Pop-up retail space provider Sook ceases trading

Pop-up experience and retail space provider Sook has ceased trading, its founder John Hoyle has announced.

Founded by property entrepreneur Hoyle five years ago, Sook set out to champion a new vision for the high street by providing brands with access to flexible spaces in prime locations across the country.

The digitally enabled spaces enabled brands – from global businesses to small independents – to customise the locations for short-term or long-term activations with fashion and beauty names such as Depop, Debenhams and Nadine Merabi among those to recently use Sook locations.

Sook operated five locations in London – Oxford Street, South Molton Street, Shoreditch, Islington Square and Hammersmith – as well as in Bluewater Kent, Trinity Leeds, Metrocentre Newcastle, Liverpool ONE, Bullring Birmingham, St James's Quarter Edinburgh and Westquay Southampton. It also operated one space in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In a statement on Linked-in, Hoyle said the closure of the business, which took place on 31 December, was down to lack of investment.

"In spite of the extraordinary efforts of our team, growing sales and achieving international scale we were unable to raise sufficient investment to continue in the current environment.

"I’m so proud of all that we achieved and incredibly sad that we cannot continue.

"Please support our team members as they search for new roles. They have first hand experience of disrupting the retail and real estate sectors during incredibly challenging times," Hoyle said.

Despite the closure of the business, Hoyle said he still believed in Sook's vision to keep the high street vibrant with ever-changing experiences and stores alongside more permanent presences.

Before establishing Sook in November 2018, Hoyle was managing director - developments at Sunbird Group which delivered retail assets across East and Southern Africa. Prior to that he was development danager at Grosvenor Group in London and was a venues project manager for the London 2012 Olympics. A former British Army Captain, he has also held various other international roles in real estate.