Oxford Street rebrands as part of five-year plan

The new brand name ‘Ox St.’ and strapline ‘It all starts here’ is to appear across all of its marketing for Oxford Street from September, including a revamped website.

The New West End Company (NWEC) has spearheaded the rebrand, which aims to create a “world-class shopping environment”.

The first marketing under the new identity will take place during London Fashion Week this September.

Kenningham Retail managing director David Kenningham, who has been dubbed ‘Mr Oxford Street’, has been tasked by NWEC to implement a strategy that will attract brands from the US to invest in the area.

NWEC hopes to have all properties occupied ahead of the arrival of Crossrail in 2018.

NWEC chief executive Richard Dickinson said: “Oxford Street is expected to bring in £5bn a year in 2013 in retail sales alone, the scale of its economic value as the country’s high street is unsurpassed.

“We want to make sure that worldwide, it’s understood that for shoppers or shops, Oxford Street is the place to be. More retail brands begin their European expansion here – American Apparel and Urban Outfitters, for example, and 79% of shoppers told us that visiting Oxford Street was a part of the London experience. As our new strapline says – it all starts here.”