Our Retailer of the Year competition is back for its eighth year and the nominations are flooding in.

The event has become a must for every retailer in St Albans city centre.

With so many popular stalls in St Albans the Market Traders category usually receives the most nominations in our Retailer of the Year competition.

A number of stalls have been nominated already with each hoping to emulate the success of The Cheesewheeler, owned by Martijn Kanap, who claimed this category award for the second time last year.

He was presented with the award by St Albans Civic Society’s Eric Roberts.

Last year Greys Hairdressing in Christopher Place scooped the overall prize.

The competition is a joint initiative between the Review, St Albans District Council, St Albans Civic Society and St Albans District Chamber of Commerce.

Short-listed retailers will be invited to this year’s awards evening which will be held at Club Batchwood  on June 22.

This year the cafes and restaurants section has been split into two separate categories with food and drink now incorporated within specialist shops. 

You can enter traders in six categories of specialist shops; markets trader; cafés; restaurants, hair and beauty and fashion and accessories. This year, however, there will also be a new seventh category - St Albans Neighbourhood Centres. This is in response to demand from traders for an award for retailers not based within the city centre.

Our STAR award will be handed out to a retailer who goes above and beyond the call of duty and the winners of the 2014 Festive Pub of the Year competition will also receive their trophy.

All nominated retailers will also be sent a window poster and all nominations should be received by midnight on May 8. After this date our team of mystery shoppers will hit the streets, putting each and every retailer to the test.

You can now nominate traders by tweeting our dedicated Retailer of the Year page: @StAlbansROTY . Simply tell us the name of the shop/cafe/restaurant/trader and where they are based.

You can also nominate a retailer via text.  Just text the word ‘retailer’ followed by the name and address of the business to 80360. 

Or you can nominate a retailer by filling out the form in this week’s Review and posting it to the news desk or by emailing your entry to revieweditor@london.newsquest.co.uk

Texts cost 25p plus your normal operator text charge. Text lines open 20/03/2015 and close 08/05/2015 at 23:59PM. Service Provided by Newsquest Media Group. Call 0207 998 0549 for help and advice on phone and mobile services.

Nominations so far:

Specialist Shops:

Marks and Spencers

Charlies (Cobblers in Catherine Street)

Buongiorna Italia

A&C Meats

That Design Store

Iceland

Holland and Barrett

Chloe James

Hair and Beauty

Wilde About Hair

Fashion and Accessories

H&M

Long Tall Sally

D. Copperfield

Market Traders

The Card Stall

The Golf Stall (Wednesday near Town Hall)

So Cosy (Saturday outside the White Shop)

Tylers Fruit and Veg Stall (Saturday outside Jack Wills, Wednesday outside BHS)

Cup Cake Stall (Wednesday in Market Place)

Cafés

Hatch

Barrisimo

The Courtyard Café

Restaurants

Italiana

La Cosa Nostra

Cote Brasserie

Fishy Delishy

Freddies

Neighbourhood Shops

Lydons, Electrical Repair Shop (opposite the Jolly Sailor)

Funzone Fancy Dress (High Oaks)