Why gift shop owner Kate is feline blessed

Since the launch of her business a decade ago, Kate Mackenzie has seen a surge in demand for her Fairtrade, ethically sourced and locally made products.

Kate Mackenzie, owner of The Cat's Miaou gift shop, Elm Row.

Her shop, The Cat’s Miaou on Elm Row, was among the first in the Capital to blaze a trail for gift hunters with a conscience.

“From the outset, I only ever wanted to sell items that were ethical as well as lovely,” says Kate, who is delighted to see more and more people sharing her passion for eco-friendly shopping. 
She took over the premises in 2009 and immediately set about renaming and rebranding the shop to tie in with her vision.

“In the beginning it was about Fairtrade products and knowing that no-one had been exploited during the production process. More recently, environmental issues have also come to the fore, with customers wanting to steer away from plastics towards more sustainable materials and fabrics.”

Catering for regular local customers as well as tourists, the shop specialises in gifts and cards, selling everything from baby clothes to jewellery, slippers, scarves, mugs, quirky tote bags, bamboo socks and Harris tweed accessories.

While Fairtrade gifts are sourced from around the world, with new stock arriving every week, Kate has an ever-increasing range from local designers and makers.

She adds: “It’s a small shop with lots crammed in and we like to think we have something for everyone.

“I choose everything myself and only sell things I like. I also have a knowledgeable team of staff, which means we can tell customers where everything was made, whether it’s Leith, Wales or a village in India.

“We don’t do cheap and nasty, but we do offer quality at a good price and we find people are prepared to pay a little extra for something that is good quality and going to last.”

The Cat’s Miaou, 36 Elm Row, EH7 4AH, 0131 557 1277, www.thecatsmiaou.co.uk [email protected]