CELEBRATIONS is on the cards for a Northwich retailer after being shortlisted for a national award.

Bratts, in Witton Street, has been nominated in the ‘Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards’ for the 2016 Reta Awards – the only awards that celebrate greeting card retailing in the UK.

They will now go up against Bentalls from Kingston, Browns of York, Fenwick in Brents Cross and both Fortnum and Mason and Liberty from London.

The family-run department store has served the people of Northwich for more than 150 years.

Christine Pickering, manager of Bratts, said: “If Bratts won the award it would be a fantastic achievement for an independent store in Northwich and it would highlight us nationally.

“We are a family- run store with friendly staff and loyal customers but the exposure may reach new customers who didn't realise what a huge variety of different brands and customer knowledge we bring to the shoppers of Northwich.”

The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, July 13, at the Dorchester Hotel.

Mark Henshaw, Northwich BID Officer, said: “It’s brilliant that an independent Northwich business has received this kind of recognition on a national level – it shows that Bratts produce some truly brilliant products.

“Fingers crossed that they can now go on and win the award, it would be amazing if they beat off competition from stores in major cities such as York and London.”