Kelly Tolhurst MP is calling on Rochester and Strood’s small shopkeepers to enter the Best Small Shops Competition, celebrating the creativity of small shops and the central role they play in their local community.

The Best Small Shops Competition is open to any small shop* operating in the UK. The competition is free to enter and all shops who enter will also be promoted to consumers through an online Indie Retail Directory.

Shopkeepers can nominate their businesses until Monday 9th September via www.bestsmallshops.co.uk. A shortlist of 25 of the most impressive applications will be shortlisted by a panel made up of established representatives from the independent retail industry.

The judges will be looking for evidence of a small shops’ entrepreneurial spirit, ways that they have been innovative in their business and what they have done to have a lasting positive impact on their community. 

The shortlisted small shops will be invited to a Parliamentary Reception on 5th November 2019 to meet their Member of Parliament and find out who will be crowned the Best Small Shop for 2019.

Kelly said: “We are so lucky to have so many quaint small shops in Rochester and Strood, and it is always great to visit small local retail businesses in my constituency”.

“As the minister for retail, it is important to recognise the creativity of local shops in order to stay relevant to the consumer. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of our small shops and congratulate their innovation.”