Iconic Oxford Street store closes after 25 years ahead of ‘rebirth’

By Kristina Beanland

As millennials still mourn the loss of big Topshop, another staple of London’s Oxford Street is set to close.

NikeTown, the sporting brand’s huge flagship store, will temporarily shut its doors, as it prepares for a ‘rebirth’.

The store first opened in July 1999, meaning it’s been a familiar fixture on the iconic shopping street for 25 years.

It’s not currently clear what this ‘grand reopening’ will look like – or when it will happen.

But in a statement on LinkedIn, director of stores, Charmaine Mason, promised that whatever comes next will be exciting.

Referring to the store with female pronouns, Charmaine said: ‘She will return, more magnificent, more daring, and as inspiring as ever.

‘Until her grand reopening, l’ll be carrying her spirit with me.’

The post was flooded with gushing comments from industry experts and people who had experience working with the brand.

‘There is no place like it! Looking forward to the magic when she opens up her doors again,’ wrote Ciarà Gay, who works at Nike.

While Ivan Rangel said: ‘The love I feel for that store and building. I am sure anyone who had to work there feels the same. It’s a special place in this universe.’

And retail expert, Ian Scott, said: ‘I am keen to see how she will evolve. There have been rumours of this update for several years, it’s great to see it finally happening.’

Shoppers have also shared their sadness at the loss of the 42,000 sq ft, four storey, store.

‘End of an era (for now),’ wrote one disappointed user on X, while another said it should be ‘bigger news’ that the iconic store was leaving, albeit temporarily.

Meanwhile, others are excited about what the reopening may bring.

‘It’s a good thing they are investing in this store as the new ultimate global flagship,’ wrote one forward thinking commenter.

Oxford Street is set for more changes in 2025, as the flagship IKEA store is will finally be opening its doors.

Housed in the building that was previously home to ‘big Topshop’, the opening of the Swedish furniture store has faced delays.

Work started on the site in 2022, with initial plans to open in autumn 2023. But the renovation has proved more difficult than planned, and most recently, leaks in the basement of the grade II listed buildings were pushing the timeline even further back.

Most recently, IKEA have said the store should open in spring 2025.

Source: https://metro.co.uk/2025/01/16/iconic-oxford-street-store-closes-25-years-ahead-rebirth-22373910/