Bachmann Europe’s Retailer of the Year Awards are back once again and have seen Great Eastern Models of Norwich awarded ‘Retailer of the Year’ for 2022.

December 2022 saw Anne Martin and Helen Arnold who run the family business presented with the award by Regional Account Manager, Stuart Daine, and Tony Lowe who is Bachmann‘s Model and Hobby Sales Manager.

Originally launched in 2001, the annual Bachmann Retailer of the Year award took a break in 2019 following the naming of Model Railway Solutions of Dorset named ‘Retailer of the Year’ as the pandemic took hold seeing shops close across the country.

With life back to normal and shops open for business it is now fair to relaunch the award which will celebrate an outstanding Bachmann retailer every year.

Tony said: “Keeping model shops on the high street is a key focus for Bachmann Europe – and something we believe to be vitally important to the continued prosperity of our industry as a whole – and the Retailer of the Year award helps us to acknowledge those shops that go above and beyond in helping us achieve that objective. Bachmann does not put itself in competition with its retailers, instead, we encourage, support and help them to thrive and Great Eastern is a fantastic example of what can be achieved from that relationship – a ‘traditional’ model shop, serving its community by offering professional advice on a wide range of quality products and how best to use them.”

Anne said: “We are thrilled to receive the Bachmann Retailer of the Year Award, we are a small independent shop with a big heart, we pride ourselves on good old fashioned customer service and really try and treat all our customers and visitors to our premises or online Facebook page like family. We love what we do and hope it shines through. We work hard to create a fun and relaxed environment and offer a one stop shopping experience to all our customers.”