Regent Street is home to more global retailers than homegrown, a new report claims
There are more international retailers on Regent Street than homegrown names for the first time in the iconic road's 192-year history, a new report has found.
Regent Street is now home to more than 50 international brands – a quarter of which are from the US – thanks to a flurry of openings in the last few years, thanks to a reinvigoration of the shopping avenue by the Crown Estate.
The developer is halfway through a £1bn-project to modernise the street, which has included a number of major refurbishments and improvements to the public realm space, designed to increase dwell time in the area.
Fashion brands including Zara, J Crew, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Anthropologie and Desigual have opened stores in recent years.
The street is also home to the Apple Store, H&M's three retailers – Cos, & Other Stories and H&M itself – and Hollister, part of the Abercrombie & Fitch family.
Paul Souber, head of central London retail agency at Colliers International, said: “London has become the new frontier for a growing wave of international retailers and their arrival on these shores is changing the face of the capital’s shopping scene.
“Currently, there appears to be no shortage of retailer demand but occupational costs will rise with the forthcoming rating revaluation and from other world-class shopping cities is fierce. London can’t rest on its laurels. We need to invest in the city, and promote its excellence.”