Taranaki's Top Shop for 2021 is Stratford ITM

The team from Stratford ITM pictured with WITT CEO John Snook at the awards evening. Photo / supplied.

Stratford ITM was the supreme winner of the WITT Top Shop awards for 2021.

The Stratford store was announced as the Supreme winner of WITT Top Shop at the sold-out gala awards evening on Saturday night.

It was a great night for the locally-owned business – winning the Large Format Store Award, Accessibility Award, Central Taranaki Regional Award as well as taking out the big one.

The North Taranaki Regional Award was won by Caci Clinic who also took out the Health and Beauty Award and Ben Thomas Panelbeating in Hawera was the winner of the Automotive Award and the South Taranaki Regional Award.

The awards, which recognise Customer Service Excellence, are organised by the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

Excellence in customer service is the core of business success, says Chamber CEO Arun Chaudhari.

"The Chamber assists businesses to constantly achieve higher standards. We are absolutely delighted that WITT, as a pillar of support for our workforce, is the key supporter of the Top Shop awards."

WITT Chief Executive John Snook says the Top Shop Awards fit with WITT's purpose in the community.

"It's our job to provide the workforce that Taranaki needs. That's why we're supporting the Chamber to recognise and celebrate the businesses and people that go above and beyond. We support the Top Shop Awards as a way of supporting a strong and vibrant Taranaki business community."

Over 13,500 nominations from the public were received and the top ten businesses in each category were then mystery shopped by a panel of judges using a set criteria for marking.

The top points scorers were then re-judged by another panel to determine the Regional and Supreme winners.

The eight category winners are:

· Large Format Store, Winner Stratford ITM, Highly Commended, Freedom Furniture

· Fashion, Footwear & Accessories, Winner Footloose

· Food & Beverage, Winner Kitchen Table, Highly Commended, Lemonwood Eatery

· Specialty Store, Winner Bianca Lorenne

· Automotive, Winner Ben Thomas Panelbeating

· Lifestyle & Leisure, Winner Poppies

· Health & Beauty, Winner Caci Clinic, Highly Commended, Jichelle Health & Beauty, Silk Skin Spa

· Accessibility, Winner Stratford ITM, Highly Commended, Blackbird Society, Liquorland Fitzroy