A long-standing Kingsbridge card and gift shop is in the running for a national retail award.

Occasional Cards, run by Jane and Kevin Brooking, has been shortlisted for the South West category of the prestigious RETA Awards.

There are just six shops in this category, with a trophy up for grabs for the winner. The award recognises the shop’s contribution to the card industry in the independent retail sector.

The RETAS were launched by Progressive Greetings Magazine as an annual awards programme in 2005, in recognition of the tremendous contribution that retailers, both large and small, make to the success of the greetings card industry.

The winners will be announced at a prestigious country and western themed ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Wednesday, July 3.

Commenting on the nomination, Jane said: “We had no idea. We got an email out of the blue late on a Sunday night saying we’d been nominated. It was a fantastic surprise.”

Nominations for the RETAS, which celebrate excellence in the greeting card retail industry, are made by suppliers. Jane said the recognition was particularly welcome given the current retail climate.

“Business can be very up and down,” she said. “There’s no consistency like there used to be, and it’s a hard slog with long hours and increasing costs. But we’re still doing really well thanks to the brilliant support from locals and visitors.”

Jane, who has run the High Street shop for 12 and a half years, said footfall in Kingsbridge has declined in recent years, despite a brief post-COVID spending spike.

“We need to restore people’s confidence in shopping locally. Kingsbridge has a great high street with some fantastic shops — we need to encourage more people to shop local.”

The shop stocks dozens of card suppliers and handpicks each item, as well as selling popular brands such as Jellycat, Moulin Roty and Rendelle Designs.

Jane added: “We try to cater for everyone. We’ve got a men's section, a lot of handpicked gifts, and we’re just about to introduce a dedicated sale shop at the back, which used to be our Christmas shop.”

She said they also take pride in championing local creatives, including Jennifer Cooper, Leslie Howard and emerging artist Ben Marriott.

“Ben came in on holiday with his cards and asked what we thought. Now he’s gone from five to 50 stockists and will have 100 by the end of the year. We’re mentoring him and he’s exhibiting at the NEC next year. It’s so important to support and develop new talent in the card industry.”

Looking ahead, the couple plan to launch a new website and are working on a programme of sales and promotions to keep footfall going. They also support local events and charities, including Kingsbridge Fair Week and Waggles, donating gift vouchers and festive stock.

“We do all we can to keep everything local,” Jane said. “We’ve been here a long time, and the local community really means a lot to us.”