We’ve received 18,500 nominations for bakeries, cycle shops, cafes, chemists, greengrocers, florists, fashion boutiques, hardware shops, newsagents, teashops and pet shops.
Readers love their independent shopkeepers and are recounting stories of service, beguiling finds and atmospheric places they want to spend time in that contribute to their communities. Places like Ardabrone Stores, in the namesake townland in Co Sligo, a small local grocery shop that beats the multiples on many prices, and levels of service, writes Marina Campbell. But the real reason she has voted for the McDermotts who run the premises is that "they combine business and social work, providing delivery and the dissemination of news both of the national printed variety and the local oral variety." Sorcha Carty feels the same way about pharmacist Eamon Corrigan of Corrigan's Pharmacy, Clontarf "He cares about his customers and takes such an interest in their well being I'd be lost without his guidance on health issues."
Geraldine Fitzpatrick loves the amazing range of organic beauty products and fantastic staff with excellent knowledge at Alchemist Earth, a spa and beauty shop in Limerick city. "Its ethos, choice and calming air" is what made reader Trish Forde-Brennan nominate it.
For a great day, reader Evelyn Egan recommends The Store Yard, Portlaoise (above) which is a real find, she says. "You can browse vintage jewellery, furniture and clothing to top quality antiques and architectural salvage. It also has a great restaurant for lunch or coffee." Another discovery is The Stables Emporium and Tea Rooms in a converted coach house in Birr, Co Offaly, where reader Audrey Murphy loves the "beautiful gifts, great food and the new dress bar clothing area".
There are still ten days left so keep the suggestions coming.
This year we've enlisted experts in their fields to sit on our judging panel, a new feature of the competition. Simon Pratt, MD of Avoca, Edmund Shanahan, a retail, fashion and homewares consultant, fashion designers and Frockadvisor columnists Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney and Irish Times journalist Alanna Gallagher.
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