Roarsome opens pop-up at Battersea Power Station as “road test” for permanent store

Childrenswear brand Roarsome has opened a pop-up retail space at Battersea Power Station – set to run until the end of August 2023 – as a precursor to a permanent store its opening on Northcote Road, also in Battersea, South West London, in September.

Roarsome, which was established in 2018 and caters for boys and girls aged 1-10 years old, has not taken a retail unit but has a central retail installation outside of Uniqlo on the ground floor, Turbine Hall A, which it calls its ‘Roarsome Roadie’ pop-up concept.

It features a vintage, custom converted, Citroën HY van which has been painted ocean blue and fitted with surfboards to create a striking “surf shack” retail attraction. The van was converted by Shred & Butta, a company which has also converted Roarsome’s fleet of American school buses into “adventure cabins” – available for families to rent this summer in Cornwall.

Ed Lewis-Pratt, Co-founder of Roarsome, said: “Opening a pop-up at Battersea Power Station was too good an opportunity to miss. The Power Station has been completely restored and transformed into an exciting new riverside destination for London. It’s a story which perfectly aligns with our journey as a brand, as we gear up to transition from pure play e-commerce to a more hybrid approach to retail.

“The pop-up is not only an exclusive opportunity for shoppers to engage with the brand, but it will also provide us with a unique opportunity to gain invaluable insights and road test our retail operations, before we open our first Roarsome shop on Northcote Road in September.

“Northcote Road has a thriving retail scene. It’s known for being a popular destination amongst our target audience of families, so when the opportunity arose to open our first physical store on the street it was also too good an opportunity to miss. We’re looking forward to sharing more details about the shop as we finalise our plans.”

The Battersea Power Station pop-up features Roarsome’s new swimwear collection made from recycled plastic bottles and sun protective UPF50+ fabric, including rash vests, swimsuits, swim shorts, waterproof poncho towels and reversible bucket hats.

The pop-up also sees the debut of the ‘Roarsome Claw’, a vintage fairground grabber claw machine that has been customised by the brand “to complete the seaside experience”. The fairground attraction is set to be a firm favourite with families to keep the kids entertained through the summer, as they compete to grab a range of prizes, including signature items from the brand's collections.

Lewis-Pratt added: “From a brand perspective, the Roarsome Roadie pop-up is positioned in an enviable location within Battersea Power Station. We’re among some of the biggest retail players, including Uniqlo and Lego - you couldn't ask for a better location to capture the attention of families shopping.

“Experience sits at the core of our brand, so at Battersea Power Station we wanted to create something that welcomes families into our world. An experience that gives you a sense of who we are as a brand, our sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. Far from being temporary, the Roarsome Roadie is the first of many times we hope you’ll see us popping up in this iconic location.”

Sam Cotton, Head of Asset Management at Battersea Power Station, said: “At Battersea Power Station, we are always striving to offer an ever-evolving shopping experience and pop-ups are a great way of achieving this whilst supporting new brands as they grow.

“With the British summer finally here, it couldn’t be a better time for the Roarsome Roadie to set up shop inside the Power Station and I’m sure the brand’s new summer collection will be a big hit with shoppers.”