A LITTLE-KNOWN shop that you’ve probably never heard of in Scotland has been crowned the best local business across the UK.
Annie Mo’s is a well-loved, family-run furniture retailer located on Aberdeen’s busiest shopping street, Union Street.
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It is run by mum and daughter duo Judith and Emily McDonald, who first opened the store in the Granite City back in 1991.
And it has now been named the UK’s Favourite Local Business in a national competition sponsored by Miconex.
Over 1,000 different businesses across Britain competed for the prestigious award.
Shops in all different sectors including retail and hospitality that are part of Miconex’s Town and City Gift Card programmes were considered for the accolade.
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Over 4,000 people voted in the competition, with Annie Mo’s receiving the most votes in the UK.
The shop is one of 320 businesses that is part of the Aberdeen Gift Card, which was introduced by Aberdeen Inspired in 2020.
I don’t think winning the UK’s Favourite Local Business has really sunk in yet. We’re just a small shop doing our best and I’m so proud of the whole team
Emily McDonald
The cards encourage ‘shop local’ and can be spent with both big brands and indie businesses.
Staff at Annie Mo’s also won a £500 Aberdeen Gift Card along with the award, which Emily says will be used for a staff night out.
She said: “I don’t think winning the UK’s Favourite Local Business has really sunk in yet.
“We’re just a small shop doing our best and I’m so proud of the whole team and so thankful to our customers.
“The Aberdeen Gift Card is such a good idea for encouraging local spending and providing tangible support for local businesses just like ours.
“The choice on offer with the card makes it an ideal Christmas gift, for friends or for your staff.”
Shona Byrne, project manager with Aberdeen Inspired who oversees the gift card scheme for the city, hailed the team at Annie Mo’s and said it was a ” magnificent achievement”.
She said: “We have always known that Annie Mo’s is one of Aberdeen’s most-loved shops – but for it to be named the UK’s Favourite Local Business in a national competition is a magnificent achievement.
“Judith and Emily don’t just run a shop – they are curators of a Granite City institution and tireless champions for the vibrancy and importance of our city centre.
“Annie Mo’s is an exemplar of what local businesses can and should be – a bedrock in the community and a driver for the economy, leading the way with vision and passion.
“They richly deserve the prestigious accolade of the UK’s Favourite Local Business and I know everyone in the city will join all of us here at Aberdeen Inspired in congratulating them.”
Support worker Deborah Luke was selected at random from the entries for Annie Mo’s won a £1,000 Aberdeen Gift Card as part of the competition.
When you step in the shop it’s just magical… It’s laid out beautifully and the staff are lovely. It’s a little jewel of a shop
Deborah Luke
And she hailed the shop for being a “little jewel” in the city, and that the store is “just magical”.
Deborah said: “Annie Mo’s is on one of the main streets in Aberdeen and when you step in the shop it’s just magical and my favourite local business in the city.
“It’s laid out beautifully and the staff are lovely. It’s a little jewel of a shop.
“I don’t earn a huge amount, but I love to treat myself to an item at Annie Mo’s as a treat for working hard, like the Christmas decoration I bought the other day which they wrapped up beautifully in brown paper.
Top 6 UK’s Favourite Local Business
THE top five rankings for the UK’s Favourite Local Business have been revealed.
- Annie Mo’s in Aberdeen – home furniture shop
- W Hurst & Son Ltd on the Isle of Wight – hardware retailer
- Sisters & Misters in Falkirk – womens and mens designer clothes and fashion
- The Ethical Gift Shop & Refillery in Aberdeenshire – handcrafted, eco-friendly gifts and homewares shop
- Games Crusade in Harrogate – toy shop
- Rhode Island Coffee in North West England – hospitality brand
“I’ve always dreamt of being able to really splash out in Annie Mo’s and I’m just so happy to have won the Aberdeen Gift Card and so glad to see Annie Mo’s win UK’s Favourite Local Business.
“I really believe in ‘shop where you stay’ to support my community but also because I think it’s just a better experience, you get good service and the chance to see things in person.”
Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, added: “Congratulations to Annie Mo’s for winning the UK’s Favourite Local Business title and to every business who was nominated in the competition.
“The nominations showed just how valued local businesses are within our communities.
“In our 2024 research, 98 per cent of people said support for local was important to them, and 82 per cent said supporting local businesses has become more important to them over the past 12 months.
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“Local gift cards like the Aberdeen Gift Card not only offer uneatable local choice, they offer tangible support for local businesses of all types and sizes.”
Secret to success
ANNIE Mo’s is operated by mother and daughter team Judith and Emily McDonald.
And Emily says that an innovative approach to marketing is key to maintaining longevity as a small business.
She said: “I never really planned to go into the family business but after finishing my retail management degree at Aberdeen’s RGU, I worked at Annie Mo’s temporarily but really enjoyed learning more about the business so I ended up staying on and I’m glad I did.
“I think you have to be creative with marketing a small business now. In retail, people enjoy the experiential side of things and we’re able to bring the Annie Mo’s brand to life with our events and pop-ups.
“As well as regular events in Annie Mo’s, a few years ago we were asked to furnish a 5-bedroom house in Chapelton for a developer.
“It’s a stunning home and everything in it from the wall art to the bedroom furniture is from Annie Mo’s. Once a year, we turn it into a shop.
“We have a guy selling cinnamon buns and it’s a really relaxed atmosphere with people from the community visiting and staying a while.
“We’ve got our biggest ever pop up coming up at a beautiful local venue. We’re hiring a second van and will be taking 7-8 van loads packed with sofas, tables, pre lit Christmas trees and more to transform the barn into a winter wonderland.
“The vision is to have each section in a different colour theme with matching furniture and accessories. We’ll invite our customers along and they can visit the pop up, go to the café and have a real festive experience.
“Being a city centre business, we don’t have parking so it’s good to think outside the box and give customers other ways to experience your brand.
“Social media is another way we encourage our customers to interact with our brand and we try to give a behind the scenes look at what’s going on each day at Annie Mo’s, from what the delivery guys are delivering that day to what people are buying in store.
“It’s not overly planned and I think that feels more authentic. Customers say they love following along and check our channels first thing when they wake up!”
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