UK frontline retail teams celebrated as Critizr Proud of My Store competition returns
A competition to celebrate the exceptional people working in store teams around the UK has launched for a second year.
If a store team has gone above and beyond for a customer, done something incredible in the community or found a clever, creative way to make their store stand out, then Critizr, the organisers of Proud of My Store, want to hear about it.
An online hub is now open for entries from supermarket branches, boutiques, banks, pharmacies, salons, restaurants and more, inviting them to tell their local store’s story.
Monthly winners will be selected from April until June, with one overall team being crowned ‘Proudest Store 2022’ in July by a panel of retail experts.
As well as scooping luxury hampers to share with the team, and a donation to the store’s favourite charity, all winners will be guests of Critizr at an event later in the year, where their achievements will be celebrated in person.
Nicolas Hammer, Co-founder and CEO at Critizr, says: ‘Local store teams were the heroes of the hour during lockdown, and as the entries came in during Proud of My Store last year, we could see that there were a lot of amazing things happening locally as stores acted quickly to serve their customers.”
“There were some incredible and quite moving stories that were an education as well as an inspiration to us all.”
“It’s so important that these teams continue to build their voice and that the retail industry keeps listening.”
“Today, we value our local stores and the people who work in them more than ever, and businesses are waking up to just how powerful their frontline staff are in doing what’s right for their own customers.”
‘So don’t miss out! I’d urge all local managers and staff to show their team just how proud they are of everything they achieve together by entering Proud of My Store this year.”
“It’s going to be a wonderful celebration of the people that keep our vibrant and vital retail industry going and we can’t wait to start reading this year’s store stories.”
The inaugural Proud of My Store competition was won by the Co-op’s Claire Saunders, from Romford in London.
Having witnessed the rising number of local people struggling financially during the pandemic, her team founded a clothing bank to recycle and redistribute donated clothing between families.
The initiative was so successful that it blossomed into an official charity, The Baby Bank HQ, and Saunders went on to be recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours list with a British Empire Medal.
She comments: ‘It’s so important that local stores are proud of what they do because they are the heart of the community. Teamwork is the most important thing and without a team you can’t achieve anything.”
“Winning Proud of My Store last year meant the world to me and my team and we were absolutely over the moon. It kept us positive and we couldn’t scream loud enough about that to our lovely community and other stores.”
