There’s some real momentum in London currently. Every month it feels like there is a solid mix of new openings from established brands making a statement, and new players trying to make their mark.

But as has often been the case in recent years, the beauty industry dominates – with some curiously high-concept openings that should pique interest far beyond the UK’s capital.

 

TikTok Shop beauty pop-up 

TikTok will run a beauty pop-up over the weekend of 27th to 29th March at Westfield Stratford.

The pop-up, showcasing a selection of beauty and skincare brands as well as influencers who will run live shopping sessions, makes enormous sense whatever way you look at it.

Westfield Stratford is already hugely popular among Gen Zers who were hanging out here long before shopping malls started making a comeback in the US. And this same cohort, as we well know, love TikTok.

Meanwhile TikTok Shop is dominated by beauty products and brands. So this pop-up feels like a win-win for all involved – and something we can expect to see much more of.

 

Westfield Feel The Frequency wellness pop-up 

This pop-up, running from 25th March to 4th April, is taking place at Westfield White City – and it’s remarkably ambitious.

Free and notably high-end, it’s essentially a series of luxury, wellness related experiences offered to visitors – from crystal sound baths and silent discos to wellness and mood-tailored drinks.

Brands and start-ups are sponsoring selected experiences, which explains the commerciality of the concept – but most notably, this whole pop-up feels like a timely reminder of just how far into the mainstream alternative wellness has moved.

This is pseudo-science in the middle of a Westfield. Mainstream beauty retailers who aren’t taking fringe wellness seriously, take note.

 

Janie and Jack/Hatch 

This very smart-looking concept store in Chelsea is perhaps most notable for being a dual-brand initiative.

Janie and Jack (kids fashion) and Hatch (maternity fashion and beauty) are US brands expanding internationally. Timing – and frankly, being a good fit – has brought them together.

The store looks premium and will suit the King’s Road crowd perfectly. But the most remarkable aspect is the co-branded approach – primarily because it’s so unusual.

On reflection, it makes total sense. It will be interesting to see how well it performs, as it could become something of a benchmark for expanding brands – and especially those migrating from one region to another.

 

Molton Brown 

Molton Brown, the much-loved but often forgotten British brand, has opened a new store in Broadgate, Liverpool Street.

With a design and strategy rooted in their 1970s origin, it’s an attempt to re-tell their history and re-direct some attention to their commendably eco-conscious origins.

It also houses a bigger collection of refills than ever, as they attempt to move closer to their own commitment for half of all its retail to be reusable or refillable.

Like Body Shop, this move feels timely for a heritage brand that has a story to tell that some older consumers have forgotten, and some younger consumers have never heard in the first place.

 

Topologie

Topologie has opened its third London store, this time in Soho.

Nestled on Berwick Street among a lot of similarly premium, niche brands, this store would appear to be a case of the right brand for the right location. As with its other stores, it’s visually pleasing – beautifully showcasing its range of climbing-inspired bags and accessories.

Of course, retail in 2026 is never that simple – but this is a beautiful store and a brand that is extremely culturally relevant. Recent collabs with brands like APC reinforce that.

It also offers a nice bit of variety from a product point of view, in an area that can, sometimes, feel a little too dominated by cool brands selling expensive t-shirts.