'Independents Day': Celebrating the Black Country and Staffordshire's best independent traders

And now we are taking the opportunity to celebrate the independent businesses in our area – by declaring July 4 'Independents Day'.

It may be the most famous date in America's calendar, but today the Express & Star looks at some of the best independent shops the Black Country and Staffordshire has to offer.

Despite independent stores facing a struggle to compete with the relentless expansion of national chains, there are plenty of smaller shops determined to offer customers something different.

Be it a traditional butchers, clothes shops, craft stores or even an artisan chocolate maker, the region has a booming independent scene to be proud of.

But there is a lot of hard work involved in keeping these businesses afloat – and bosses are warning they need customers to keep supporting them, and to think before they automatically visit the huge supermarkets nearby.

Butcher Andrew Morris says sticking to tradition has kept his customers happy, and ensures he provides a level of service that the chains cannot match.

His shop in Caldmore has been open since 2000 and is going stronger than ever. Mr Morrison, aged 50, took the business on from his father-in-law David Ward in that year.

Mr Morrison works in the shop with his wife Sarah and colleague Robert Williams.

He said one of the secrets to the shop's success was sticking to tradition by running a Christmas Club that shoppers pay into throughout the year.

But he also said moving forward with the times and adapting to changing markets was another reason his business is doing so well. The father-of-two from Willenhall added: "We have quite a lot of Polish people in the area. For them we buy in Polish pork. You have to change with the times.

"Caldmore has a bad name which is a shame really. Everyone is really friendly. I think lots of people come into Caldmore because of the reasonable prices."

When Mary Portas launched a drive to boost the nation's high streets two years ago, bosses in Wolverhampton used it to set up an outlet for independent traders.

And two years later The Shop in the Square is drawing in customers and giving start-up businesses a chance to find their feet.

It has gone from being a pop-up shop to become a much-loved part of the Queen Square landscape.

And though it was only expected to last for six months, it is now open for the foreseeable future.

Sustaining more than 30 entrepreneur makers and artists at any one time, the shop sells an eclectic selection of gifts, crafts, artwork, food, clothing and jewellery.

Whilst the project was the brainchild of the Portas Town Team, the inspiration behind the success of the venture is very much down to project manager Charlotte Clark.

She said: "The shop has been a dream come true not just for myself but for all the hardworking micro-businesses that would never have a chance to trade in such a good location. Customers are delighted when they find out what we sell and return again and again to see our constantly changing selection of surprises and delights."

Among the traders on display at the Shop in the Square is Jenny Emanuel. She hasn't got her own shop yet, but is building up a reputation for her home-made chocolate.

It all began when the stay-at-home mum was struggling for ideas for a stall at her daughter's school Christmas fair.

The 43-year-old from Smethwick sought inspiration from her husband Craig, aged 38, by asking him what he most associated with Christmas.

When he replied 'food,' she decided to create chocolate treats for the pupils at St Gregory's Primary School – despite not having a clue how to make them and needing help from the internet to get started.

Since then Charlie's Mom's Chocolate Factory – which she christened the operation – has started supplying two independent shops.

It can be found at the Shop in the Square in Queen's Square, Wolverhampton and Webb's Walled Garden Gift Shop in Bearwood.

She spends around 40 hours each week making chocolate while the children are at school, but admits this jumps to around 100 hours each week in busy periods. Her kitchen has its very own five-star hygiene rating accredited by Sandwell Council and has two fridges – one for the usual groceries and one purely for chocolate.

She said: "Each year, sales are growing and we are getting more and more flavours and more and more customers.

"What's more, everything I make is a gift and it is just brilliant to know that what you are doing is bringing a smile to someone's face."

While Mrs Emanuel is coming up with new chocolate creations from her kitchen at home, one of the Black Country's best known firms continues to thrive.

Teddy Gray's still has sweet shops in Dudley, Bewdley, Great Bridge and Wednesbury, 191 years after the business began selling to houses from a horse and cart.

John Gray started manufacturing his own sweets in West Street, but it was his grandson Teddy who built the business up into what it is today. The company moved to its present site at North Street in 1933. It opened a shop in Wolverhampton Street and a number of market stalls sprung up throughout the Midlands.

