Sarah Ryan of Mirari Lingerie in Antelope Walk, Dorchester is flying the flag for shoppers to support local businesses at this difficult time and, with the care she takes making sure her customers have the perfect fit, is the much deserved winner of this week’s Trader of the Week.

What do you sell?

We sell lingerie to fit all sizes and budgets including sports bras, teen bras, nursing bras and mastectomy bras for ladies that have had surgery. We also have lots of swimwear, beach cover ups and nightwear as well as accessories such as bra extenders, straps, Lift-its, soak and face masks.

What makes you stand out from the competition?

We are a small family run friendly shop in the heart of Dorchester which has been established in the town for over 16 years. We offer a specialised fitting service and exceptional customer service where nothing is too much trouble. We offer lots of choice to suit all budgets and plenty of pretty lingerie for the larger bust. If you can’t get into the shop we are more than happy to offer a mail order service too!

Dorset Echo:

What is your business best known for?

We are best known for our unique range of luxury lingerie which can’t be bought anywhere else on the high street. Our high quality goods will last for years if you look after it! We are also known for our customer care and specialist fitting service.

How do you feel at being nominated as trader of the week?

We are delighted to be recognised as trader of the week. We have worked very hard over the last few years since we took the shop over. We were nominated for an award last year for Best Newcomer in the Stars Underlines Best Shop Awards which also gave us a boost and we were so pleased to be nominated even though we didn’t win! We sincerely hope that our customers continue to support us in the town and we welcome new customers too!

We're supporting our local independent businesses as they get back on their feet after the pandemic. If you wish to be in with a chance of becoming the Echo's Trader of the Week, fill out a simple Q & A form here.

What makes your customers continually come back to you?

Our customers like the products we offer, they know that our brands are of the highest quality and have the best reputation for fit and style. They also know that we will spend as much time with them as we need to get them into the right fitting bra. We never rush our customers, sometimes we can spend up to two hours helping the customer find the right set for them! We always make sure they are fitted properly every time they come in.

Dorset Echo:

What would you recommend people buy/try from you?

We recommend people to come in and be fitted properly for a bra as the wrong fitting bra can cause lots of problems such as bad posture, neck pain and back pain. We find that 80% of our customers are wearing the wrong size when they first come to us for a fitting.

What is your relationship to the town where your business is? How important is it for people to support their High Street?

It is so important for people to support their High Street especially at the moment with the current situation and the uncertainty that we are all facing. Use it or lose it! It would be a shame to see more shops closing as there are so many empty shops in the town at the moment and it’s so sad to see.

We always recommend other local shops to our customers, particularly the independent shops and cafes as these are the ones that need the community the most!