HMV shuts flagship Oxford Street store just three years after comeback Retail HMV is set to close its flagship Oxford Street store just three years after its comeback to the location where it was founded more than a century ago. The music and entertainment retailer said the site will shut its doors in March next year, blaming a doubled rent bill and the cost of “substantial” renovations. [...]
Burnham urged to boost West End with tax cuts and extra policing Retail The West End risks losing its status as one of the world’s best shopping and hospitality destinations without immediate action to cut tax and boost policing, Andy Burnham has been warned. The New West End Company (NWEC), which represents 800 businesses involved in the world-famous district, has urged the government to slash business rates and [...]
Business rates cut will ‘backfire’ for Soho and West End Retail John Healey’s plans to deliver an emergency tax cut for high street businesses would fail to boost most firms in London’s busiest areas like Soho and the West End, analysis suggests. The Chancellor is reportedly planning to cut taxes for pubs, shops, cafes and restaurants by hiking the threshold for small business rates relief (SBBR). [...]
Lita: The pursuit of the perfect neighbourhood restaurant August 26, 2026 After running a three-Michelin-starred kitchen, one chef has set out to create the ultimate neighbourhood restaurant at Lita in Marylebone, writes Carys Sharkey What makes the perfect neighbourhood restaurant? Some immediately come to mind: Perilla in Stoke Newington, Camberwell Arms in Camberwell, Chez Bruce in Wandsworth, Saikei in the retail complex side of Greenwich. All [...]
Why did Pinterest choose Oxford Street for its new HQ? August 14, 2026 Pinterest is not a bricks and mortar business, nor is it explicitly a retail one. So why choose Oxford Street for its slick new home?
Oxford St vs the Square Mile: a tale of two cities June 10, 2026 The Square Mile has reinvented itself in recent years, but West End politicians must stop blocking common sense if Oxford Street has a chance of mimicking the City’s success, says Andrew Teacher Back when Netflix was still posting DVDs through letterboxes, the £6m Marble Arch Mound would have handed the writers of Brass Eye and [...]
London local election results 2026: Labour lose Westminster as Tories take control May 6, 2026 CLICK HERE to view all the latest London election results The Conservatives have gained Westminster City Council from Labour after losing in 2022. The Tories pinched nine seats from Labour, who slumped to 22. No surprise now that, as earlier reported, the atmosphere among Tory campaigners in Westminster was jubilant. CLICK HERE to view all the latest [...]
‘Indian food is a universe’: Making a home at Chet Sharma’s BiBi April 2, 2026 Quietly but surely, Chet Sharma is serving up some of the tasty plates of food in London. Carys Sharkey meets the chef reimagining fine dining with a healthy serving of nostalgia If you make your way down Oxford Street, past the shops slinging vapes and candy to indiscriminating kids, weaving through the preachers confirming your [...]
Oxford Street regeneration a complex undertaking for City Hall March 5, 2026 The centrepiece of shopping in the capital is set for a major makeover, after London mayor Sadiq Khan set out his long-mooted plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street on Wednesday. The plan will transform the makeup of central London and bring huge opportunities for retailers, but the proposal – particularly its computer-generated elements – leave plenty [...]
London mayor gives green light for pedestrianised Oxford Street February 26, 2026 Sadiq Khan has signed off proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street, ordering London’s transport authority to begin plans to remove traffic in a major shake-up the nation’s most popular shopping area. The London Mayor gave his approval to the plans on Thursday, claiming the “bold” proposal will transform the high street into a “world-leading” shopping and [...]