The brand, based at a factory in Dudley's North Street, has become famous for its sticks of rock and herbal tablets that are sold at shops throughout the Midlands.

Mr Gray, who runs the firm with his sister Betty, said: "Everyone says that to find the factory they just have to follow their nose.

"The sweet smell is all around the factory as we are making sweets every day, the smell is now part of this area of Dudley.

"Sweets made the modern way look very nice, but they don't have the taste. I think that is what makes us a bit different."

Homemade and locally sourced food is the order of the day at the Canalside Farm near Stafford, which is heading towards its third anniversary in August.

Turnover at the farm shop has quadrupled since it opened and has enabled owners Chris and Wendy Barton to set up a new cafe there.

The shop itself opened in 2011 at the farm, which is next to the Trent and Mersey Canal. In that time a full-time butcher has been recruited and bosses have made a vow to only source from producers within a 30-mile radius.

The business is a perfect example of independent traders finding a niche and appealing to a specific customer base through good quality – and seeing sales rocket while others struggle.

Mr Barton said: "We have three qualified butchers and we are also keen to educate visitors about the different cuts of meat and how best to use them. A large percentage of the meat we are selling come from local farms."

Mr Barton said they were keen to support neighbouring businesses. As well as sourcing meat locally the shop also uses the services of the W&G Yates abattoir in Brownhills and has used local building contractors for its recent developments.

Fashions change from year to year, but Bella Boo has been a fixture in Stourbridge High Street since 2005.

The shop specialises in vintage outfits and is popular among the students at the schools and sixth forms around the town centre.

Owner Francesca Portera said she realised that by focusing on lower-price brands while also stocking more expensive items, she was appealing to more people.

Many traders in Stourbridge feared for their futures when the new Tesco superstore opened in the town, but Miss Portera said the key to survival was changing her tactics to deal with the new competition.

She added: "You need to look at what you do and how you can change it. Things are going well – there have been difficult times but we have some loyal customers."

At the other end of the spectrum, a store in Cannock is cashing in on the rocketing popularity of school proms.

Celebrity Dresses in Broad Street, Cannock, was based at Fashion Factory in Vine Lane until the superstore went into administration and closed down in July 2012.

The business was taken over by a new boss and re-opened three months later, but ex-manager Christine Rowlands, 47, decided to open her own store in October 2012. She said: "I have always wanted to have my own prom dress shop, so together with my friends Amanda and Kerry, I have worked hard to make my dream a reality.

"We have girls and their mums come from all over the country to get one of our dresses, which are imported from America, and they are always really excited to be buying their perfect dress.

"I think we have been very lucky in that our business has spread by word of mouth and hopefully our success will continue."

The Great British Sewing Bee has led to a surge of interest in crafts, which has been good news for Wendy Perry, who opened her first shop four years ago in Wolverhampton.

The heartbreak of redundancy had a happy ending for the Willenhall mother-of-three when she launched Intricut Crafts in Farmers Fold.

She began with a stall at Willenhall Indoor Market in November 2009 after the firm she worked for closed down – and she soon won a place on the Best of Walsall website. "At first I was devastated and feared that it would wreck my future but then I was offered a free 10-week course through the Job Centre on starting my own business," the 53-year-old said. "This inspired me to give it a go."

While it is widely accepted that the future of music is online streaming, vinyl is enjoying a renaissance, with sales last year hitting a 20-year high. In Walsall, LPs Paradise has become a haven for music lovers who would prefer to hear the crackle of needle on vinyl.

Owner Lisa Powell opened the store two years ago and says she is seeing clear signs that vinyl is making a major comeback every day.

The store in the town's Victorian Arcade, made an event of Record Store Day, with local bands playing in store and competitions running throughout the day. She added: "A lot of younger people are buying vinyl now, it is something they are really keen to latch onto, we are noticing a lot of college students coming in."

"While the big name supermarkets may continue their relentless march across the country there is a real affection for the independent retailer, be it the friendly butcher who always knows your name, or the artists and crafters producing that special one-off birthday gift. Happy Independents Day one and all."