Duckworths recently won the title of Wares Appliance Retail Store of the Year 2010 up to 400m2.

This award recognises outstanding retail stores in the appliance or consumer electronics industries.

Wares is the industry magazine for appliance and consumer electronics retailers. The awards are not easily won, with many layers in the selection process. For this award 20 stores were nominated nationwide and their performance assessed by 50 industry suppliers and a mystery shopper. Managing Director Rob Duckworth was unaware his store was being watched. "I didn't know about the mystery shopper until a week after," he said. He was modest about the win, saying it was a team effort. Wares director Simon Little said Duckworths had done well to win over a huge range of stores and the well-resourced nationwide retailers. "It's a superb effort from Duckworths," he said. "It's impressive for an independent store to win - a real feather in their cap." Rob Duckworth also won Retailer of the Year seven years ago.

Rob Duckworth at the award dinner in Auckland

Staff at Duckworths Napier - (from left) Yvonne Arrowsmith, Wayne Johnston, John Lamerton and Rob Duckworth