A SHOP in the heart of Bridport has been named one of the best independent retailers in the country.

Smith and Smith, located on West Street, was named a finalist at the British Independent Retailers Association’s (BIRA) annual high street conference last month.

Sue England, one of the owners of the business, travelled up to Droitwich Spa in Worcestershire for the conference, where she received a certificate - now on display in the firm’s front window.

She said: “We had to go up to Chateau Impney for the BIRA conference and a very swish dinner. We put ourselves forward for the award with a lot of support from our customers. We have never done anything like that before and we were absolutely delighted to be named a finalist. It is nice to get some recognition.”

Ms England came away from the event reassured that Smith ans Smith is focusing on similar priorities to other successful businesses, and put the firm’s success down to good customer service.

She added: “What came out of the event was that customer service is the way that the high-street will survive against competition from big companies and the internet.

“I think that is why Bridport does so well. Good customer service from somewhere people trust makes people come back again. Chain shops and multi-nationals all have their place but when you see them all, we could be in any town.

"The independent shops are what makes the town different and stand out from any other place. We had to say how our shop was different from other shops and how we plan for the future. One of the things we said was the fact we had been here since 1884, we thought we were due some recognition. It all comes down to customer service. We keep in touch with customers, we make it a more personal touch and it really makes the difference for us.”

Smith and Smith opened as a men’s clothes shop in 1884 and has also stocked ladies clothes for the last 20 years. The family business is now run by three women.