Shaftesbury launches "Start Up with Seven Dials" pop-up initiative for brands born out of lockdown

London landlord Shaftesbury has today announced the launch of an all-new retail initiative, called "Start Up with Seven Dials", giving brands “born from the kitchen table” during lockdown the opportunity to have an incubator pop-up space for a limited time this autumn in its Seven Dials portfolio.

Launching officially tomorrow, 29 September, on the Seven Dials website, www.sevendials.co.uk, entries will be open for a two-week period and available to all types of brands across fashion, fitness, lifestyle and homeware.

While the COVID-19 lockdown has seen much retail uncertainty, one in 10 small businesses have launched new products or expanded their services from home. This refreshing new initiative aims to celebrate and support budding UK businesses that have responded to such adversity with enterprise.

The chosen brands will receive the support from Shaftesbury and Seven Dials to set up and launch for the first time in the iconic West End village for a minimum of a two- week period.

The pop-up space, or spaces, provided will be determined by brand mix and will sit alongside a host of Seven Dials’ independent, designer and entrepreneurial brands such as Farah, Diesel, Coco De Mer and Tatty Devine.

There is an opportunity for more than one brand, but it depends on the entries and what are the best and most fitting brand adjacencies in Seven Dials.

A panel of industry experts, including Krissy Turner, Shopping Editor at the Daily Telegraph, Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor at TheIndustry.fashion, and Retail Consultant, and Retail Director at Shaftesbury, Samantha Bain-Mollison, will come together to judge all the entrants for this unique bricks-and-mortar retail opportunity.

Shaftesbury Retail Director, Samantha Bain-Mollison, commented: “Seven Dials is home to many independent, flagship and concept stores, so this initiative allows us to continue this support of incubating UK-based brands.

“We recognise that 2020 has been very tough for many businesses, but it has also been a time of creativity with many start-ups harnessing the time in lockdown to evolve their brands. We want to help them take the next step with a bricks-and-mortar presence and encourage the future entrepreneurs of the area.”