WHOLE FOODS MARKET
Austin, Texas

"This food store gives you the ultimate in abundance, range innovation, in-store theatre and organic/green credentials; a fine example of a concept executed confidently and without compromise."
Simon Burke
Chairman, Superquinn and Majestic Wine

"Whole Foods Market knows exactly what its core purpose is and sticks to it, being highly selective about what it sells and committed to quality and supporting sustainability. I know it is still finding its feet in the UK, but the stores in the US are a real experience – always trying new things and demonstrating new products. I always come out having spent far too much money and having loved the experience."
Euan Sutherland
Chief executive, Kingfisher UK

DEAN & DELUCA
SoHo, New York

"It's a traditional-looking store with fantastic displays of fruit and vegetables – it is excellent at creating in-store theatre and we can all learn a lot from it."
Caroline Gooding
Managing director, As Nature Intended

BOROUGH MARKET
London

"Not so much a shop, but a retail experience like no other. The array of food and wine on offer is quite simply fantastic."
Peter Marks
Chief executive, The Co-operative Group

WILSON'S FARM MARKET
Outside Boston

"The most cornucopic farm shop you will ever see, specialising in fruit and veg – much of which is grown on its farm."
Mark Price
Managing director, Waitrose

FALLON & BYRNE
Exchequer Street, Dublin 

"It's a food shop with a restaurant and is just a very cool place."
Paul Kelly
Chief executive, Selfridges

JOHN LEWIS
Oxford Street

"For choice and great customer service and because they send larger items on to my home in Guernsey promptly and efficiently. I love the concept of the staff being partners, so much so that we encourage the Specsavers Group to emulate this ethos."
Dame Mary Perkins
Co-founder, Specsavers

"For me, it's just about the after-sales service."
Joseph Wan
Group chief executive, Harvey Nichols

MARKS & SPENCER

"Marks & Spencer is the only retailer with such elasticity it is able to sell t-shirts for a few pounds and then cashmere for a few hundred pounds."
Touker Suleyman
Chairman, Hawes & Curtis

CYCLE SOLUTIONS
Newfoundland, Canada

"It's a sports shop – my passion. It's run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. Proper retailing and it shows one-man stores can thrive."
Andy Bond
Chief executive, Asda

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