A new shop has opened in Wells, bringing some brightly coloured bags to the city!

And not only do the products look great, but the sales support disadvantaged communities in Asia.

Cane Republic opened in Market Street Courtyard on Wednesday, but there will be an official opening tomorrow (Saturday) with customers treated to some fizz and cupcakes to celebrate the opening.

The shop is owned by Mary Ow, who originally ran the business online before deciding to expand to open a "bricks and mortar" premises in the city.

Mary is an entrepreneur who has built successful start-ups with a common theme: sustainability – and all the products in Cane Republic are sustainable and support indigenous people.

Cane Republic sells products that are made from recyclable material and sourced from disadvantaged communities in Asia, including stunning, brightly coloured bags made from recyclable packing straps and woven by the womenfolk of the Penan tribe (a nomadic people indigenous to the island of Borneo) as well as coconut shell products made by Vietnamese artisans in the rural villages that encircle Dong Ngo and Ben Tre, where there is an abundance of coconut trees.

Mary said, "When I started the business, I was attracted to the bags as they are beautifully handwoven with amazing patterns on it. The recyclable packing straps are much harder to work with compared to natural rattan. And working together with Penan Women Project allows me to help the Penan tribe. My focus in this business is to support local craftsmen from villages, cottage industries etc.

"There is a real need to help this NGO because their sole objective is to provide a livelihood for the tribal families who are being pushed out from the forest that is being destroyed by indiscriminate logging activities."

The coconut shell tableware in the store is equally as sustainable.

"I found the coconut shell products during a visit to rural Vietnam, looking for sustainable products to sell," said Mary. "Our coconut bowls are environment friendly; we create useful products that would otherwise go into landfill or burnt."