Two family-run businesses that have offered traditional good service across the generations have won the Guardian Series' Love Local Retailer Awards.
The prizes were set up to recognise the very best of local business and readers voted in their thousands for their favourite shops.
Epping based family-run menswear store Cole's won the prize for Best Local Fashion Retailer while Lathams, in Epping, won ‘Best Home Retailer’.
Read more:
- Estate blighted by antisocial behaviour awarded more than £500,000
- Warning after grassland destroyed in fire
- Football club pays tribute to 'carefree and friendly' former player
Cole's director Freddy Cole said: “At Cole's we are constantly striving to keep our stores performing to the highest of levels, providing the customer with unmatched traditional customer service and exciting, vibrant stock.
“After such a challenging few years for all of the retail world, to win the Best Local Fashion Retailer 2022 gives me great pride in my team and the hard work we all have been putting in.
“Thank you to all our loyal customers who have supported us.”
Founded in 1928, the store sets itself apart by placing itself on the opposite end of the fashion world from ‘fast-fashion’, priding itself on its customer service and in-store advice.
Lathams, also in Epping, was founded by Peter Hellmers in 1971.
Since then, a second generation of the Hellmers family now use their experience in fashion, textile design, interior decorating, and furniture restoration to provide customers with the best possible service.
The family added an interior design studio 15 years ago to help customers recreate the ‘Lathams look’.
Mr Hellmers said: “It is an honour to have been awarded ‘Local Home Retailer of the Year’ for 2022.
“We have been in Epping for over 50 years now and we love being a part of the local community.
“We are very grateful to everyone that took the time to vote for us.”
The house style has also led to the creation of the Lathams With Love range, which focuses on local artisans.
The business says it sources beautiful products from around the world but loves to buy British and support small businesses as much as possible.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here