At 31 March 2008, the Group’s ownership comprised 137 Shops, 37 restaurants, clubs, cafes and bars, 253,000 sq.ft. of office space and 64 apartments. These holdings were valued at £528.1 million at 31 March 2008 and represented 40% by value of the Company’s portfolio.

 

Carnaby Street became an internationally recognised destination for youth fashion and culture in the 1960s. From the late 1970s through to the mid 1990s, Carnaby remained an important destination for tourists, but became dominated by shops selling souvenirs and cheap clothing.

 

Shaftesbury acquired the majority of its current holdings in 1997, and has revitalised the area, building on its original reputation of youth fashion and all things related. Shaftesbury’s policy is to encourage new retail brands and concepts, which are aimed at the fashion-conscious. These can be either the flagship stores of major international brands, or independent retailers with maybe only one outlet. The wide variety of unit sizes across the village make this mix possible. Shaftsbury actively discourages traditional “high street multiples”.

 

Carnaby’s retail is complemented by a wide range of bars and restaurants throughout the village – again with an emphasis on individual operators rather than “chain” formats.

 

Many of the offices in the village are occupied by fashion retailers as well as media businesses, who recognise the creative vitality for which the area is synonymous.

 

Carnaby’s own web site – www.carnaby.co.uk – has a full listing of the village’s shops, restaurants and events. The site’s newsflash service provides a regular up-date on new openings and events in this ever–changing but ever–popular destination.