Get Ready for the Queues: How Digital-First Brands Are Turning Followers into Footfall

Queues incoming – Gen Z / Alpha DTC phenomenon Edikted is opening its first store outside the US. The 4,800 square foot store will open in Carnaby Street later this year, allowing its huge British fan base to experience its TikTok viral apparel in person for the first time.

Edikted has already tested the water in the UK. Last summer, the brand hosted a pop-up event in Covent Garden. It was heavily promoted on social media and there was a strong focus on experiential activities and social engagement — think giant spin the wheel, branded Edikted cups and free goody bags with a logo embossed t-shirt — which resulted in five-hour queues, plenty of disappointed latecomers, and desperate pleas for the brand to open a standalone store.

From Digital to Physical Community

It’s the latest example of a brand that nurtured a strong digital community before giving that group a place to gather in real life. Edikted’s US locations offer a clear blueprint for success: photo booths, TikTok-friendly entrances, and major opening events. Store design will be created with activations in mind, and social sharing will be a key consideration.

Why? Because a community-driven store is not just a place to shop; it is a place to assemble and socialise. It’s a major trend among youth-driven retail that shows no signs of abating. Edikted found its people via influencer outreach on TikTok and Instagram and now it will harness that community with a central space for people to mix, meet, and connect.

My colleague @Harry Elliott in our Brand Representation team understands the nuances of translating an e-commerce brand into a physical retail destination, having secured first-to-London spaces for menswear phenomenon Ronning and pop-ups for Rhode and Scuffers. Pop-ups are mutually beneficial for DTC brands and landlords – they allow the brand to test the market, while the landlord can quickly fill a vacant unit and avoid a long-term void period. Not to mention the major buzz it brings to the estate or shopping centre as customers rush to visit before it closes. The Spanish streetwear brand Scuffers’ pop-up launch, in Brewer street brought such a huge crowd that the police had to step in.

But a strong online community is no magic wand guaranteeing store success. Last week, AllBirds announced it was shuttering most stores across the US to redirect focus on e-commerce and wholesale, after reporting a $20 million loss. What does this demonstrate? An online community can generate launch footfall, but if the product differentiation isn’t there and customers aren’t being given strong reasons to come back, then ultimately that store will fail.

The Property Angle: Carnaby Street and Landlords

Carnaby Street, where Edikted’s store will be located, is one of London’s highest footfall retail districts — and a natural home for digital-first, customer-focused brands seeking to transform virtual audiences into physical communities in the UK.

Landlords are actively courting these types of tenants – securing a strong DTC brand highlights the uniqueness and relevance of the estate or asset, and often brings with it a halo effect across surrounding units – recent successful examples from our leasing team include the Nadine Merabi pop up on South Molton street and the Matilda Goad pop up on Pimlico road. Both these stores proved a powerful way to grow the existing customer base and increase the wider estate appeal.

Other Community-Led Retail Examples

Last year at Westfield London, I agreed terms for Tala’s second physical store. Grace Beverley, the founder, had built her community online before trialling physical space at pop ups and within Selfridges. She listed her reasons for offering her strong online community a physical presence: to offer personal interaction, tangible product experience, increase brand visibility and answer customer’s demand. And put simply, it worked! Mirroring the myriad of Tala consumers that came out for their first store on Carnaby Street, fans of the brand turned up in their droves to the opening event in West London, and footfall has remained strong since.

The point is, her guests could just as easily have ordered the products online — but instead, they chose to experience the brand in-person and become part of the community. Why? Because the stores act as a “clubhouse”, fostering deeper, in-person engagement rather than just online contact. A space to immerse their customer in the brand. It’s not just a place to shop; it’s a place to meaningfully gather and socialise.

For landlords and asset managers, this evolution is critical. Retailers that embed themselves into daily routines — whether through events, clubs, or social interaction — generate repeat footfall, longer dwell time, and offer greater resilience across retail-led destinations.

Conclusion: Community as a Retail Asset

Edikted’s UK launch, alongside Tala and other digitally native brands highlights a broader evolution in retail, whereby success intertwines the ability to build real-world communities that extend digital audiences to create authentic social experiences.

For landlords and asset managers, embracing community-driven retail isn’t just desirable — it’s a key marker of forward-thinking retail and a dominant driver of footfall, dwell time and spend, tenant resilience, and long-term asset value.

Our new Behind the Brand series looks in detail at incredible brands making waves across their sector.

And fresh from the launch of it’s tenth location in Holborn last month – where better to start than grab and go sensation Yolk?

Pop up Beginnings:

Yolk started life as a pop up in 2014, when founder Nick Philpot realised there was a gap in the market between the City’s two lunch options of low quality fast food or time-consuming, sit-down meals.

Pop-ups gave Yolk the freedom to experiment with different menus and refine the ‘fine fast food’ concept, leading to the launch of their first permanent site in the City’s New Street Square in 2018. This was followed soon after by another in Broadgate.

