Issue 1 | September 2019

Spotlight
THE MAGAZINE FOR RETAIL, PROPERTY AND THE ARCHES COMMUNITY
@Spotlight_NR

networkrail

Market
Leader
Vinegar Yard brings an original
vibe to London Bridge

Hot shot barista

Costa star wins national title

Fringe benefits
How Edinburgh prepares
for the festival
 NEWS

Sweet treats
Welcome
TRENDS
for Pride
Word on the street Travellers at London’s
Victoria station added some
Welcome to Spotlight, our new We round up the latest retail sparkle to their journey after
magazine for tenants across the trends, as reported by the British retailers clubbed together to
Retail Consortium hold a colourful Pride giveaway.
Network Rail property estate! Customers enjoyed free face
We are so proud to work with a painting and ice cream cones,
and grabbed some retailer
passionate and diverse mix of businesses that 1 Retail trends are heading down a
samples during the event,
one-way street. Fewer customers are
we wanted to introduce a magazine which celebrates our ahead of Brighton Pride in
choosing to visit a physical shop,
successes and helps us all learn from the experiences of our August. Teams handed out
favouring clicks over steps.
industry colleagues. Fundraising on concourse with fellow retailers Krispy Kreme, to
offer customers a skincare goody bag, a voucher
more than 1,000 ice creams and
painted more than 100 faces.
In this edition we take a look around Vinegar Yard, the
2 For e-commerce
though, the sky is the
the move for a free facial and a doughnut – all in exchange
limit. And with drones for a £10 donation.
new street food and fashion market near London Bridge, we Ukulele playing and free doughnuts helped Colleagues were delighted to raise more than
featuring heavily in
visit Edinburgh to see how our retailers and business-space futuristic narratives of the team at Kiehl’s in London Bridge raise £1,300 during the three-day fundraiser.
postal services, money for their chosen charity. Store manager Luka Pavlovic said: “We had a
tenants are coping with the crowd brought in by the Fringe
perhaps the saying will The skincare brand has been supporting blast. It was a great chance to support a great
Festival. We also hear from some newly opened retailer units hold true. MTV’s HIV awareness campaign, Staying Alive, cause and reveal our newest location. Also it was
about how you get established once you have opened your 3 Largely due to the prevalence of
for more than five years. And the London Bridge nice to team up with Krispy Kreme.”
team went out and about to do their bit to add to Kiehl’s are continuing the giveaway in store
doors. The magazine will be sent out and available online next-day services like Amazon Prime, the coffers. They set up a mobile unit on the for additional donations. Connected from
consumers are increasingly
every quarter; you can also follow us on Twitter station to train
demanding immediacy without the
@Spotlight_NR for articles, news updates, to give us effort; something the larger online
As part of our continued
feedback or suggest future news items. retailers are able to fulfil.
Urban gardens bloom on concourse commitment to digital
We want Spotlight to be as useful and engaging as 4 PwC research found 40% more
transformation, we’re expand-
stores closed last year than in 2017. A series of intricate gardens quences’, where participants Palace and the Chelsea Flower ing our connectivity facilities.
possible, so I really encourage you to tell us what you think have bloomed at London take turns to draw on a piece of Show featuring as part of the All Network Rail-managed
Yet although times are tough for brick
and get involved! I hope you enjoy the magazine and look and mortar retailers, online sales as a Bridge. The urban greening paper, before folding and design. The installations stations will offer WiFi access,
proportion of all project, a collaboration passing it to the next player. highlight how material can be giving an increasingly seamless
forward to your feedback. between designers Cityscapes For New Forms, artists linked creatively reused, promoting customer experience, from
retailing haven’t
rocketed. Figures and Team London Bridge, is their gardens together by using a sustainable approaches to station to train. Our WiFi
show the proportion supported by Network Rail. specified material. Making a design while showcasing the infrastructure project is due for
Emily Papworth,
dropped to 18.9% in The project, named New positive environmental impact is versatility of landscaping and completion in 2022, providing
Senior Property Marketing Manager, Network Rail June 2019, down from Forms, takes inspiration from at the project’s core and features urban locations. passengers and shoppers with
a 20% high in 2018. drawing games ‘Exquisite the use of recycled materials, The gardens will be on show the digital infrastructure they
Corpse’ and ‘Picture Conse- with pieces from Hampton Court until the end of this month. have come to expect.
5 Shopping numbers at our
stations, meanwhile, are faring
About the editor well, as reported to retailers at
IN NUMBERS...
Paddington’s quarterly
Emily heads up a team who support Find out more
meeting. More than half
all the commercial property at
Network Rail. The team provide
marketing research and insights,
Please visit
www.networkrail.co.uk/property
a million shoppers
poured into the
1 the number 10,000 140 years 1.9m
station’s shops of Bose
deliver promotional campaigns and headphones sold extra passengers Glasgow Central’s bottles so far saved
in the first
work closely with the retailers and Get in touch
quarter of every hour at able to travel home landmark birthday from landfill thanks
business space colleagues to
MarketingEnquiries@ the year. Tech Express, from Brighton Pride was celebrated to free station
support the commercial growth of
networkrail.co.uk London Bridge via additional trains in July water fountains
your businesses.

