A Penticton fashion boutique, Something Pretty, was one of three winners in the Valley First 2018 Fan Choice awards.
Opened in 2013, the Front Street business was chosen along with Far & Wide (Kamloops) and Globally Fair (Kelowna) as the Best Retail Store.
Now in its third year, the Fan Choice Awards celebrate small-to-medium-size businesses from the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys.
Hosted on the Valley First (a division of First West Credit Union) and Enderby & District Financial Facebook pages, the awards invite social media users to vote for their favourite local and independent businesses that provide a product or service that is second to none.
Related: Best Of: Valley First putting their customers first
Hundreds of votes were cast during the month of September to determine the winners in three categories including Best Food and Drink and Best Beauty and Wellness.
Beauty Box Studio of Summerland was one of three winners in the Best Beauty and Wellness division along with NeuMovement (Kelowna) and Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa (Vernon).
“At Something Pretty we are so honoured to be chosen by our community for this Fan Choice award,” said store owner Rebekah Gin in a news release. “It means so much to know the value that the Okanagan community puts into supporting local. Thank you Valley First for your continued support of small businesses.”
Related: Valley First Endowment grant helps OSNS in 2017
In the release Something Pretty was described as: “A popular destination for women’s clothing and accessories. With a focus on local Canadian and North American brands, customers can browse and buy fashion-forward pieces.”
Added Marek Buryska, Valley First regional manager, business banking: “Small business is an important sector that’s trending upwards here in B.C.; between 2012 and 2017, employment at small businesses grew by 7.6 per cent.
“While it’s no surprise, I’m heartened by the number of positive, supportive votes we received from community members advocating for local and independent businesses in this year’s Fan Choice Awards.”
Winners of the Best Food and Drink category were Crumbs and Roses Gluten Free Bakery (Kelowna) Doug’s Homestead (Hedley) and The Arcadian Kitchen (Vernon).
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