RURAL village shops picked up tips from Mary Queen of Shops at the first Village Shop Conference hosted by Hampshire County Council.
Delegates from village shops, including Woodgreen and Martin, benefited from a DVD masterclass delivered by retail guru and TV presenter Mary Portas.
A number of workshops were held, covering some of the key issues faced by village shops, including marketing and increasing footfall.
A speaker from the Post Office updated delegates on the latest changes to affect rural post offices.
The Village Community Grant Scheme, which gives grants to help increase the use of village shops or to create new community-led village stores, particularly in communities that are losing their post offices, was discussed at the conference.
A total of 20 grants have now been awarded to villages across Hampshire since the scheme was launched in 2008.
Village scheme The scheme is targeted primarily at villages with fewer than 5,000 residents, with applications welcome from community associations, village shop associations, parish or district councils and formal voluntary associations.
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