Shaftesbury Capital has signed 16 new retail brands across its Covent Garden estate over the last six months. This move underscores the company’s commitment to attracting a diverse range of top-tier global, British, and independent brands. It also serves as a strong vote of confidence in the long-term prospects of Covent Garden and London’s West End.
Among the brands making their European and West End debuts are HOKA, a running shoes and apparel brand, and Balibaris, an international menswear label. Both brands have chosen Covent Garden as the location for their inaugural stores. Additionally, specialist outdoor brand Arc’teryx is relocating to a more spacious flagship store on King Street, following the success of its Long Acre store.
Adjacent to Arc’teryx, The House of Creed, a luxury perfume house, is set to make its Covent Garden debut in November. This addition will bolster the area’s already strong fragrance portfolio, which has recently welcomed Guerlain’s UK debut store and French Haute Perfumery, Parfums de Marly. Creed will join other esteemed beauty and fragrance boutiques in the area, including Aesop, Chanel, Diptyque, Glossier, Guerlain, Le Labo, Miller Harris, Penhaligon’s, Tom Ford, and more.
The watch and jewellery sector is also seeing new entrants, with five brands including OMEGA, Messika, Hublot, and Girard-Perregaux opening in the Royal Opera House Arcade. Tissot will open its doors on James Street. These openings are timely for the holiday season and follow the recent expansion of luxury watch and jewellery retailer, Bucherer 1888, in its flagship Covent Garden store.
Completing the list of new retail additions are Sessùn, Gramicci, Mejuri, and British leather goods retailer Cambridge Satchel Co. The area will also welcome Swiss chocolatier Läderach, independent confectionary brand Lakrids by Bülow, and a new concept called Barnaby’s, co-created by the founders of Buns From Home and Crème the cookie shop.
Michelle McGrath, Executive Director, Shaftesbury Capital, commented: “At Covent Garden, we have always set out to create a multi-dimensional, experiential mixed-use district, attracting the very best occupiers across all uses. During our ownership, we have introduced over 250 new shopping and dining concepts to Covent Garden and continue to see excellent demand for our unique spaces, from brands aligned with our strategy to attract world-class global, British and independent brands.”
The new retail brands join nine new F&B operators that have signed or opened in the last six months in Covent Garden, bringing the total number of new facias to 25. Among the F&B additions are The Breakfast Club, Fatto a Mano, Colonel Saab, Ikkan Sushi, Bone Daddies, and top chef Phil Howard’s pasta bar, Notto.
