Environmental issues have become increasingly important in new commercial property builds, with initiatives such as rainwater recycling and natural air conditioning lowering utilities costs for tenants whilst simultaneously contributing towards the UK’s eco targets. However, a new store opening by US clothing retailer J. Crew has proven that not all eco-friendly initiatives have to be extremely costly, and can in fact have a huge beneficial impact for local wildlife.
J. Crew will open its 4,500 sq ft store in premium London retail spot Sloane Square this September, and in order to ensure the property stands out from surrounding competitors will install a “bug wall” on the exterior of the building. The vertical wall will feature plants intended to attract bees and J. Crew hopes that, by partnering with charity Buglife for the scheme, its customers will become more aware of the importance of bees in the wider ecosystem..
Sloane Square will be the fourth London location to become home to the J. Crew brand, with other stores found in Brompton Cross and Lamb’s Conduit as well as a flagship property on Regent Street. However, the Sloane Square outlet is so far the only one to feature a bug wall – something which environmental organisations hope will encourage other retailers in the area to consider implementing a similar initiative in future.
President and executive creative director of J. Crew, Jenna Lyons, confirmed that the brand had been interested in opening an outlet on Sloane Square for some time.
She said; “Sloane Square was on our radar as an area that we liked, and the space came available more quickly than anticipated.”
Retail property in Sloane Square has certainly been in demand recently, with both Club Monaco and Michael Kors preparing for store openings in the area later this year. This is perhaps in response to the growing “retail tourism” trend in London, which has seen visitors primarily from growing economies in China and the Middle East travelling to the UK’s capital to purchase clothing and high fashion ranges for a lower price than can be found in their home countries.
The two-storey Sloane Square store is expected to prove popular with local consumers, further contributing to J. Crew’s recent strong results. In the fourth quarter of 2013, the retailer posted a profit of £252 million pounds, allowing it to expand its store portfolio which at present includes 267 J. Crew properties, 66 Madewell outlets and 122 Factory stores.
