Birkenstock flagship will be latest Seven Dials opening

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 13, 2017

Seven Dials, the fast-transforming part of Covent Garden, is to get another major international flagship with news that Birkenstock will open a two-storey 1,100 sq ft store there.

Covering 1,100 square feet over two floors (basement and ground floor), the shop will be Birkenstock’s first brand-owned flagship store in the UK. It will stock the company’s full collection of functional-to-fashionable sandals for men, women and children and will be the only dedicated Birkenstock store in London.

The German company will open at 48 Neal Street, landlord Shaftesbury said on Monday. The opening follows hot on the heels of the Japanese skincare brand Shiro’s debut in nearby Monmouth Street this month.

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It’s perhaps a suitable environment for Birkenstock given that the brand’s roots that stretch back to 1774 and Seven Dials has an even longer history. Seven Dials itself is an interesting part of London. Marked by its central monument and unusual street pattern, it's full of historic buildings. It was once a slum and a virtual no-go-area but changed as the halo effect of nearby Covent Garden saw its listed buildings being restored and it became a focal point for tourists and casual diners. Its retail profile was raised at the same time and became a favourite with quirky indie brands.

But its latest development has seen more international names moving in and a gradual move towards luxury. However, the protected/historic nature of much of the area means it has avoided the identikit fate of some other shopping neighbourhoods and Shaftesbury appears to have been careful in its curation of the area.

The Shiro opening was a good example of this and saw the Japanese brand joining nearby Fresh, Le Labo and Kiehls to help make Seven Dials a luxury beauty hub. 

Shaftesbury said there’s also “another exciting retailer to be announced in the coming weeks.”