ST Clare Hospice’s specialist vintage charity shop won a national award at the annual Hospice UK Retail Conference 2019 for Specialist Retail Outlet of the Year, on Thursday 11th April 2019.

Scarlet Vintage and Retro in Harlow’s town centre won the award for its creative layout and vintage wares, in addition to its eye-catching window displays – designed by talented St Clare shop staff and volunteers. The displays, which have become a popular talking point for customers and shoppers, feature creatively displayed items from the shop’s extensive wares of vintage and retro clothing accessories, collectables and homeware.

One such display received a special mention from national charity and awarding body, Hospice UK: the ‘Mary Poppins window,’ which featured the familiar, fictional nanny flying over the London skyline, umbrella in hand and her famous carpetbag with its goods tumbling out. Another memorable display included an ‘Oscar’ themed window that featured vintage postcards of legendary starlets.

The store’s shop windows are often inspired by the ‘hot topics’ of society – such as news in the press or latest film releases currently on the circuit – creating a story to engage customers, as well as a unique and memorable shopping experience. It is a fitting win for Scarlet Vintage & Retro, whose award was presented as part of the Hospice UK’s conference theme, “The Theatre and Drama of Hospice Retail.”

However, there is much more to this local treasure trove than its show-stopping window displays alone. After celebrating its launch event in October 2018, this quirky, hospice retail outlet has taken five short months to put itself on the map as a strong community-hotspot within the local area. After establishing key relationships with other community organisations throughout Harlow – such as Rainbow Services, Harlow College, Burnt Mill School and The Square – Scarlet Vintage & Retro is fast-becoming one of the Hospice’s most successful retail outlets to date.

Fiona Eaton, Head of Retail at the West Essex and East Herts charity, said: “St Clare Hospice is incredibly proud of the staff and volunteers at Scarlet Vintage & Retro, whose exceptional creativity and hard work has ensured the shining success of our newest charity shop. They consistently go above and beyond in everything they do – from their stunning window displays and visual merchandising on the shop floor, to creating valuable and productive relationships with other organisations in the community. We are thrilled that they have won the Specialist Retail Outlet of the Year award from Hospice UK – and are continuously looking forward to seeing what the shop does next! Congratulations, Scarlet Vintage & Retro!”

Commenting on the awards, Elizabeth Palfreman, Head of Hospice Support at Hospice UK, said: “The level of creativity, innovation and dedication by hospice retail staff and volunteers this year in our retail conference awards is impressive. Hospice shops have some amazing and very loyal volunteers and their staff are always looking at new ways of engaging customers. Hospice shops raise crucial income for hospices and are also a great way of helping increase public awareness about hospice care.”

Shop Manager at Scarlet Vintage & Retro, Tracey Chippett, said: “Allie, our Shop Assistant, and I, are so excited to have been recognised for the effort and dedication our team have put into Scarlet Vintage & Retro. It has been an amazing journey since the shop opened, and an incredible achievement to win the award for Specialist Retail Outlet of the Year! We have a wonderful team of volunteers who are such an inspiration to work with – without their support, we couldn’t do what we do here at the shop. We’re delighted to have formed strong community bonds since we opened in October 2018, and we look forward to our future projects. Everything we do is for St Clare Hospice, and it’s an honour to be raising vital funding and promoting their services and opportunities to local people. Many thanks, as always, to our customers for their ongoing support, too. It really is a joy to be part of the team!”

Visit Scarlet Vintage and Retro at 3 Broad Walk, Harlow, CM20 1HX. For more information, please visit the St Clare Hospice website at: stclarehospice.org.uk/shops/harlow-vintage-retro

Follow Scarlet Vintage and Retro on Instagram: @scarletvintageretro