12 Piccadilly Arcade

Heart of London Business Alliance has collaborated with Westminster City Council, GPE and Appear Here, to create a pop-up boutique for 12 emerging independent businesses, giving them the
opportunity to be part of the West End’s retail offer

12 Piccadilly Arcade, between iconic Piccadilly and Jermyn Street – one of the most fashionable and historic streets in London – will showcase a melting pot of sustainable fashion, homeware design & creative brands who are all reinventing craftsmanship

Westminster City Council is taking over unit 12 in the historic Piccadilly Arcade, where Mayfair meets St James’s, delivering a new pop-up boutique designed to support unique creative talent as part of the Council’s pop-up activation programme. The unit is also expected to drive footfall to the area and is a vital part of the Council’s wider programme of events and activations to rejuvenate Westminster’s West End offer.

With an aim to support up-and-coming brands, this pop-up boutique will be home to 12 creative design brands, all of whom are passionate about craftsmanship, creativity & sustainability. Each month, the unit at 12 Piccadilly Arcade will act as a living laboratory and working studio for a new and exciting brand.

12 Piccadilly Arcade comes out of a partnership between Westminster City Council, GPE, Heart of London Business Alliance and Appear Here, and is using vacant retail space to enable small scale businesses, homegrown brands and emerging creative talent to showcase in a bricks & mortar store in Central London.

Westminster City Council’s (WCC) pop-up programme has supported 38 up and coming brands since the start of the programme in May 2021. The pop-ups have appeared in prime retail locations across Westminster, and this latest pop-up, 12 Piccadilly Arcade will see 12 brands enter the space throughout its term, between January and December 2022.

Ros Morgan, CEO of Heart of London Business Alliance, commented:

“Heart of London Business Alliance is delighted to be working in partnership with GPE and Westminster City Council on this wonderful project enabling new talent and up and coming artisanal brands a platform to grow their businesses in the heart of London’s West End.”

Philippa O’Flynn, Portfolio Manager at GPE, commented:

“Piccadilly Arcade is an iconic location for unique retailers, and this is a really exciting opportunity to help support a variety of forward-thinking sustainable fashion brands. These retailers are committed to fostering businesses that care about the environment, and it’s crucial we take the time to collaborate with our trusted partners across London to provide space that will help them, and the capital, thrive.”

Debbie Jackson, Executive Director for Growth, Planning and Housing at Westminster City Council said:

“We are thrilled to launch our latest pop up at 12 Piccadilly Arcade in partnership with GPE and Heart of London Business Alliance. Since May 2021, Westminster City Council has been working with property owners and Business Improvement Districts, as we have recovered from the pandemic, to enable up-and-coming values-led brands to pop up for free in vacant retail space, growing their brand and profile, while permanent occupiers are sought. So far, we have supported thirty-eight brands which has attracted footfall back to the area by offering new retail experiences and has supported brands to grow their customer base with some now seeking permanent retail premises in the city.”

Aoife Byrne, Head of Projects at Appear here said:

“We’ve been working alongside WCC and GPE to hand select tenants from independent brands and present them with this unique opportunity to trade in this iconic destination in London. It’s been an incredibly exciting project to be a part of and we are looking forward to seeing the ideas come to life over the next few months.”