London: Shot in the arm for West End as Uniqlo UK boss says Covent Garden is the place to be
Fashion chain Uniqlo said it was committed to London after opening its second store in six months.
Alessandro Dudech, chief operating officer at Uniqlo UK said the company regarded it as honour to be opening a store in Covent Garden. He said it was an area of London with “cultural and retail heritage”.
He added: “With such a strong footfall from both Londoners and tourists, we look forward to offering [our clothes} to both new and existing Uniqlo customers.”
The 1,450sqm joint store is located in the heart of historic Covent Garden with entrances on Long Acre and Floral Street.
The Grade II-listed former Victorian carriage hall with open courtyard and vaulted glass atrium will focus on what Uniqlo claimed was an “experience-led features” for customers including a cafe and Uniqlo’s partner luxury brand Theory.
Uniqlo said it was committed to investing and partnering with local businesses; the cafe partner is Katsute100 while South East London florist JamJar Flowers will create floral displays which the retailer said would be inspired by the historic Covent Garden flower market alongside a pop-up of products available to buy in the Courtyard.
Uniqlo opened a store at Battersea Power Station Store in October 2022, the opening of the Covent Garden store will take the total number of Uniqlo stores in the UK to 17.
London on ‘cusp of something special’
Uniqlo’s decision to open a flagship store in the West End comes at a pivotal time for shopping mecca,
It has been three years since the UK went into a full scale lockdown – forcing many stores in London’s West End to temporarily cease trading and arguably altering the state of physical retail forever.
The pandemic forced once seemingly indestructible retailers such as Debenhams, Topshop, and Gap off Oxford Street, the city’s most popular shopping destination, leaving the capital’s main drag facing something of an existential crisis.
Oxford Street is on the cusp of something “really special” and “exciting”, the chief of the New West End company has said, as store development and a boost in international tourism signals a return to better times for London’s most iconic shopping district.
Although it’s half a mile from Oxford Circus Covent Garden is a draw for London tourists seeking its open market and niche retailers. It’s also a destination for West End workers who are based around London’s financial and legal centre