- Watches of Switzerland boss says extra should be completed to revive Oxford Avenue
- Brian Duffy claims cheesy sweet outlets have changed family names on road
London‘s well-known Oxford Avenue has been branded a ‘nationwide embarrassment’ by the boss of a number one British retailer.
Brian Duffy, the chief government of Watches of Switzerland, mentioned there was ‘no query that extra must be completed’ to revive the West Finish buying vacation spot.
His feedback come after cheesy American sweet outlets have changed family names like Topshop on the world-renowned road.
Mr Duffy mentioned: ‘Oxford Avenue is an issue. I might virtually describe it as a little bit of a nationwide embarrassment.
‘When it comes to significance, it is most likely the most important sufferer of lockdown and what occurred in retail, the demise of Arcadia group and malls like Debenhams.’
Issues have been raised in regards to the proliferation of garish sweet outlets on Oxford Avenue and buying and selling requirements officers have seized greater than £1million value of pretend items together with counterfeit Rolex watches.
Watches of Switzerland owns a showroom on Oxford Avenue throughout the street from division retailer Selfridges.
Mr Duffy mentioned motion ought to be taken to deliver a ‘greater commonplace’ of companies to the world. On close by Regent Avenue – which is owned by the Crown Property – there was ‘extra aggressive and profitable landlord behaviour’, he mentioned.
Though Oxford Avenue continues to be ‘vastly in style’, its vary of shops is ‘not optimising the standing of the road and visitors’, Mr Duffy added.
Topshop’s flagship retailer close to Oxford Circus station closed in early 2021 after the demise of Sir Philip Inexperienced’s Arcadia retail empire. The Home of Fraser’s division retailer additionally shut store in January 2022 after greater than a century on the location.
Some huge names are set to maneuver into the world quickly – Ikea will open up at the former Topshop site whereas HMV will reopen its old flagship store on Oxford Street after a four-year absence later this yr.
Mr Duffy is just not the primary main retail chief to lambast the state of Oxford Avenue. In April, Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Machin mentioned London was shedding its aggressive edge to rival cities.
Mr Machin blamed a authorities transfer to axe VAT-free buying and a ‘proliferation of cheesy sweet shops’.
He mentioned: ‘The excessive road which is supposed to be the jewel in London’s crown at the moment is a nationwide embarrassment, with a proliferation of cheesy sweet shops, delinquent behaviour and footfall remaining within the doldrums, 11 per cent down on pre-pandemic ranges.’
He added: ‘It pains me to see our nice metropolis like this. For too lengthy now it has been on life help.’
Oxford Avenue will probably be given a facelift from subsequent autumn with plans to inject £100million into pedestrian entry, greenery and higher lighting.
Work on the challenge, which is a joint effort between Westminster Metropolis Council and enterprise group New West Finish Firm, is predicted to complete in spring 2026.
Author: ” — www.dailymail.co.uk ”