Recipe for Success 

What is it about Yolk that has resonated so strongly with Londoners?

It offers freshly prepared, premium food options with high quality ingredients; not a quality usually associated with takeaway or fast food. Their signature fresh ciabatta sandwiches are an example of the fine dining approach to the menu – flavours include Flying Tiger Steak and Buffle’ Avo, which elevate it above standard grab and go lunch options.

The stores have been designed with speed and convenience front of mind, appealing to both the local office catchment and tourists looking for lunch on the run – click and collect and digital ordering screens make the process as convenient and speedy as possible.

Good Bites Only

The new Yolk in Holborn is the first location to showcase the brand’s new look and design; think digital menu boards, an open kitchen where you can watch your dishes being prepared and a funky new brand identity: “Good Bites Only”; The new design is “louder, bolder and built to match the energy of the food;” Founder, Nick Philpot.

Where Next?

Our brand representation team have brought Yolk to exceptional sites in visible, high footfall areas; and are always on the hunt for further spaces.

Want to know more? Got a location where Yolk would fly??? Get in touch with Jamie Orme or Evie North to discuss opportunities for this phenomenal brand.

2024 was another busy and productive year at Bruce Gillingham Pollard.

Delighted to report that we saw the business go from strength to strength. The team completed a little over 25% more deals than 2023, with an increase across hospitality and retail as well as the tenant rep and investment teams.

We’ve seen an increase in smaller lettings, less than 2,500 sq.ft. and in the very large. What’s driven this? The decline in F&B chains looking for space has driven a reduction in mid sized units, while many of the bigger lettings have been to large scale leisure operators such as K1 Speed in Xsite Braehead – soon to host the world’s longest indoor karting track – or BAM Karaoke in Victoria.

Where to start with leasing highlights? Let’s kick off with Retail – highlights include Horatio at the Royal Exchange, Sabre on Chiltern Street, Percival and Nobody’s Child at Spitalfields, and Aromaria on Regent Street. 63 signings in Canary Wharf included Trinny, Next and Newbie, and over on Pimlico Road the lovely Volga Linen, Lapacida and The New Craftsmaker. On our new instruction at Brent Cross it’s been lovely to see openings from L’Occitane, Polo Ralph Lauren and Neom, alongside upsizes from existing retailers including Lovisa and JD Sports, which is set to double its footprint when it reopens in the spring.

Our Tenant Representation team completed a varied range of deals across the country, including the Ronning Menswear London flagship, the Rhode Skin Motcomb Street pop up, Aesop Leeds, Maison Zilli South Audley Street and Little Houses Group Parson’s Green.

Leisure-wise, the team secured exciting lettings to bring Lane 7 & Toca Social to Bullring, Flight Club to Oxford and Fairgame to One New Change.

Last and certainly not least, F&B; we saw great openings from the Canary Wharf team with Roe, Marceline and Kricket. We brought Sabor, Ambassadors Clubhouse and Fonda to Heddon St for our client The Crown Estate; Wildflowers on Pimlico Road, Engel and Jang in the Royal Exchange and Sunday in Brooklyn and Kroketa to St Christophers Place. Key openings nationally include Six by Nico in Oxford and Big Mamma’s La Bellezza alongside Cow & Sow in Birmingham.

Last year also saw our first BGP Presents event, as we hosted five fabulous guests for a fascinating panel discussion about Bringing Retail Offline. Thank you to all our clients who came and participated in the conversation –  more events in the pipeline over the coming months. Revisit the highlights here. https://www.brucegillinghampollard.com/journal/

Team news – we realised recently that we now have 7 members of the team that have been with us more than 10 years! I personally couldn’t be more delighted to recognise and celebrate their success, it’s been a joy to watch them progress to senior roles in the company; well done. A heartfelt thank you on behalf of the founding partners, to Charlotte, Nick, Jack, Victoria, Emily and Thea, who have all helped make BGP what it is today. We were also delighted to welcome Harry Elliott to our tenant rep team, Emily Cann to our London leasing team and Danny Cardosi and Jonny Palmer to Investment in 2024- more hires to be announced in the coming weeks.

Looking ahead in 2025 we have lots of exciting new projects coming up, such as preparations to launch South Molton – soon to be the largest mixed-use development in the West End. We will be moving offices to accommodate our growing team within the coming weeks – details to follow. We will soon be able to share details of how we are building out our Lease Consultancy division – and are excited to continue our expansion overseas as we represent new operators in international markets. This year promises to be exciting – and very busy!  Happy New Year to all our clients, colleagues and associates – here’s hoping 2025 is a successful one for us all.

As we look back on 2023, we are proud to reflect on a year of remarkable achievements in the national market for Bruce Gillingham Pollard’s National Team. From casual dining powerhouses Five Guys and Yo Sushi to innovative concepts such as Townhouse Nails and Sixes, we have positioned a diverse range of exciting brands to take flight in new locations across the UK.

