Oxford Street has always been a destination for discovery. When Harry Gordon Selfridge opened his store in 1909, he understood shopping as entertainment, famously putting Louis Blériot's monoplane on show just days after its historic Channel crossing. More than a century later, that spirit of spectacle remains, but the experience of Oxford Street has long been shaped by movement: people passing by on buses and in taxis, navigating traffic and crowded pavements.
Having worked with brands including Topshop, BOSS, Primark, John Lewis, M&S, Next, Currys and Wise x Future Stores, Dalziel & Pow has spent more than 40 years helping shape retail experiences on Oxford Street and witnessing first-hand how this iconic destination has evolved. So, with the pedestrianisation of the street on 26 October, we started thinking about what comes next. What happens when people are no longer simply passing through, but have more space and time to engage? And what does that mean for the future of its stores, brands and the wider street experience?
Almost a kilometre of Oxford Street has now been given over to pedestrians, with London-based architecture studio East's interim scheme beginning to reshape the streetscape. Seating, planting and a stone 'river' running through the street are among the first interventions, signalling a shift in how this space is intended to be used. Behind the transformation is a simple ambition from the Oxford Street Development Corporation: to create a calmer, more inviting environment where people want to spend time. But turning that ambition into reality will take more than removing the traffic. It will require giving people compelling reasons to stop, explore and stay.
Beyond the shopfront
Oxford Street’s retail experience has traditionally been designed around a passing audience. Scale, spectacle and seasonal moments are powerful tools for capturing attention when people are on the move and brands have only seconds to make an impression.
But pedestrianisation changes the relationship between people and the places they visit. When people have the freedom to stop, sit and explore, the opportunity shifts from simply capturing attention to creating deeper engagement. Brands that have focused primarily on attracting passing trade now have an opportunity to think more holistically about the experience they offer, considering how the store, its surroundings and the wider brand world work together.
The opportunity extends beyond the shopfront, too. The space immediately outside each store, once defined by kerbs and bus stops, can now become an extension of the brand experience. Rather than simply filling it with sampling stands and promotional activity, brands have an opportunity to think bigger: bringing experiences out onto the street and creating moments of discovery, interaction and connection that give people a reason to pause. IKEA’s iconic giant blue bag, for example, demonstrates how a simple yet instantly recognisable brand symbol can become a beacon on the street, capturing attention and sparking curiosity. From something unexpected to watch to an experience worth gathering around, the brands that make the most of this space will be those that give existing fans another reason to engage, while giving new audiences a reason to connect.
Beyond retail: creating a destination
Of course, creating a destination takes more than individual brands acting alone. The real opportunity lies in how retail, hospitality, culture and public space work together to create a richer street experience. Selfridges has long understood the value of this approach. From its food hall and rooftop to its events and cultural programming, it offers multiple reasons to visit that go well beyond shopping. It demonstrates how a retail space can become a destination in its own right, drawing inspiration from different categories to create a richer, more engaging experience.
Anya Village offers another interesting example, using its collection of shops to create distinctive seasonal destinations that bring a sense of discovery, occasion and community to the wider retail experience.
There's an opportunity for other retailers to take a similar approach, breaking conventions and bringing hospitality into their stores through cafés, bars, social spaces and more experiential ways to connect with customers. Beyond the stores themselves, the newly opened public spaces could provide a canvas for something more ambitious: public art installations, cultural and seasonal collaborations, pop-ups and outdoor events that bring the street to life. Cafés and restaurants can offer reasons to pause, while thoughtfully designed public spaces give people somewhere to meet, sit and spend time between visits.
By blurring the boundaries between shopping, eating, socialising and culture, Oxford Street has the potential to become more than a collection of shops; it can become a destination with its own character, energy and sense of community – somewhere people want to spend time, whether they're there to shop or not.
Designing for the senses
On a pedestrianised Oxford Street, the space between stores becomes part of the experience, too. With traffic noise removed, the soundscape changes. Music that once disappeared beneath the rumble of buses and traffic can now spill out onto the street, with each store contributing to a new shared soundscape. For some brands, this creates an opportunity to dial up the energy, using music, sound and live performance to create atmosphere, build excitement and give people a reason to stop. For others, the opportunity might lie in doing the opposite: embracing quiet and creating a more considered, comfortable environment.
Sephora, for example, has introduced Quiet Hours across its stores globally, lowering music and dimming screens at designated times to create a more comfortable environment for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive shoppers. In its pilot, 90% of customers said the initiative made stores feel more welcoming for everyone. It's a reminder that the sensory environment is as much a part of brand experience as the visual one – and that knowing when to turn the volume down can be just as powerful as knowing when to turn it up.
Designing for the whole day
Then there's the question of safety, particularly after dark. A pedestrianised street lined with closed shutters and dark shopfronts risks feeling empty and uninviting, undermining the very sense of openness the scheme is intended to create. Here, the role of retail extends beyond trading hours. Illuminated windows, considered storefront lighting and displays that remain visible after closing can help maintain a sense of activity, improve visibility and make the street feel more welcoming. These aren't simply aesthetic considerations; they're part of how the wider environment is experienced. A well-designed shopfront can contribute to the feeling of safety and vitality on the street, even when the store itself is closed.
Creating a destination in its own right
For the first time in generations, people have the space to experience Oxford Street at a different pace. This presents an exciting opportunity for brands to rethink how they engage with people, creating experiences that extend beyond the store, go beyond the transaction and make the street itself part of the journey.
The smartest retailers will be those that take the time to observe how people respond to this changing environment, understanding how they move, gather and interact with the space, and using those insights to shape experiences that feel relevant and purposeful.
From moments of discovery and connection to reasons to pause, explore and return, brands have the chance to help shape Oxford Street as a destination in its own right – somewhere people come not just to shop, but to spend time.
If you’d like to find out more about how we can create more impactful and engaging spaces for your brand, get in touch with us at newbusiness@dalziel-pow.com.
