“Multi-brand” streetwear retailer opens first London store in Covent Garden

A multi-brand streetwear and skate retailer has launched its first London store in the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden.

Route One has taken a 2,000 sq ft space on Neal Street from Shaftsbury Real Estate Investment Trust.

The cult retailer stocks over 100 skate and street brands including Nike SB, Vans, Adidas, Huf, RIPNDIP, Polar, Santa Cruz and Thrasher, together with Route One’s own cult label.

The opening coincides with the first-ever inclusion of skateboarding in this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Richard Boissevain, co-founder of Route One said: “While we have considered opening a store in London for some time, this space in Seven Dials really stood out to us due to the precinct’s strong retail reputation and notoriety as a hub for the wider London skate community.

“Route One has established a loyal following in the capital, so it is fantastic to launch in such a prime location of the city and grow this online community through our one-of-a-kind store experience.”

The store also serves as a new destination for Route One’s ‘Launches’: a stand-alone section of the brand’s website and app dedicated to bringing customers the latest limited-edition sneaker releases. In line with this, the Seven Dials store will be showcasing an experiential, subterranean area known as the “The Vault”. Due to launch in August, “The Vault” will be dedicated to housing the retailer’s one-of-a-kind sneaker archive.

Samantha Bain-Mollison, retail director at Shaftesbury, added: “To be welcoming the debut London site for Route One is fantastic for Seven Dials.

“The retailer’s independent spirit and focus on experience aligns well with our own ethos as a destination, and we’re confident that Route One’s offering will resonate amongst the Seven Dials community as successfully as it has in other parts of the UK.

“We look forward to seeing the hype which the store’s limited-edition drops and exclusive vault is sure to spark.”

The signing coincides with Shaftesbury’s investment into the Neal Street area of Seven Dials, including the creation of a new flagship retail space and refurbished office space, along with public realm improvements such as widened pavements and revitalised store frontages.

Nash Bond, Hanover Green Retail and Cushman & Wakefield represented Shaftesbury.