Selfridges to rent space in new development to office provider

The retailer has commissioned an architecture company to redevelop the 45,000 sq ft building on the corner of Oxford Street and Duke Street in London’s West End, with future plans to turn the site into a mixed retail and co-working space.

The site will feature four new retail units fronting both streets, with the remaining upper floors being converted into offices, which Selfridges said it would rent to a provider “in order to continue to cultivate a young, creative community in the area”.

Selfridges said the planned redevelopment would build “on the success of the prior transformation” of its Duke Street property, which included a new entrance for the department store and its “experimental” retail space the Corner Shop.

A Selfridges spokesman said this would be the first time the retailer had rented office space to a third-party operator.

The refurbishment of the building is being undertaken by Wittington Property Investments.

Wittington Property managing director Paul Kelly said: “With a dual frontage spanning two sought after locations on Oxford Street and Duke Street, the refurbishment of this building marks the continuation of our plans to reinforce the local area’s reputation as a lifestyle destination.

“We are incredibly proud of the work we have already done in the Duke Street area, both in-store and beyond, and the redevelopment of this key building is another step towards consolidating Selfridges’ unique and iconic presence in the Oxford Street district.”