Local shoppers have nominated The Queen B Boutique in Penarth as one of the most loved local businesses in the UK.

To mark Love Local Day (February 14), shoppers were asked to nominate their favourite local business and The Queen B Boutique sits in the top 20, joining others such as a perfume shop, a beauty spa and a board game café.

Nominations were submitted up until February 12 from more than 200 towns across the UK and collected by ShopAppy.com, an online directory that promotes the benefits of shopping locally.

Jodie Tanner, director of The Queen B Boutique which has a second location in Barry, told Nub News: "I've got butterflies in my stomach – I'm like a kid at Christmas today! I'm so thrilled. Customers being happy and comfortable in shopping with us is everything to me.

"The fact that we've had a huge number of nominations shows me that we obviously please our customers above and beyond."

Jodie has owned the business with her husband, Paul, since 2009 and opened the boutique during the recession. "I've seen lots of highs and lots of lows, and the last two years have probably been the most challenging," said Jodie.

The business had to make the necessary changes to keep going during the height of the pandemic. "At first, I took a week off. But then I thought, 'I can't do this. I need to roll my sleeves up' and basically took my business home," said Jodie.

"I started to sell mainly through social media, and it made us rethink the model. We didn't have an online platform at the time, and it made us very quickly develop a full e-commerce offering."

Jodie also hosted live fashion shows every Thursday through social media to boost the mental health of her customers. "We gave them [customers] the experience of a night out from their living rooms and it was a chance to talk and answer questions too."

As a result of the success in moving the business online during lockdown, Jodie and Paul were able to develop another unit next door to their existing shop in Penarth.

But it's not just about the recognition for her own business that they are pleased with. "We're all about sharing the love," said Jodie. "Customers come here from other parts of the country, and we recommend other businesses in Penarth.

"The nominations not only benefit The Queen B Boutique but other businesses in the town."