Crown Estate repositioning of West End arcade pays dividends
The Crown Estate’s investment in a Regency-era shopping arcade has transform it for contemporary brands and shoppers and it is perhaps fitting that Princes Arcade is now welcoming London’s first dedicated gin shop for 200 years alongside four new independent brands.
Princes Arcade will be home to The Sipsmith Gin Shop, the first dedicated gin shop in London for 200 years and a new concept for the brand. It will join three new independent brands: Sir Plus which specialises in clothes made from surplus fabric from the shirt making process, modern day apothecary Anatomē and luxury glover and umbrella maker Gizelle Renee, which recently signed to the destination.
The new signings come in addition to two retailers – premium shoemaker Grenson and Christy’s London, a British hat maker founded in 1773 – confirming permanent stores at Princes Arcade.
Princes Arcade will continue to offer a permanent pop-up space and testbed for new brands, enabling them to experiment with new formats and reach new audiences. In doing so, The Crown Estate will ensure the Princes Arcade is refreshed and new brands are welcomed to St James’s.
Oliver Smith, head of St James’s at the Crown Estate, said: “Together, these new brands represent the continued evolution of Princes Arcade and the St James’s area. Each of them signifies craftsmanship, quality and style, and they combine this with a uniquely contemporary focus. It is particularly exciting that brands which came to us as pop-ups are now permanent residents in the arcade. This speaks to the quality of the destination and the positive impact made by its reinvigoration.”
