May has seen real progress – on the ground, in policy circles, and across the wider industry – as we continue to advocate for the West End, deliver vital services, and prepare for the next phase of growth.

Our 24/7 on-street security presence remains a cornerstone of our work to keep the district safe and welcoming. Operating with high visibility and in constant contact with local businesses, our teams are quick to respond and provide reassurance where it matters most. I am proud to share that two members of our frontline team, Kadar Hersi and Mohammed Nazim, have been awarded the Metropolitan Police Certificate of Excellence for their bravery and professionalism in safely detaining an armed offender. Their actions reflect the dedication, skill and impact of the security teams working across the West End every day.

Our campaigning through High Streets UK, the pro-growth partnership we co-founded earlier this year, is also building momentum. Ahead of our next forum in June, we have been in active discussions with key policymakers to ensure the voice of the West End is heard. Earlier this month, I co-hosted a roundtable with Gareth Thomas MP, Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports, where we made the case for stronger action on retail crime and called again for the reinstatement of tax-free shopping for international visitors.

Building on this engagement, we are preparing to launch a refreshed and reinvigorated campaign on tax-free shopping in the weeks ahead – backed by compelling new data and a coalition of committed partners. This is a major opportunity to unlock growth, restore our international competitiveness, and support the thousands of businesses who depend on global visitors. With £640 million in lost sales across the West End in 2024 alone, the case for reform is clear – and we are taking it directly to those in power. Alongside our partners, we will be sharing new insights from Q1 2025, raising our collective voice, and ensuring this issue remains firmly on the political agenda.

While we continue to press for change nationally, we are just as committed to spotlighting member successes. At the Swedish Chamber of Commerce’s Retail Business Breakfast, I was pleased to join Henrik Nordvall of H&M and Peter Jelkeby of IKEA to discuss the evolution of retail. From immersive experiences to culinary innovation, the West End is leading the way – examples include H&M’s in-store takeover by DJ Shygirl and Jamie Oliver’s new cookery school at John Lewis.

The West End is not just a destination – it is a dynamic ecosystem. With plans underway to welcome office occupiers as full members from April 2026, we recently held our first-ever breakfast for prospective office members. Presentations from across our teams – Security & Operations, Advocacy, Insights, and Destination Marketing – highlighted the depth and value of our work, and the opportunities ahead.

Finally, it was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces at the WPA Annual Dinner earlier this month. The event always plays host to thought-provoking keynote speakers – and this year was no exception. My thanks to the Westminster Property Association team for their warm welcome and continued partnership.

Warmest regards,

Dee Corsi, Chief Executive

SECURITY & OPERATIONS

We were delighted to welcome Kadar Hersi and Mohammed Nazim (Naz), members of our on-street Security Team in partnership with FGH Security, to our offices earlier in May for a special recognition event.

Kadar and Naz played a pivotal role in the arrest of a district offender carrying an offensive weapon in May 2024. In recognition of their outstanding professionalism and commitment to public safety, they were awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the Metropolitan Police Service.

The award was presented by Chief Inspector Luke Dillon, who spoke with great appreciation for our ongoing partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service and our shared efforts to ensure the safety and security of everyone who visits the West End.

Kadar Hersi and Mohammed Nazim receive Certificate of Excellence by the Metropolitan Police Service – 8 May 2025

Another example of this collaborative approach was a joint operation during Knife Crime Awareness Week, from 19 to 25 May, where New West End Company’s Security Team worked closely with the Met Police on Operation Sceptre – targeting and removing potential weapon threats across the district.

As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the safety and wellbeing of women and girls across the West End, New West End Company is a member of the working group overseeing Women’s Night Safety – work led by Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police and other partners.

Our Head of Security & Operations, Jamie Conroy, joined the group’s quarterly meeting in May to, amongst other things, discuss the current status, performance and future direction of the women’s night safety projects in Westminster.

We are proud to play an active role in creating a safer, more inclusive West End. Through ongoing collaboration with Westminster City Council, the Met Police, our members and neighbouring BIDs, we will continue to support the safety of women and girls in our district.

