Artist's impression of Kings Mall and New Look.
A string of major names is set to inject new life into a once-sleepy Hammersmith shopping mall and bring a real buzz to retailing in the heart of the town.
Fashion leader New Look has signed a 20-year lease on a 10,000 sq ft shop in King’s Mall. They will take over the knocked-together units which used to house Starbucks and River Island.
It’s a serious shot in the arm for the King Street mall, which has also announced the arrival of a Frame gym and a new branch of the Italian cosmetics firm KIKO Milano.
And it’s news that has been welcomed by Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration. “This investment in the heart of Hammersmith’s shopping centre is a major boost to the town and we welcome the new arrivals,” he said.
“It’s great for local shoppers and confirms our efforts to make Hammersmith & Fulham the best place to do business in Europe.”
New Look for King’s Mall
New Look is gaining a double-height frontage, becomes the mall’s new anchor tenant and aims to open before Christmas.
A Frame gym is also arriving, on a 15-year lease.
Frame, founded in March 2009, already has four sites in London (at Shoreditch, Queen’s Park, Victoria and King’s Cross) and was recently named top gym in the capital by the Evening Standard. Its first west London gym will include a health cafe and a Frame shop selling gym wear and accessories. The gym, which will cover 5,315 sq ft, is on two levels, much which is currently unused basement space, bringing dormant capacity in the mall to life.
Italian cosmetics company KIKO Milano has signed a 10-year lease on a 2,905 sq ft shop. Named as a ‘brand to watch’ by Cosmopolitan, KIKO was founded in 1997 by Percassi. The new store is now open in King’s Mall, stocking professional make-up, skin care and beauty products.
Investing in Hammersmith
Schroder Real Estate acquired the 340,000 sq ft King’s Mall Shopping Centre in 2015 for £153million as part of a portfolio of assets in Hammersmith.
Money has been pumped into improving the mall’s frontage and internal areas, with a new entrance being created. To date, £10m has been invested in the past 18 months.
Substantial refurbishment is also underway at One Lyric Square, Schroder’s 87,000 sq ft office building alongside the mall, freeing up an extra 12,000 sq ft of office space. While H&F Council has given substantial financial assistance to the Lyric theatre for their recent expansion and modernisation.
“We’re spending a lot of money at King’s Mall,” confirmed Harry Pickering, investment manager at Schroder UK. “And these latest signings demonstrate our commitment to Hammersmith.”
Schroder’s target is to rouse the mall from a deep sleep and transform it into a standout retail and leisure hub. “We have exciting plans for Hammersmith, and see King’s Mall as a place where we can invest and build on the strong fundamentals
“Hammersmith offers to create a greater buzz and a stronger sense of community. We look forward to being able to announce more updates over the coming months.”
