A SELFRIDGES sales associate has been named the best in the world at an awards show.

Zarah Naseem won the award for Best Sales Associate at a Department Store at the 6th World Department Store Forum, in Tokyo.

Over 13,000 sales associates were nominated for the award, before finalists were chosen from a group of 100.

Mrs Naseem was put forward by her manager at the Trafford Selfridges store, where she works as a sales associate for luxury menswear, and was surprised to learn she was a finalist a week before the awards ceremony.

Speaking about her disbelief after winning, the 31-year-old said: “I am overwhelmed to have won. I go to work and do my job.

“It’s really nice and humbling to have won. I still can’t believe it.

"I keep looking at my trophy because something like this would never happen to me again.”

Mrs Naseem won the award for her excellent customer service, her understanding of brands, sharing product updates, and building unique customer relationships.

In her home town of Rawtenstall in Lancashire, Mrs Naseem’s family own a uniform clothing store called Amins where she has worked regularly since she was 11.

Winning the award has opened new doors for Mrs Naseem. She said: “After winning, I have people contacting me saying they want me to train their sales teams.

“I loved Tokyo too, even though I had to miss Eid at home, but I was in Tokyo and we had some time to visit temples and go shopping.

“It’s an amazing place to go, the people in Japan are some of the loveliest people in the world.”

Starting out as a Christmas temp, the best sales associate became a brand specialist at the store within a year before becoming a sales consultant when the brand left the store.

Originally, she was set to become a teacher, after studying Criminology at Manchester University and then doing a PGC in Psychology.

Her dreams were dashed when she couldn’t find a job, but now, she is happier to have found her sales role.

There were 340 executives at the biennial awards, which is held in a different country each time.