Introduction to London

London is the largest city in the UK. It has a combination of great culture, history, shopping and restaurants – there is something for everyone. The retail market in London is driven by a strong international customer presence, including a steady inflow of tourists.

Demographics

London is a multi-cultural city: Just under 60% of the city’s population is Caucasian, and 37% are immigrants. Local residents speak more than 300 languages, although, according to BBC News, 92% of people in London consider English to be their main language.

Top Five Shopping streets:

1. Oxford Street: The heart of London shopping, Oxford Street has more than 300 retailers. Shoppers can find a variety of retailers on Oxford Street, from Selfridges to Primark.
2. Regent Street: Known as the elegant shopping street, Regent Street offers shoppers a range of mid-priced apparel stores. The street is also home to some of London’s oldest and most famous stores, such as Hamleys and Liberty.
3. Bond Street: Bond Street is full of luxury stores: Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co, among others.
4. Savile Row: The place to go for handmade suits, with stores such as Henry Poole & Co, Gieves & Hawkes, Hunstman & Sons and Ozwald Boateng.
5. King’s Road, Chelsea: Shoppers can find a mix of chic boutiques, unique labels and designer stores.

Famous Retail Events

London Fashion Week: London Fashion Week is a bi-annual event that celebrates up-and-coming designers, as well as major established names. With over 250 designers and more than 5,000 guests, London Fashion Week is one of the “Big Four” fashion shows around the world.

