Anyone who reads this column will know that I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative ideas in the UK retail space – and clearly I am not alone.

Anyone who reads this column will know that I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative ideas in the UK retail space – and clearly I am not alone.

The Crown Estate, the organisation responsible for managing property owned by the Crown, is doing its part to reinvent the British high street by opening up some of its prime real estate in Piccadilly as pop-up shops for independent retailers.

This is the eighth and most prestigious location to open as part of a campaign by StartUp Britain, which aims to stimulate enterprise by providing online retailers with the chance to experience bricks-and-mortar trading, even if only for a short time.

To this end, the initiative will offer up to 60 retail start-ups a week-long opportunity to sell their products on one of Britain’s most prestigious shopping destinations. 

As well as being an inexpensive way of gaining a temporary high street presence, this concept has already provided valuable marketing exposure for a number of new brands.

One business, for example, saw its online sales increase 300% and another won a contract to supply John Lewis.

While this latest foray into the pop-up world may be notable for its swanky address, the benefits of this flexible model have been seen outside London as well.

Liverpool, for example, has had a number of very successful pop-up projects. During the run up to Christmas last year, Liverpool invited students from colleges and universities across the city to sell their goods, including crafts, photography, fashion and art.

With more than 30,000 shops now standing empty across Britain, ambitious retail start-ups like these can often use the pop-up model to obtain good deals on rent, to gain experience, and to test the market without taking on crippling long leases.

By encouraging fledgling retailers to test the waters in this way, this novel approach is already helping to make sure that once popular shopping locations don’t turn into boarded-up ghost towns.

In fact, one of the main benefits of this model is the effect it has on the surrounding area. The market feel of pop-up shops can very quickly create a sense of vibrancy and excitement in an area that otherwise lacks any real personality, while the dynamic nature of these shops tends to encourage repeat visits as well.

To me, this enlightened attitude represents an exciting step forward, especially now that one of the oldest landlords in the UK is getting in on the act.

It is great to see the Crown Estate taking such a bold step and creating opportunities that simply wouldn’t exist otherwise. To me, its decision to embrace this new way of retailing reveals an altruistic motive, as well as a commercial one.

For all these reasons, retailers and consumers alike should be celebrating this willingness to embrace the evolution of retail. Let’s hope that more landlords follow suit.