South Shields New Look store named top of the shops by national award judges

The King Street branch of the fashion chain won the award presented by Proud of My Store to celebrating the team’s ‘commitment, spirit and exceptional customer service’.

Proud of My Store was founded in 2021 to recognise the invaluable role local store staff play in retail, and to shine a spotlight on the service and value they bring to communities.

The Proud of My Store 2022 online hub opened earlier this month for entries from supermarket branches, boutiques, banks, pharmacies, salons and restaurants, inviting them to tell their store’s story - whether it’s a big idea or a small but powerful act of kindness.

Organised by customer interaction management specialists Critizr, monthly winners are being selected, with one overall team set to be crowned ‘Proudest Store 2022’.

South Shields store manager Serena Martinez and her team were crowned the winners of the award in April.

Serena said: "This is a wonderful honour and our whole team is thrilled to have our hard work recognised in the Proud of My Store competition. I’ve been in retail for my whole career and our success is down to some simple mantras that I live by – ones that I’ve also coached my team to follow.

"Firstly, this is the customers’ store! We work here, but we’re here for customers, and we need to create an amazing vibe so that they feel the positive energy as soon as they come through the door."

Peter Rodgers, head of retail for New Look North, added: "I’m proud to see our South Shields team working to build a strong service culture that is inclusive of everyone, where anyone who enters the stores feels a part of our New Look family. They really show they care for their customers and are genuinely living our brand values."

Critizr co-founder and CEO Nicolas Hammer said: "Serena’s story of team spirit and an absolute focus on the store experience stood out for our judges. This genuine, positive love of making customers happy and the drive to make a local store visit memorable is what brings people back again and again to buy from a brand.

“Serena and her team, alongside the whole of New Look should be very proud."