The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Exploring Shopping Trends in London

Coal Drops Yard shopping area in London

London is a top-ranked destination for shopping, offering a mix of high-street shopping, luxury stores, and independent boutiques. The city is traditionally known for being at the forefront of the latest trends in fashion and retailing. In line with this, several retail areas in London have recently undergone extensive redevelopments to offer shopping beyond the ordinary. Places such as Coal drops yard, Borough yards and Battersea power station have been restored and are being highlighted as “unique”, “iconic”, and “entirely different” places for shopping. What is it then that makes these places so exciting and different? How do these places create value for the visitor? Based on our London observations, we explore these questions.

In what follows, we bring out three main themes that are central to the uniqueness of these shopping destinations.

 

An intertwining of history, culture and retail 

In common to the places referred to above is the importance placed on their historical heritage. Over the years, these places have all been essential to the city’s industrial expansion: Battersea power station as a main supplier of electricity in the 20th century London; Coal drops yard as a former railway center used in the 19th century for transportation and coal storage; and Borough Yards, built around old railway arches and warehouses that once composed an important transport node in the city. In the redevelopment of these sites, historical landmarks have been preserved and contribute to the unique spirit of these destinations. This is seen, for example, in the ways that the old architecture has been taken care of and made part of the new aesthetics (e.g., the old vaults at Borough yards, the tall chimneys at Battersea power station, the factory buildings at Coal drops yard). But it is seen also in the overall offer of these places - besides shopping and culinary adventures, visitors can enjoy a wide range of experiences. For example by taking part in historic exhibitions, visiting food markets or old-time music café, going to the theater, or why not taking the elevator to experience a 360° view from the top of the power station chimney? The intertwining of history, culture and retail thus play an important role in bringing life to these places.

Battersea power station with its famous chimneys and exterior environment at Borough Yards
Battersea power station with its famous chimneys and exterior environment at Borough yards

 

Integrating retail into everyday life

If we look at some of these places in London, for instance the new shopping center at Battersea, we see how all these places seem to have the ambition of creating dynamic spaces for shopping with flows of people living here and people coming to work.  These places serve as destinations for multiple forms of activities, extending far beyond just shopping. They are designed to cater for people’s social needs and to support personal - rather than digital - meetings. For example, besides shopping areas, Coal drops yard is offering a broad range of facility services – including for example a transport center, restaurants, gym, health service, workplaces – which contribute to integration shopping with other everyday activities. Battersea is also hosting “the engine room”, designed and marketed as a “coworking space” where visitors can meet up and pursue their work in a well-equipped business area. Similarly, Borough yards is connected to facilities such as restaurants, workspaces, exhibition rooms, and off course the famous food market “Borough market”. The infrastructure in and around these retail venues thus make them vibrant places, where retail is interwoven with work and everyday life.

“After school cookie club” store at Borough Yards
“After school cookie club” at Borough yards, attracting passers-by with coffee and cookies on the way home.

 

Well-known brands create familiar places 

It is easy to recognize yourself, even if you have not visited Battersea or Coal drops yard before there is something utterly familiar with the atmosphere and the imagery that these places communicate. The global well-known brands are all lined up and clustered into their area respectively - there is Mulberry, Ralph Lauren and Jo Malone and then there is Adidas, Levis, and COS. These brands help these kinds of iconic places become familiar to consumers and the layout, the colors and atmosphere in these stores make the consumer recognize themselves and perhaps feel at home. Also, these brands can help places become attractive to consumers; consumers know what to expect and what they will find, thus making this type of place worthwhile visiting. While these shopping destinations also host a variety of more unique, local and independent stores – the sense of familiarity contributes to their attractiveness. 

We can conclude that what makes these places unique is not so much about new digital innovations and spectacular events, but rather about traditional values in terms of the places’ history, architecture and everyday socialites. Hence, what is innovative and interesting about these places is not in itself new features for the retail industry. The extraordinary lies in how these values - historical, aesthetic, and social values - are combined with commercially appealing environments – including everything from high-end fashion to vintage and more ordinary products and brands. At these places thus, the boundaries between old and new, mundane and extraordinary, work and recreation, converge. This is what makes these shopping destinations unique and worthy to discover.


Text and photos by Kristina Bäckström and Emma Samsioe
Centre for Retail Research at Lund University