To further strengthen our security offering, New West End Company has joined the London Business Networks for Resilience – an initiative supported by London Resilience, part of the Greater London Authority. Our Head of Security, Jamie Conroy, attended the initiative’s launch event on 29 May.

By joining the network, we’re not only improving how we prepare for emergencies and disruptions – we’re also building stronger connections with similar organisations across London. It’s a chance to share insights, offer support, and work together to plan and respond more effectively when it really matters.

CAMPAIGNING AND ADVOCACY

As part of our work under High Streets UK, New West End Company co-hosted a roundtable with Gareth Thomas MP, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports, to discuss how Government and business can work together to drive growth on UK high streets.

We met Minister Thomas at High Streets UK’s launch event at the House of Commons in January. Four months on, it’s fantastic to see our initiative already playing a pivotal role in shaping policy. The discussion was a valuable opportunity to share our insights directly with the Minister – including our views on the proposed business rates changes and the lack of tax-free shopping.

Gareth Thomas MP and Dee Corsi co-host roundtable discussion on UK high streets – 14 May 2025

New West End Company’s Chief Executive, Dee Corsi, recently spoke to The Telegraph about the continued economic impact of the removal of tax-free shopping for international visitors. The interview formed part of a broader feature examining barriers to growth in the UK’s travel and tourism sector – with tax-free shopping identified as a critical and unresolved issue.

In the interview, Dee highlighted our latest analysis, which shows the West End lost an estimated £640 million in potential sales in 2024 due to the absence of a tax-free shopping scheme – a sharp rise from the £400 million loss recorded in 2023. These figures underscore the significant drag this policy continues to place on our global competitiveness.

We are currently analysing Q1 2025 data to quantify the latest missed opportunity and strengthen our evidence base. These updated insights will feed directly into our renewed campaign on tax-free shopping, launching in the coming weeks – a coordinated push across industry partners to put this issue firmly back on the political and economic agenda.

EVENTS

Every year, WPA hosts its Annual Dinner to celebrate Westminster and its built environment. Not only is it an opportunity to meet with members and key stakeholders, the evening often features insightful presentations by leading industry figures – and 2025 was no different.

This year, Dee Corsi and Lucy Mitchell, who attended the dinner on behalf of New West End Company, heard from Marcus Geddes, Managing Director, Workplace, at Landsec, who gave his final address as WPA Chair. This was followed by a keynote from renowned lexicographer and etymologist Susie Dent, who explored the origins of some of our industry’s favourite terms and linguistic quirks, highlighting how the combination of Westminster’s diversity of cultures and unique location places it at the very epicentre of language evolution.

We were delighted to host New West End Company’s first-ever breakfast event dedicated to our future office members on 20 May.

As we prepare to expand our membership to include office occupiers from April 2026, the event offered a valuable opportunity to introduce the services we provide to help ensure the West End continues to thrive as a world-class destination for work.

In the months ahead, we will be hosting a series of events and roundtables tailored to our growing office community – designed to help you connect, collaborate, and shape the future of the district.

If we haven’t yet had the chance to meet, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Our Head of Partnerships, Danielle Purnell, is available to arrange a meeting at your convenience. Please get in touch at [email protected].

New West End Company Office Breakfast – 22 May 2025

On 29 May our Chief Executive, Dee Corsi, joined Peter Jelkeby, CEO of IKEA UK & Ireland, and Henrik Nordvall, CEO of H&M UK & Ireland, for a panel discussion at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce’s Retail Business Breakfast. The session was chaired by Retail Week’s Editor-in-Chief, Charlotte Hardie.

