Proud Of My Store competition 2022 celebrates local store teams

The Proud Of My Store competition has launched for a second year and aims to celebrate the local store teams around the UK by sharing stories of outstanding service, dedication and pride from across the retail industry.

The competition rewards teams working in supermarket branches, boutiques, salons, restaurants and more who have gone above and beyond for a customer, done something incredible in the community or found a creative way to make their store stand out.

The competition is organised by customer interaction management specialists Critizr and was first started in 2021 to recognise the role local store staff played in keeping customers fed and safe through difficult times.

From April to June monthly winners will be selected with one overall team crowned ‘Proudest Store 2022’ in July by a panel of retail experts.

Critizr will award winners with a luxury hamper, a donation to the store's chosen charity, and an invitation to a special event later in the year, where the team's achievements will be celebrated in person.

Last year the inaugural Proud of My Store competition was won by The Co-op’s Claire Saunders, from Romford in London who launched 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 Claire went on to be recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours list with a British Empire Medal.

Nicolas Hammer, Co-founder and CEO of Critizr said: "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.

"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."