Little Chelsea Health Store: Take a look inside Eastbourne's newest health shop

Little Chelsea Health Store opened at 35a South Street six weeks ago.

Owner Melanie Beard said the response from customers has been ‘really quite amazing’.

“Everyone’s been so lovely and so supportive,” she said.

“Even after only six weeks, I’ve got a lot of regular customers who come in a few times a week.

"Everyone’s just so excited that we’re here, and that they’re able to get things they weren’t able to get previously.”

The independent store – which Melanie runs with her sister Emily – sells a range of items, including fresh bread, fruit and vegetables, frozen food, supplements, toiletries and even crystals and aromatherapy products.

The store’s focus is on sustainably-sourced products, and organic, gluten-free and vegan foods. It offers a refill station, so customers can fill their own containers with food and household products in an effort to eliminate waste.

The business prides itself on fulfilling customers’ specific needs – if you can’t find a product, Melanie and Emily will order it for you.

Melanie said: “We’ve said to people if there are products you want us to stock, just let us know and we’ll get them in.

“I’ve had over 100 requests for things. I’ve had to buy extra shelves!

“We opened with a starting stock of things I thought people would like, and then we’ve grown from there. The key is that it’s what the customers want.

“I think we’ve managed to fit an awful lot in, and we have a really diverse range that’s growing all the time.”

Melanie envisions the shop becoming a ‘local health hub’ as it grows.

She said: “I wanted to make it more than just a shop that sold things, my vision was to make it a local health hub.

“You can come in and you could see a practitioner, come to an event or workshop, buy your foods and toiletries, and get advice - I can talk to people about supplements, and herbs, remedies and lifestyle.

"So they have somewhere they can come and just talk about their health or any concerns.

"The goal is to make it all-encompassing.”

Little Chelsea Health Store is open Monday to Saturday, from 9.30am to 4.30pm.