Top Innovative Retailers

For Art’s Sake [caption id="attachment_88338" align="aligncenter" width="565"] Source: fasforartssake.com[/caption]   For Art’s Sake was founded in 2016 and specializes in eyewear. The brand is stocked by over 550 boutiques and retailers, including Harvey Nichols, Net-a-Porter, Lane Crawford and Yoox.com. The brand differentiates itself through bold designs, pear-encrusted bridges and exaggerated silhouettes, to name a few. For Art’s Sake opened its first flagship store in Covent Garden, and has a second shop in Shanghai. The Covent Garden flagship is covered in blue velvet, brass fixtures and mirrors everywhere. The flagship also offers an extraordinary retail experience, including: a concierge, selfie stations, personal shopping in five languages (Mandarin, French, Spanish, Italian and English) and “click and collect services.” Location: For Art’s Sake, 17 The Market Building, London WC2E 8RB. Tiffany & Co [caption id="attachment_88339" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Source: tiffany.co.uk[/caption]   Tiffany & Co was founded in 1837 in New York. There are over 300 Tiffany & Co Stores in more than 20 countries. In London, there are three stores, one of them in the Style Studio in Covent Garden. The Covent Garden flagship features a style studio, designed to inspire creative interaction encourage creativity. The Covent Garden flagship celebrates self-expression and creates an open atmosphere for style-conscious shoppers to create their own vision. The Covent Garden flagship is a dynamic space with Tiffany blue on every wall. One of the goals of the store is to promote self-expression, achieved by introducing a “Make it Tiffany” personalization bar. The store also holds events, celebrating creative innovators, events such as: styling sessions, performance, art installations and animations. Location: Tiffany & Co, 13 James Street, London WC2E 8BT. Alex Eagle [caption id="attachment_88343" align="aligncenter" width="482"] Source: alexeagle.co.uk[/caption]   The Alex Eagle Studio is truly a unique retail experience in Soho. The store combines the comfort and energy of a home with the luxury of a gallery. The merchandise varies from fashion and furniture to photography, ceramics and books. All products are selected by the owner and creative director Alex Eagle. If you peer in through the black-framed windows, you would think the Alex Eagle Studio is someone’s living room: The loft-like studio doubles as a gallery in which artists are featured. All the items in the studio are for sale. Location: Alex Eagle, 6-10 Lexington Street, London W1F 0LB. Browns East [caption id="attachment_88344" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Source: brownsfashion.com[/caption]   Browns East features brand installations and immersive pop-ups. The shop is all about the experience: The owners want customers to experience retail in a different way. Previous installations included Nike x Marine Rose, giving customers an exclusive inside look at the collaboration. Another installation was the “BOYY” popup, a handbag collection. Apart from installations and pop-ups, the shop also created a variety of photo opportunities. A more recent installation is the Kitchen & Soul popup, which promotes positive and mental well-being, and sells products such as the SoulBall (an Ayurvedic-inspired energy snack). Location: Browns East, 21 Club Row, London E2 7EY. Nespresso [caption id="attachment_88345" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Source: nespresso.com[/caption]   Introducing an immersive experience at the flagship Regent Street location, Nespresso gives customers a personalized experience with many “Zones” throughout the store to fit customers’ needs. For example, “The Club” room is available only to Nespresso Club members. “The Tasting Area” allows visitors to experience different types of coffees with coffee experts by their side, as well as an interactive screen to provide information on the different types of coffee. “The Recycling Zone” is dedicated to Nespresso capsules and showing consumers how to recycle them and outlines Nespresso’s recycling program. Lastly, “The Pick-Up Zone” is for members to collect online orders. There is also a 10-square-foot video wall and tablets that give consumers information about Nespresso machines and accessories. Location: Nespresso, 54 Regent Street, London W1B 4DY. LN-CC [caption id="attachment_88346" align="aligncenter" width="665"] Source: ln-cc.com[/caption]   The Late Night Chameleon Café (LN-CC) is a hidden gem. The space used to be a boxing ring, and has an alleyway entrance that hides the luxurious atmosphere of the shop. The store exudes modern luxury and was created by John Skelton, a former buyer for Selfridges and Harrods. The space resembles a gallery, with different rooms to view collections of apparel and accessories. In addition, customers can explore books and records at the in-store library. At the back of the store are a bar and club for private events. Location: LN-CC, The Basement, 18-24 Shacklewell Lane, London E8 2EZ. Harrods [caption id="attachment_88347" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Source: harrods.com[/caption]   Harrods is one of London’s most famous department stores, located near Hyde Park. Harrods occupies nearly one million square feet of retail space across 330 departments – a one-stop store for everything luxury. Harrods has adopted digital technologies such as apps, audience recognition and interactive store experiences. Customers can also use an app with a store mapping feature to more easily find their way around. Harrods is also partnering with Quividi, using audience recognition to track the response to digital advertising. Harrods has introduced the “Experience Innovation at Harrods” campaign with Samsung that lets customers interact with brands in unique ways and be the first to get their hands on the latest products. Harrods also has a Wellness Clinic, described as the ultimate wellbeing destination, with in-house experts on general wellness, dermatology, fitness, nutrition and more. Location: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL. Selfridges [caption id="attachment_88348" align="aligncenter" width="647"] Source: Selfridges.com[/caption]   Selfridges’ Oxford Street location is the flagship and original store, and is one of the largest stores in the UK. Selfridges has a 19,000 square foot “Wonder Room” on the first floor which houses jewelry, watches and a concept store which constantly evolves with different creative projects. The “Designer Street Room” covers 18,000 square feet on the men’s floor and focuses on the customer experience, using music, unique products, a skate bowl and men’s grooming area to blend streetwear with the luxury aspect Selfridges is known for. The company used information on customer behavior and demand to create a space the company says is built purely on customer wants. The room has a flexible design, the frameworks are industrial but light and reflective. Location: Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB. Harvey Nichols [caption id="attachment_88349" align="aligncenter" width="648"] Source: harveynichols.com[/caption]   Harvey Nichols was founded in 1831 and is a luxury British department store chain with its flagship store in Knightsbridge. The ground floor houses beauty brands, including a “Beauty Lounge” in which individuals can experience beauty and skin treatments, while staff from the beauty concierge offer and suggest products based on each individual’s characteristics. Style advisors and concierges support customers throughout the store, along with staff armed with tablets so customers can check out on the store floor instead of waiting at cash registers. In the changing room, 360-degree mirrors video customers trying on clothes and then play back the video so customers can see how it looks from all angles. Harvey Nichols was the first department store to sign a partnership with online luxury fashion platform Farfetch that lets consumers shop Harvey Nichols from anywhere in the world. Location: Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RJ. Perfumer H [caption id="attachment_88350" align="aligncenter" width="609"] Source: perfumerh.com[/caption]   Perfumer H was created by Lyn Harris, who was previously the owner of Miller Harris, a London-based perfumery and candle brand. She opened Perfumer H in 2015 in Marylebone, a concept store designed to let staff curate and create fragrances for clients in an intimate setting. Shoppers have three options: create a custom fragrance with Lyn from scratch, which can take up to six months; buy a premade one-of-a-kind scent that is reserved to that client only; or, purchase one of the ready to wear seasonal fragrances. Perfumer H releases five new scents twice a year. Location: Perfumer H, 106A Crawford Street, London W1H 2HZ. Must-See Street: Chiltern Street Chiltern Street is located in the Marylebone area between Dorset and Blandford Streets – with over 40 stores including cafés and shops.

1. Bella Freud: A London-based fashion-designer boutique known for contemporary design and vintage inspiration.
2. PRISM: A fashion accessories store, including items such as sunglasses, swimwear etc.
3. Cire Trudon: A candle boutique with a large variety of products, one of the oldest candle makers in the world.
4. Sunspel: A designer clothing store with a long history: The company introduced the boxer short to Britain.
5. Crispins Shoes: A shoe store that carries a variety of shoe sizes and products – and if you walk a couple of steps you will reach the Chiltern Firehouse, an amazing hotel and restaurant.