Blackpool shop Scent, with its handmade soaps and bathbombs, is striking out for small individual businesses in the town centre

Nadeen Khalifeh opened the aptly-named Scent, at 108 Topping Street, in April having previously sold her wares solely as a mobile trader at market events across the country.

The 43 year old says she often hears people calling out for town centres to have more individual shops, rather than chains, but she says one of the challenges for those small businesses is getting people to know about them – and actually use them.

The irony of the situation arose during a Gazette video questionnaire last week into what shops people wanted to see in Blackpool and several people said they wanted to see a branch of handmade cosmetics chain Lush in the town.

Nadeen, who grew up and lives in Blackpool, saw the video and said: “It did amaze me a bit because this shop sells the type of things Lush does and I thought ‘I’m here, where are you all, then?’.

"Obviously I don’t stock exactly the same things as Lush – nearly everything in this shop is supplied by other small independent businesses which help to make town centres unique.

"I like to support small British firms, it’s important that we all get behind each other, especially in these difficult economic times.”

Two things greet customers when they open the door at Scent – firstly the array of pastel colours from all the products in the shop, and then that unmistakable aroma of room sprays, soaps, bathbombs, scented candles and other products.

They are mostly handmade by firms across the country and Nadeen makes an emphasis that they are all sold at reasonable prices.

Notable items include soap filled sponges, whose exfoliating qualities are good for dry skin.

Then there are the stone bath mats, which save on having to keep washing the cloth versions.

A few international products are the trendy-looking blankets from Latvia and sheepskin rugs made from New Zealand wool.

Mum-of-one and grandmother Nadine, who employs one other person in the shop, still does a little of the market trading but says: “It’s becoming more and more expensive and I wanted to settle down more.

“There is a big future for shopping in Blackpool – if we support our shops.”