Borough Yards has introduced a new pop up residency platform as part of a long term retail strategy led by asset manager Curate Real Estate. Developed in partnership with Someday Studios, the initiative creates a structured pathway for emerging brands to enter physical retail spaces. The programme combines flexible short term leasing with curated brand selection, while also offering support through improved visibility, merchandising guidance, and integrated promotional activity.
The platform forms part of a wider repositioning strategy aimed at strengthening Borough Yards as a culture led and community focused destination in London. Alongside the retail initiative, upcoming activations include an art installation with Better Bankside, a London Fashion Week event, and an artist led takeover launching in spring. These efforts are designed to enhance engagement and create a dynamic environment for both brands and visitors.
The three-month residency will launch a permanent pop-up platform based on Dirty Lane East, where pop-up brands will occupy 6-8 white-boxed units to complement the existing mix of independent shops, restaurants and experiences, including Everyman Cinema and the Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Akara.
Some of the first brands to join the scheme include Southwark-based apparel brand Acid Running, female-founded artisan ice cream brand Araw, and the second bricks and mortar store for resale platform The Cirkel, alongside interiors brand The Roost, sustainable gift shop Forget Me Not & Green and experience-led running apparel brand Runlimited.
The initiative underscores Borough Yards’ commitment to cultivating an experience-led retail destination, in line with evolving customer trends. Following recent activations such as ‘Lobster Yards’, the takeover by artist Philip Colbert, and the Salad Days independent makers market, upcoming highlights include an interactive light installation in Soap Yard, a London Fashion Week activation and an artist‑led site takeover.
To ensure the quality and cohesion of the offer, Curate Real Estate has set clear criteria for participating brands. Each operator must align with Borough Yards’ long-term vision, bring cultural relevance and demonstrate credible business momentum.
Rebeca Guzman Vidal, Co-Founder at Curate Real Estate, said:
“This new pop‑up platform is a key step in our long‑term strategy to activate Borough Yards in a way that feels fresh, relevant and distinctly independent. As consumer attitudes to retail evolve, by giving emerging brands the opportunity to take up space in the scheme, we’re enriching our existing strong mix and offering visitors more reasons to shop, work and spend time here. From art installations to cultural takeovers, our bespoke approach to asset management is designed to strengthen Borough Yards’ position as destination that directly responds to evolving customer needs. This programme launch marks the next evolution of that vision.”
Becky Jones, Co-Founder, Someday Studios:
“The best emerging brands are too often locked out of physical space; the leases too long, the model too rigid, no option to test or experiment. We’re excited to be part of changing that at Borough Yards. For brands, this means a platform to launch and grow in one of the city’s most iconic neighbourhoods. For visitors, it means an ever-evolving content mix, with something new, worth discovering, and worth coming back for.”
