TO beat the likes of John Lewis and Specsavers and win the Retail Award was "completely unexpected," in the words of Waterstone's Bridge Street branch manager Anna Elmore.

"I am very proud – it's a fitting accolade to my team, who work really really hard. They all go above and beyond the norm. They are a special team."

Waterstone's is an international brand with a local feel, passionate about supporting the local community.

The last 12 months have been really exciting for the Bridge Street store. It is now recognised as the top branch in East Anglia for signings and events and has brought many big names from the literary and celebrity world, including Richard Madeley, Alan Carr and Robert Pollard, to Peterborough, helping to raise the city's profile.

It has improved the layout of the store, making it much more user friendly, as well as increasing the size of the children's department and including displays of books suitable for dyslexic or reluctant readers.

Although it is a difficult time on the High Street, Waterstone's is maintaining its sales in Peterborough, working on improving them every day by offering customers the best service, the best product to match their needs and the best environment in which to buy it.

It is heavily involved in the local community, sitting on the City Centre Forum, working with the city libraries and sponsoring the poet laureate and the young poet laureate for Peterborough.

Highly Commended
SPECSAVERS has been providing eye care to the Peterborough community for 22 years.

Its mission statements is: "To be the best value opticians providing affordable eyecare and hearing care to all, satisfying people's needs, simply, clearly and consistently." To support this it operates a six-month no quibble guarantee, which includes a money back option.

Specsavers has invested in training its optometrists to a high level. Six are accredited to perform cataract assessments and diabetic retinopathy, and it is the only Multiple Optician in Peterborough accredited to perform glaucoma screening.

This year has seen Specsavers' market share increase from 40 per cent to 43.7 per cent, with profits up by 18 per cent.


JOHN LEWIS is the largest department store in Peterborough and this year celebrated its 26th year of trading in Queensgate.

2008 has been a very busy year for the store. It has now extended its weekend trading hours, and invested £400,000 revamping two of its selling floors. This includes a larger menswear assortment and the relocation of travel goods. It has also significantly expanded its own branded range of goods, including audio, electrical, kitchenware and fashion collections.