Berwick Street welcomes new pop-ups as Shaftesbury unveils 11 new retail units

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 8, 2022

London’s Berwick Street Market continues its transformation into a style-driven niche retail location. The latest upgrade comes as property giant Shaftesbury unveils 11 new units in the heart of Soho at 92-104 Berwick Street.

“The creation… will bring exciting opportunities for new retailers and F&B concepts”, Shaftesbury said at launch.

The first phase of the 6,400 sq ft space will consist of a selection of hand-picked pop-ups, followed by a longer-term strategy to curate a mix of independent and ‘London first’ stores and restaurants.

Temporarily stepping into the space at No 99 is the first standalone store for independent British label A State of Nature, winner of The Incubator Project competition that gave budding UK brands the chance to win a free pop-up for three months until March 2023.

The brand’s non-gender-specific collection includes shirting, trousers, outerwear and accessories and is ethically made in London by skilled craftspeople with the company setting out to make products that stand the test of time. Owners Barbara Fidler-Wieruszewska and Nick Eisa are based in the shop where customers can see the clothes being made.

No 96/97 welcomes recycling champion Are You Mad. Beyond its existing pop-up on Carnaby, this store will also be open as a workshop space where customers can bring in their rubbish, learn about plastic recycling and have the opportunity to turn their own trash into something creative. The plastic recycling experiment collects plastic waste from local businesses, shoppers and their growing community, which is then sorted, shredded, and turned into new objects, including the build of the shop itself.

Meanwhile, Soho Space arrives at No 98 and is a dedicated rotating concept store for small British businesses, charities and activations. It will have a rolling programme of activations throughout December into the New Year. First up is China Exchange that will bring together artists, community members and volunteers to create unique and beautiful products that share the hidden stories of London’s Chinatown.

British photographer Thomas Knights showcases his exhibition Red Hot at No 102, with an array of inspirational stories of redhead success. Dancers, actors, singers, models, athletes and content creators step into the spotlight and tell their ‘Own It’ story. The exhibition space will also run a series of talks.

Finally, The Museum of Youth Culture will open at No 95. It’s an independent museum dedicated to the styles, sounds and social movements innovated by young people over the last 100 years.

Andrew Price, Property Director, Shaftesbury, said: “Taking ownership of a new site of this scale in a destination like Berwick Street is a rare opportunity. This development is the latest realisation of our vision to create destinations that surprise and entertain new and returning visitors, bringing some very special retail and restaurant businesses to this part of Soho.”

Samantha Bain-Mollison, Retail Director at Shaftesbury, added: “Launching these new spaces with a mix of pop-ups will give exciting independent businesses and charities the chance to reach the Soho community, alongside the more established brands here. Our ambition is that the new development will continue to attract a diverse mix of flagship, digital native and independent tenants that adds to the array of exciting concepts and complements the village culture in this exceptional location.”