Highlights include:

• Leasing prime locations in Westgate, Oxford and St James Quarter, Edinburgh to Flight Club’s immersive social darts experience.
• Introducing the vibrant flavours and sleek aesthetics of EL&N to Birmingham’s Bullring and Edinburgh’s St James Quarter.
• Helping to bring the second F1 arcade in the UK – and the first outside London – to Paradise in Birmingham.
• Acting for Capital Karts – soon to create the longest and fastest indoor Go-Karting track in the Midlands at Star City set to open Summer 2023.
• Delivering the award winning VR gaming experience Sandbox at Birmingham’s Grand Central.

We are so gratified by the ongoing trust of our clients, and hugely proud to have been instrumental in shaping the urban landscape with such a varied and innovative range of occupiers. With a wide range of exciting projects in the pipeline, we can’t wait to see what new heights we can scale in 2024!

#property #lettings #success #newdeals #expansion #dining #retail #whatBGPdo

Hammerson has signed the world’s most advanced virtual reality experience, Sandbox VR, as part of its vision to diversify the use of Grand Central in the heart of Birmingham and an ambitious strategy to reinvigorate its assets through new brands, entertainment, and experiential concepts.

The 13,000 sq ft unit – set to open this summer – is the brand’s third in Europe and largest to date. This signing supports Sandbox VR’s plans to expand across the UK and Ireland, while elevating the experiential offer at Hammerson’s Bullring & Grand Central, in-line with the wider evolution of the destination.

Taking group virtual reality gameplay and competitive socialising to the next level, Sandbox VR creates a truly immersive experience within exclusively designed interactive worlds, making players feel like they are living inside a game or a movie. The unmatched adventure is powered by a new generation of Hollywood motion capture cameras, 3D precision full-body trackers, custom hardware and haptic feedback suits, enhancing the touch, vibration, and motion senses for the user.

Bruce Gillingham Pollard (BGP) advised Sandbox VR on the letting. BGP associate director, Harry Cody-Owen, added “Following the successful opening of Sandbox at its London location in July, we are delighted to have also advised on Sandbox’s second UK venue. They add to the brilliant line-up of best-in-class leisure with Toca Social and Lane 7 both expecting to open in summer. I have no doubt Sandbox will be a huge success and I having played the games myself; I know the people of Birmingham will be equally blown away.”

Alongside its ground-breaking gameplay, Sandbox VR Birmingham is set to include the brand’s much-loved robotic bartender ‘Toni’. Shaking, stirring and serving up to 80 drinks per hour, Toni adds another unique experience to Grand Central’s unmatched hospitality and leisure offering.

The Portman Estate has appointed Bruce Gillingham Pollard as advisers for retail, restaurant and leisure property on its 110-acre estate in London’s Marylebone. The instruction encompasses leasing agency and also lease consultancy across the Estate’s Portman Marylebone retail portfolio.

Bruce Gillingham Pollard Director, Charlotte Roberts, commented: “The Portman Estate already provides one of the most interesting variety of places to shop, eat and drink in London. From the increasingly stylish offering on Chiltern Street through to the network of streets and mews around Portman Square, new developments and initiatives being brought forward by the Estate continue to set Marylebone apart as a leading destination for independent retail and unique consumer experiences.

“We’re enormously excited about working with The Portman Estate to further elevate the location through introducing new brands and raising awareness of all that it has to offer.”

The Portman Estate recently became the first Estate to gain B CORP™ certification joining the global movement of trailblazing businesses who meet the highest standards of corporate social responsibility and make a positive contribution to people, communities and the environment. The certification is a designation that a business is meeting excellent standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

Tom Knight, Portfolio Director at The Portman Estate, added: “We are committed to proactively curating the retail and leisure offering across The Portman Estate to further establish Marylebone as a vibrant destination of choice for all.

“We are looking forward to working with BGP to further evolve the personality and quality of our independent retail and leisure partners across Portman Marylebone.”

BGP has appointed Lizzie Knights as a director in its Central London leasing team.

Formerly with Colliers and BNP Paribas Real Estate, Lizzie has extensive experience of working on retail and leisure leasing across prime London locations including Grosvenor’s Mayfair and Belgravia estates; Shaftesbury’s Soho and Carnaby holdings; Argent’s Coal Drops Yard at King’s Cross; and Leadenhall Market in the City of London.

BGP managing director, Tracey Pollard, said “Lizzie is an expert in curating retail portfolios to deliver best-in-class brands and occupier mixes.

“Her previous experience is aligned to the growing number of prime instructions on which BGP is instructed across London.”

Lizzie has worked with a wide variety of brands to secure their first London sites, including HURR, Colourful Standard, Senturion and Aime Leon Dore.

She said: “I’m very much looking forward to being involved in projects such as MARK’s Borough Yards development, St Christopher’s Place for Columbia Threadneedle, and also continuing working with Grosvenor in Belgravia and Mayfair”.