Too much is often made of the problems facing village shops. Contrary to what some people may think, there are many shops, all around the country, that are very successful, providing an excellent quality of service to their communities, and which are therefore excellent examples to others.

In an industry where most lead a relatively isolated existence, the RSA believes that information and communication is key. As such, knowledge of what others are doing, and what initiatives have been successful for them, can only be healthy for the industry in general – to inform, encourage and inspire.

Click on any of the list to the right of this page, for details of some of the most recent examples of good practice.