A WEBSITE designed by a Malvern business which allows you to shop all over the world has won an international award.

Retail Futures, based at Malvern Hills Science Park, scooped the Internet Commerce Award with its shopping site www.worldofshopping.com

The firm runs the site in partnership with Parcelforce Worldwide, allowing consumers to shop for anything from computers to gloves in a global market. The site also gives companies the opportunity to sell their products to an international market.

Retail Futures and Parcelforce Worldwide beat competition from the United States Postal Service to win the award for internet developments that add value to the mail industry.

At the moment, the site is predominantly used by overseas customers with 70 per cent of purchases made outside the UK.

It offers a range of more than 20,000 products from 100 suppliers, including toys, antiques, clothing, art and gardening products.

Purchases can also be found by the Digital Butler, who will help source gifts for friends and families. You just tell him who the gift is for, what the occasion is, how much you want to spend and he will come up with a range of ideas.

All prices include VAT but there is an additional charge for postage and packaging.

John Andrews, chief executive of Retail Futures, said: "When customers purchase goods from World of Shopping they can be confident that their shopping will be delivered safely and securely to almost any country in the world."

In the future, the company is hoping to offer a more sophisticated solution to shopping anxieties by creating digital clones of their customers. These will contain personal information such as physical statistics and financial records, according to the customer's wishes. The idea is that they become your personal "shopping buddy".

The digital shopper will search out the best deals for you and retailers can send the latest special offers. Your "buddy" will even be able to try on clothes and show you how they would look.

Science park manager Nigel Shaw said it was great to see the Retail Futures' hard work acknowledged by a top industry award.