Dozens of the District’s retail businesses entered Horsham District Council’s Christmas Window Wonderland competition throughout December 2019 which helped to create a really festive feel and warm welcome for shoppers and visitors to our market towns and villages.
The initiative encouraged business owners to get into the spirit of the season by coming up with creative displays and hiding a ‘naughty elf’ for shoppers to find – drawing them into the stores to look around. Customers then voting for their favourite window were entered into a prize draw to win a year’s free cinema tickets at Horsham’s Capitol theatre.
The business competition was supported by Horsham’s John Lewis Partnership team who recorded a video of top tips and professionally judged winning windows in a number of display categories.
The Council is now delighted to announce the winners.
The DaCosta family from Horsham are the lucky winners of a “Golden Ticket” to see a film a month, every month, for a whole year at Horsham’s Capitol absolutely free. Delighted to receive their prize at the Capitol Box Office, they also learnt about the Box Office Babes service whilst they were there, so that they can take along their baby daughter to the performances.
Over 40 retail businesses registered to take part in the window dressing competition, also joining in the fun to hide lots of naughty elves amongst their displays for their customers to spot.
The winning businesses judged by John Lewis Partnership were:
Best Overall Window in Horsham District
R Rhodes and Son, shoe repairers in Billingshurst. Special mention also goes to R Rhodes and Son as the business has been in operation for 101 years across four generations of the same family, making it one of a select group of centenarian businesses in the District. R Rhodes and Son was also the most popular window as voted for in the public competition.
The business received a social media workshop with ByJove Media and a Visit Horsham 360 degree tour of their outlet to literally put them on the map.
Most Christmassy
Village Care Christina’s, Henfield
Most Fun
Park and Brown, Billingshurst
Best Lit Window
The Horsham Cellar, Horsham
Best Product Display
Gris et Blanc, Steyning
Most Imaginative
Crates Local Produce, Horsham.
Horsham District Council Chairman Cllr Kate Rowbottom presented the awards accompanied by Charles South from John Lewis Partnership, she commented:
“It was a pleasure to be involved with this competition. The windows all looked amazing and really added to the atmosphere over the festive period creating a really good customer experience for shoppers.
“It was also good to meet up with the winning local retailers and hear about their businesses and how grateful they were for the merchandising support they had been given.
“Many thanks to all of you who took part and our thanks go out also to John Lewis Partnership in Horsham for their help and advice which was much appreciated by all.”
The promotion, organised by Horsham District Council’s Economic Development team, built upon the ‘Your Customer Experience’ campaign, supporting independent retailers across the District that do so much to make visits to our high streets a special experience.
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