UK entrepreneurs who are set to shape the future of retail now have the opportunity to share their products with Camden Market’s 500,000+ weekly visitors thanks to IncuBus Venture’s new partnership with one of London’s most popular tourist attractions.
Via the partnership, a 2,000 square foot, two-floor Future of Retail store has launched in Camden Market’s North Yard, incorporating the UK’s largest Virtual Reality (VR) experience.
In addition to the VR experience, provided by specialist VR company and IncuBus cohort member Virtually Reality, the part-shop, part-arcade and part art gallery space hosts a range of growing UK brands including:
- Bodi.me – a company that matches data gathered from 3D body scanners to garment data and recommends an accurate size for you, reducing the frustration that results from wrong size delivery. You can get your free scans in store today.
- Dum Dum Doughnuts – home to the baked doughnut and innovations such as the croissant doughnut and the Crone (Ice Cream cone made from doughnut) that exclusively launched first in the Future of Retail Store.
- T D Kent – a bespoke luxury eyewear brand that uses distinctive materials embedded in resin, 3D printing and the latest face scanning technology to create a unique pair of glasses designed specifically for you.
- Nik&Kix – a range of soft drinks with a unique ingredient: cayenne chilli… This results in a grown-up soft drink that’s less sweet than most, but with plenty of flavour to keep your taste buds happy.
- ZOLÀ – an organisation that creates limited edition, beautifully hand-crafted fashion prints and designs. The collection includes hooded jackets, kimonos and dungarees available in four pastel prints. Each style is limited worldwide to only 10 pieces in each print, ensuring your piece is truly unique.
- REIN – an innovative, fast-growing womenswear brand that uses a unique laser cutting process and has had pieces worn by the likes of Lady Gaga, Eve, Charli XCX and Little Mix.
The businesses in the Future of Retail store are part of a wider growth programme run by IncuBus Ventures and supported by Camden Market. The programme offers its members master classes on sales and marketing, introductions to potential partners and additional growth opportunities to ensure they can sustainably scale their businesses and raise further funding upon graduation.
“The Future of Retail store adds another dynamic to the growth programme, allowing the businesses to implement learnings with a large engaged audience of consumers. Camden Market is the perfect location for the businesses to showcase their products, test new concepts, build case studies, receive market feedback and crucially generate more business,” says Luis Hidalgo, Programme Director for the Future of Retail Programme.
Camden is a creative hub that has strong community of local small businesses and Camden Market is looking to continue to and further support growing startups in the area. Small businesses are a part of the foundation of Camden and by letting new traders come and showcase their products as part of the Future of Retail Programme, Camden Market offers an attractive platform for retail startups.