The conversation focused on the evolving high street and how retailers are responding to shifting consumer expectations – particularly through leisure and immersive brand experiences. Highlights included IKEA’s Swedish Deli and H&M’s recent in-store takeover by DJ Shygirl, which transformed the space into a nightclub to launch the Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

Charlotte Hardie, Dee Corsi, Peter Jelkeby and Henrik Nordvall at the Retail in Focus Panel by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce – 29 May 2025

In the West End, these experiences are increasingly vital to drawing in new audiences and driving higher spend – reinforcing the district’s enduring global appeal. The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan’s intention to create Mayoral Development Corporation for Oxford Street, aims to support this ongoing evolution. We submitted a response to the Mayor’s public consultation about his plans in early May and look forward to sharing further updates with our members in due course.

DESTINATION MARKETING

New West End Company was proud to be part of TRACE Publicity’s AW25 Press Day in early May. The event welcomed 500 guests, including press and influencers across fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and grooming, spanning print, online, and regional media.

As part of New West End Company’s showcase, guests took part in a virtual quiz which tested their knowledge on Oxford Street, allowing them to compete for coveted prizes including vouchers to spend at any store on the street.

Oxford Street Showcase at TRACE Publicity’s AW25 Press Day – 1 May 2025

The conversations our Destination Marketing team had with journalists and influencers in attendance will help inform our media strategy, as we continue to position Oxford Street as an iconic destination for retail, leisure and hospitality.

We are pleased to announce that Art in Mayfair will be returning for its eighth year this June and July. We are partnering once again with the Royal Academy of Arts to celebrate the summer season with special flags taking over Bond Street.

For 2025, the RA has invited world renowned artist Anselm Kiefer to deliver a flag scheme inspired by the theme ‘fields of gold’. The design features three recent paintings by Kiefer to form a triptych of an angelic figure flanked by sunflowers. Launching on June 16th, the flags will see some of Kiefer’s monumental works all along Bond Street.

On 29 May, we were delighted to partner with Quintessentially for an exclusive private client event. Guests were welcomed into the newly unveiled ‘The Glade’, at Sketch, to enjoy curated canapés, signature cocktails, and the highly anticipated 11th edition of ‘Sketch in Bloom’, before making their way to Jimmy Choo on Bond Street for champagne, a preview of the Summer and Beach Collections, and a bespoke personalisation experience with an artist. An unforgettable evening of style, creativity and celebration in the heart of Mayfair.

The Glade at Sketch – 29 May 2025

We have also come together with BST Hyde Park to give away a pair of general admission tickets for the sold-out Sabrina Carpenter on Saturday 5 July in London’s iconic Hyde Park, along with £150 to spend on Oxford Street. The competition, running until 3 June, is designed to grow Oxford Street’s social media following and spotlight the brands and businesses across the district.

IN THE DISTRICT

This summer, New West End Company has partnered with Third Space for a series of exclusive mat pilates and bodyweight HIIT classes. Held across four days, the activities can be booked via Eventbrite, either in Hanover Square or Berkeley Square.

New West End Company partners with Third Space for a series of outdoor classes for members

We are pleased to welcome IKEA, Aldo, Kiko, Oysho and Massimo Dutti new stores on Oxford Street. Meanwhile, on Regent Street, US shapewear brand SKIMS has announced it will open its first ever UK store. We look forward to this exciting addition to the district in summer 2026.

IKEA Oxford Street Opening Event – 1 May 2025

PUMA announced it has chosen Oxford Street for the opening of its first European flagship store. Due to launch in the autumn, the 24,000 square foot shop will aim to offer an interactive experience that blends sport, performance and fashion. Customers will be able to choose from the brand’s streetwear designs while immersing themselves in a range of experiences, including personalisation opportunities.

Earlier this month, New Balance opened the doors to its redesigned, three-storey flagship store on Oxford Street. The store design is centred around a new global retail concept for the brand, built on the three pillars of community, performance and self-expression. The space will also serve as a hub for events, collaborations and seasonal activations.

From 17 – 28 April, long-time Oxford Circus resident, Nike, launched RunTown – a first-of-its-kind experience curated by runners for runners. The pop-up featured an exclusive Nike race hub, to support runners preparing for race day, as well as a fuel bar and comfort zone, featuring 1-1 sessions with Nike physios, free of charge.