Princesshay stores win top industry awards
Independent gift shop, Insideout, who have been trading in Princesshay since the centre was built nearly ten years ago have won Best Gift Shop in the Devon Muddy Stilettos Awards 2017. Simultaneously, Saks Exeter scooped Retail Salon of the Year at the UK Salon Business Awards 2017. Saks is situated next door to Insideout on Bampfylde Lane, launching in2012.
Insideout is a contemporary and eclectic lifestyle store, dedicated to bringing customers the best accessories, homewares and gifts, with a focus on products handmade in Britain. Owned by husband and wife team Paul and Nicky Edmunds, the Exeter store is a hidden gem in the heart of Princesshay.
Insideout also have another store in Tavistock.
The Muddy Stilettos awards accompany the extremely popular regional Muddy Stilettos lifestyle websites and have seen a phenomenal response to this year’s awards, with up to 100,000 people per day voting across the sites. 250,000 people voted in total.
Split into 27 categories, the awards were customer nominated, with the most nominated businesses becoming finalists and then there was a public vote for a week. Insideout won Best Gift Shop category with 33.9% of the votes. Insideout were unaware of the awards until they found out they were nominated, so the award is a real endorsement of their popularity here in Devon.
Nicky Edmunds, Insideout owner said: “To be voted Best Gift Shop in Devon by the people that really matter, i.e. our customers truly means a lot. The ethos of the awards is all about celebrating and supporting the most unique and interesting lifestyle businesses and this is exactly what we strive to be. We are a small independent with a focus on offering our customers products that they would not ordinarily find on your typical high street. We have a real focus on working with local designer makers and both my husband and I make many of the products that our customers love.”
Vikki Ames, Exeter Store Manager agreed saying: “I am really proud to manage a shop that is so highly thought of by our customers. We work hard to provide our customers with something special and it is so rewarding to know we are achieving this.”
The already award-winning Saks, run by Ellie Wilson and her team of expert stylists were presented their national award at the elite Century Club, on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue.
Joanne Charlton, Publishing Editor of Salon Business, introduced the awards in 12 categories including Best Local Salon, Best Stylist and Best Retail Salon – won by Princesshay’s very own Saks.
Salon owner Ellie Wilson said of the win: “We are just so happy to have won this award. Scooping a Salon Business Award is a real achievement as there are so many amazing businesses across the country who enter. To come out at the top feels like the ultimate recognition for our team's hard work.”
