Considered the world’s first pop-up shopping mall, it had a global impact as a catalyst for the food hall phenomenon. It helped redefine the role of temporary tourist destinations and pioneered the use of shipping containers instead of brick and mortar buildings.

But now Boxpark Shoreditch in London needs help to avoid closure.

Located in the incredibly trendy Shoreditch area of ​​inner east London, where the city’s financial centres sit side by side with trendy restaurants, brands and hotels, Boxpark opened in 2011 in Bishopsgate Goodsyard as a pop-up shopping centre on a five-year lease.

Its mission was to establish a retail location on what was then the edge of the Shoreditch district before a permanent shopping centre was built there. It was founded by fashion entrepreneur Roger Wade, who was then best known for the Boxfresh brand.

Therefore, the focus at the beginning was strongly on independent and cool fashion brands, but over the years the area has changed and today offers mainly a mix of retail and gastronomy.

So the fact that it’s still open 12 years later belies its short-term beginnings and has gone way beyond the original contract. And Wade has no problem making room for permanent development on the site. What he – and the Night Time Industries Association, which supports his push to keep Boxpark open – lament is that the site will have to be closed at least a year, perhaps longer, before groundbreaking.

Boxpark looks to the USA

The concept has been so successful that Boxpark has expanded to other locations over the past 12 years. So whatever the fate of Shoreditch, the brand will live on, and a first location in the US is in the pipeline. Wade said the company is exploring opportunities to open under license in North America, and that after expanding in the UK, the US is the most likely next destination.

Two new London locations are planned this year: Buck Street Market in Camden and the first Boxhall premium food and music venue concept on Liverpool Street. Boxpark also opened in Liverpool last year and will open a Boxhall in Bristol in 2025, while an opening in Birmingham is planned. Boxpark’s Croydon and Wembley locations in south and north London continue to operate as normal.

But the focus is currently on the original site, which was originally scheduled to close this month before a defiant Wade launched a campaign to save the famous pop-up mall despite being given notice by landlord Bishopsgate Goodsyard.

The dispute centres on planning permission to transform the 11.1 hectare site into a mixed-use development with a new park, apartments, retail, leisure and office space. But bureaucratic hurdles mean construction is unlikely to start for at least a year. Joint venture landlords Ballymore and Hammerson and local authorities are supporting Boxpark’s continued operations in the meantime.

“Save Boxpark” campaign

The aim of the campaign is to preserve Boxpark until the site is ready for redevelopment. This will first require a transfer of rights from Network Rail (the UK’s rail infrastructure operator), a legal process that is likely to take some time.

“Planners are insisting that Boxpark close because the planning condition is met. Our point is that we don’t mind closing for new development, but we do mind closing just because of a planning obligation,” he said, warning that the closure could result in up to 300 job losses.

“This is crazy. We’re going to lose a major driver of economic activity in the region and have 50 companies go bankrupt. And all because someone has to check a box,” he said.