A West Devon store which has a tongue-in-cheek reputation as the UK's poshest discount shop, has launched a door-to-door delivery service.

Val's Around a Pound, was opened in April last year by Valerie and Piers O'Neill, on the premises of their former luxury beauty goods shop, which has retained many of its original upmarket fittings, including chandeliers.

Now, they have launched a door-to-door delivery service for customers living within a distance of around four miles from their outlet, with dispatches costing – in line with their goods – just £1.

The new service will drop off items bought in store ordered over the phone, or via a website developed by Mr O'Neill, which went live this month.

Same-day deliveries on orders received by 4pm, are dispatched by the couple in their family car, when the shop closes in the evening.

"I'm not aware of the service being offered by any other pound shop," said Mrs O'Neill, who believes it will be a particularly useful local service for less mobile customers.

"It all started with customers – a lot of whom are elderly– asking to leave their shopping with us, because we sell heavy items like washing powder, while they continued shopping in town.

"It took off from there, with us offering to drop shopping off to addresses on our route home.

"The pound we charge covers our costs when we have to divert off the main road and the service has already been received really well."

The O'Neills say they endured complaints that they were lowering the tone, when they initially opened their bargain store in the exclusive fringes of the town's Pannier Market. As a result of a consumer downturn on the high street, the couple say they had been compelled to reverse their business model, from selling high-end treats, to value day-to-day essentials.

"We see it as a service," said Mrs O'Neill, who has also launched a blog inspired by her own experiences of running a business during the downturn, also reflecting upon how her customers say that the recession is affecting them.

The mother of four spent 25 years as a retail manager with Boots, before setting up her own business.

The shop stocks more than 750 different product lines, with around 60 per cent of the goods on its shelves having been ordered in, in response to customer requests.

Mrs O'Neill said: "We had a fantastic Christmas, although January was quieter, but we have maintained our stock levels. And with our business model, there's no borrowing. What we take, is what we spend."