The luxury zone at White City, the new west London retail park, is struggling to attract the biggest brands from their city centre heartlands of Bond Street and Sloane Street, according to people familiar with the shopping centre. Financial Times
The main mid-market area has successfully attracted tenants, including Debenhams, House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer and Next as anchors, with the addition of a huge 1.5m sq ft of space due to open in October.
But although the centre has signed up Louis Vuitton for its separate luxury zone – known as The Village – Westfield, the Australian developer, has failed to enrol any other luxury names.
With six months to go, there are worries that letting the remaining shops in the luxury scheme could be a challenge in the uncertain economic climate. That verdict is not applied to the rest of White City, which is being hotly anticipated by most retailers, although some fear sales will simply shift from Oxford Street and Brent Cross in north London.
Westfield said it was 'making excellent progress' at leasing the other units and The Village would open alongside the rest of the centre on October 30, in time for the Christmas season.