New West End Company

As the year draws to a close, I would like to take a moment to reflect on some of the key milestones over the past twelve months and look ahead to the exciting opportunities in store for 2025.

In May, we congratulated Sadiq Khan on his historic re-election as Mayor of London for a third consecutive term. We have long valued an open dialogue with the Mayor and his vocal commitment to high streets, including the pivotal role Oxford Street plays both locally and nationally.

The announcement of a General Election shortly thereafter took many by surprise, and on 4 July, the nation welcomed its first Labour Government in over a decade. Labour’s pledge to deliver economic growth, tackle retail crime, reform the planning system, and revise the burdensome business rates system offered a welcome boost of confidence for all who wish to see our high streets thrive.

October’s Autumn Budget provided an important moment to act on these promises. As the voice of over 600 businesses with a presence in the West End and nationally, we stand ready to partner with the Government to help shape policies that will deliver on our shared vision for growth. 

Locally, I am glad to say we’ve been doing just that, working closely with both Westminster City Council and the Greater London Authority to deliver a thriving West End – not least through the transformation of Oxford Street. The recent approval of Marks & Spencer’s plans for its Marble Arch flagship store represents a key moment for the street’s evolution and sends a welcome signal that the UK is open for business. 

The West End’s enduring appeal as a global destination for retail, leisure, and hospitality has been underlined by a wave of openings, including MOCO Museum, Diptyque, Alo Yoga, Vuori, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, Vacheron Constantin’s Club, and Future Stores – all adding to our district’s unique mix of amenities.

To ensure that the West End remains a welcoming place for all, the district has, since September, been served by a dedicated Town Centre Policing Team, working in close collaboration with our 24/7 Security team. This initiative has already made a tangible impact, with notable successes such as the arrest of a prolific shoplifter on Regent Street and a 77% week-on-week reduction in phone thefts involving e-bikes across the district. These achievements are a testament to the expertise, vigilance, and cooperation of the teams working tirelessly to help keep the West End vibrant for everyone.

Another milestone this year was the launch of our Enhanced Insights Programme. By incorporating Mastercard spending data into our existing programme, we have been able to deliver an upgraded Insights programme including a new dashboard. The dashboard gives members an interactive, granular look at spend, forward flight, hotel occupancy, sentiment and mobility data in the district - enabling businesses to engage more deeply with the trends most relevant to them.

This year, we also held our first West End Sustainability Showcase and launched a series of sustainability reports highlighting some of the incredible initiatives happening right here in our district. From Redevco’s green property refurbishment on James Street to Veolia’s decarbonisation efforts,  it was fantastic to build on the exceptional work our members and partners are already doing. 

To further support this year’s charity partner for Oxford Street’s festive lights, we took part in Great Ormond Street Hospital’s 100km challenge for September. As a team, we ran or walked the equivalent of 1,000 Oxford Streets! Each year, GOSH Charity brings the magic of Christmas to children with serious illnesses, and we were thrilled to partner with them this festive season on Oxford Street. Our Destination Marketing team did a brilliant job delivering this partnership, which played a key role in kickstarting the festive season in the district. 

As we look ahead to 2025, we are entering a pivotal year and are already preparing for the renewal of our Occupier and Property BIDs, along with the addition of a new Office BID, in November 2025. Our engagement with members over the past six months has been invaluable in shaping our 5-year BID proposal 2026-2031, ensuring it reflects our shared priorities and ambitions. 

As a district we remain on track to achieve our £10 billion annual turnover target for the West End by the end of the financial year 2025/2026. International tourists make a significant contribution to this goal, which is why we will continue to lobby for a progressive tourism strategy, that includes the re-instatement of tax-free shopping as a key measure, fully unlocking their spending power. 

We are also excited to welcome new additions to the district, including IKEA’s much-anticipated Oxford Street store, lululemon’s relocation on Regent Street and Rolex’s new three-storey flagship on Bond Street.

Together with our members and stakeholders, we remain committed to driving the West End forward, delivering a district where businesses thrive and maintaining its status as a world-leading flagship retail, leisure and hospitality destination.

From all of us at New West End Company, I wish you a wonderful end to the festive season, and a very happy New Year.