlfriend – we have something for everyone, and we can’t wait to see what our friendly locals will think of the new store opening.”

Located on Burscough Street in the town centre, the store will open in August just in time for any last-minute summer and autumn gifting. Christmas is also expected to be a busy time for the store in future, with gifts, clothes and much more on offer for its customers. Some other products that customers can expect to find are baby-grows, tops, coasters, beach bags and tote bags – almost all of which can be personalised, making for a unique gift for everyone.