Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2011 | Page 144

island business

Island Life - April/May 2011

Fair Trade is the
bonus at Daisy
Daisy gift shop
Many customers who visit the Daisy
Daisy Gift Shop in High Street, Godshill,
find it an added bonus that the
premises specialise in Fair Trade gifts.
Daisy Daisy was opened in the summer
of 2008 by Annabel Robin and her
mother. Annabel said: “I have a retail
background, so basically I wanted to
put that to good use and do something
that could make a difference to people.
I felt selling Fair Trade items was a
really positive thing to do.
“One of the aims of the shop was to
make it so people didn’t realise it was
just Fair Trade, comprising just carved
wood, masks and the like. Many items
are bright, fashionable, and quite funky,
and while we are a gift shop in our own
right when some people come in they
are delighted to discover we are a Fair
Trades outlet.”
After a successful first summer Daisy
Daisy applied to join BAFTS – the British

Association
of Fair Trade
Shops. Annabel
said: “You have
to be trading
for six months
before you are
allowed to apply, and when we sent in
our application form we were quickly
approved. It gives customers a genuine
reassurance that everything is Fair
Trade.”
Annabel’s brother Nick joined the
business 18 months ago, and has
developed and manages the internet
side of the establishment, which can be
found on
www.daisydaisyethicalgifts.co.uk.
Products are sourced from 20 different
accredited suppliers who deal directly
with producers from as far away as
Indonesia, Nepal and South Africa.
“The idea is to cut out the middle

men, so it is a very short chain w