A G Hendy & Co, a homeware shop in High Street, offers practical plastic free, eco-friendly goods for the home. The judges said they loved ‘the distinctive character that they have created for the shop, tying into the local community and creating events and services that will be definitively theirs. The visual impression that they created for the shop is exactly as they say - it creates an experience and that’s brilliant’. They also commended the shop’s ‘clear commitment to reducing their environmental impact’. Alastair Hendy, owner, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be named runner-up in this year’s Best Small Shops competition. “The towns and high streets across the country have lost so many of their shops and I like to think we have done a tiny bit here to revitalise the high street by offering something, an experience, that you can’t get if you go to a supermarket or a big chain and giving that back to the high street.” He said online has grown immensely for it since lockdown first occurred and it is developing its web retail further and enhancing the customer experience, for example in its vintage section, where customers appreciate historical information on provenance and origin around the products on offer. The Best Small Shops competition is managed by the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC), whose member trade associations represent approximately 100,000 independent retailers throughout the UK between them. The competition celebrates the commitment and creativity of independent retailers on the UK’s high streets. It is sponsored by Maybe, an engagement platform that helps make social media work for independent retailers. This year’s winner was named as Cornucopia, a family-run, independent, home and gift shop in Worcester. A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. Stay safe, and best wishes.