A prom dress boutique attracting customers from as far afield as Ireland, Canada and New Zealand has been crowned North Wales’ best business.

Ffansi Ffrogs in Ruthin retained its Best Fashion Store title at this year’s Best of North Wales Business Awards and went on to be named the overall winner, beating businesses from every sector across the region.

The glamorous Clwyd Street outlet, run by Wendy Thompson and her 19-year-old daughter, Robyn Unsworth, has enjoyed a remarkable year.

Sales in June soared by 233 per cent compared with the same month last year as girls flocked to the shop after disappointing online purchases and recommendations from friends.

Its reputation for one-to-one service has helped transform the three-year-old business into a destination store, dressing more than 1,000 girls and attracting customers from across Wales, the North West of England and overseas, to buy glamorous prom gowns.

According to Wendy, who runs the store with Robyn and a team of four young, part-time stylists, the awards were testament to the personal, friendly service offered.

She said: “Our business has only been running for three years, so to win the best fashion store in North Wales award for two years running is amazing.

“Then to win the overall prize too was just incredible and very unexpected.

“The awards are special because they are voted for by the public – our customers, people who follow us on social media and people who just want to support a small, family-run local business.

“Winning the awards demonstrates that families trust us with finding a dress for a once in a lifetime occasion.

“What we do is genuinely about so much more than just buying a dress, it is about looking after families throughout the process from order to right through to prom.

“We have the same premium labels as the shops in the cities, but what we also offer is the personal service that you get from a smaller business, where every customer genuinely matters.

“To me, these awards are worth more to us than anything given out by a judging panel.”

Wendy said the award wins followed another successful trading season for the shop.

She said: “Over the last 12 months, sales in every month have exceeded the year before and I must say June has been crazy.

“We have had lots of girls looking for last minute dresses ahead of their prom.

“They have ordered online, but not been happy with it, or they have ordered online and it hasn’t turned up; some even just made a last minute decision to attend. In every case, we have been able to give one to one advice and find a dress they loved.”

Wendy said word of mouth about the store’s hugely personal service was attracting customers from not only local areas, but much further afield.

She said: “Customers visit us from across North Wales as far West as Holyhead and the majority this season were from Rhyl, Prestatyn, Wrexham and Flint.

“We offer appointments in Welsh as well which is something Welsh first language customers really appreciate.

“We are finding more customers this year are coming from England as word spreads – Cheshire, Wirral and Liverpool.

“In the last season alone, we attracted over 100 five star reviews on Google.”

Wendy said they took great pride in helping girls find the dress of their dreams as prom approaches

She said: “Only last week, a girl came to us after ordering 10 dresses online and even going to London.

“She tried to measure herself but the dresses that arrived were just not working for her.

“I knew straight away what shape and style she needed and that was the advice she didn’t  get on a website or in a huge shop in London.  Not only did she find a dress she loved, she was genuinely torn between three.

“It highlights why shopping in person and receiving styling support is so important.

“You can’t see from an AI-generated, online image of a perfect, in-proportion model whether a dress will work on you. You need to be standing in it looking in a mirror to know that.”

“We are also known for our extensive plus size range of dresses – our boutique is inclusive and we believe every girls deserves to feel incredible on prom night.

She added: “Robyn is now the full-time manager and we have exciting plans for next season, to elevate the whole experience and make everything feel even more premium.

“This will include new fitting rooms and a little refresh of our seating area.  A few more little personal touches are also being planned but we are keeping those a surprise for now.  Far from becoming complacent, we are always looking for how we can improve.”

Robyn said: “Helping mum from when the shop first started has helped me understand all the different sides of the business and has made me more mature and have the confidence to take control of things.

“Proms are often the last time you will be with everyone from your school, so everybody wants to make sure they look right and feel right.

“It is such a nice job to have because when a girl finds the right dress for them and you see their face light up, it’s lovely to share in that moment.

“And when it all comes together on the day and we get the photos through, it is so wonderful to see.”