2 SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 2019 3

 FOCUS Business
INSIGHT
IN Vinegar Yard Business INSIGHT

arches in nearby Blackfriars. Benj recently

sold Flat Iron Square but he “had the bug”
for such venues and with his colleague Neil
Benson, decided to remodel the winning
formula at London Bridge.
“We wanted to learn from what we’d
done at Flat Iron Square and we’d certainly
learnt plenty of lessons,” Neil said.
“At Flat Iron the content was provided by

Photo: Harvey Pearson

music, events and sport. Here the draw is
the food, the shops, the art and the people.
People come to watch each other, that’s why
it’s a big open area – you can see everybody,
you’re part of something and we like that.”
Benj’s links to the railway date back to
the 80s when he ran The Arches – one of
London’s biggest club nights – on the site of BENJ SAID: “Our big thing is making the site interesting and inviting.
what is now Flat Iron Square.
“In 1987 when I rented the first bunch of The little things are important – keeping the place clean and tidy,
arches, they were very affordable spaces,” having great service and friendly staff. Those are all really important
said Benj. “At the time it was British Rail
and there were all sorts of restrictions – you
ingredients in making people want to come back.”
weren’t allowed to cook under the arches,
which stopped people having restaurants. The re-use ethos extends to the yard’s
retailers, who are housed in shipping SUPPORTING THE
Supporting the
neighbours
containers and specialise in reclaimed
items. They include antiques dealers and neighbours
vintage clothing stalls, and on Saturdays the

Photo: Harvey Pearson

site is home to Flea London, a vintage and
The arrival of Vinegar
makers market.
Yard has helped boost
Neil and Benj at
In setting up Vinegar Yard, the pair were
surrounding businesses,
Vinegar Yard keen to support independent traders.
including those attached
“It gives artisan retailers a chance as, at

Art with A
to the station. The site
the moment, it’s hard on the high street,”
was previously
t 5pm, St Thomas Street Benj added.
home to Network
in London is alive with “We slowly got the relevant permissions And the reclaimed theme runs through
Rail teams
people streaming in and to make it a nightclub and British Rail the artworks dotted about the site, made by
working on the
out of London Bridge began to see food and beverage offerings acclaimed sculptor Joe Rush. He is the
Thameslink
station. But among the were a good use of the spaces.” founder of the Mutoid Waste Company, an

taste
fast-moving crowd,
dozens of people can be seen stopping to
take a picture of several marauding
metal ants crawling over a disused train
carriage. This arresting sight is the
landmark sculpture of Vinegar Yard, a
multi-use space filled with food vendors,
bars, independent retailers and art.
Sitting in the shadow of the Shard –
Since opening in the spring, pop-up marketplace
upgrade.
Making these in-roads eventually allowed arts collective which makes bespoke pieces
Neil said: “Bob’s Lobster
them to establish Flat Iron Square, which from scrap and salvaged metal. The
[wine bar and kitchen] and
paved the way for Vinegar Yard. company has an on-site workshop where
[South African grocery
But while the former is a permanent visitors can watch artists at work.
store] Savanna seem glad
venue, the latter is an ‘interim’ attraction, as But the most frequent question asked is
we have opened.
plans have been lodged to turn the site into the story behind the now Instagram-famous
It’s beginning to liven up
a commercial/retail development. The ants, to which Benj responds: “Because we
the area. We do try to spend
temporary nature of the yard has influ- like them and they’re a bit of fun.”
time talking to
enced its design, with a focus on environ-
our neighbours

Photo: Harvey Pearson

Vinegar Yard has become the perfect
accompaniment to London Bridge
Words: Lucy Clapham Main Image: David Cotter
London’s tallest skyscraper – the venue is mentally-friendly practices.
and making
the brainchild of Benjamin Scrimgeour, “We’ve tried to ensure everything we’ve
sure what we
known as Benj, the businessman behind got here is reused and re-purposed and
Flat Iron Square, a hugely popular we’re working hard to get rid of all single
do is good for
everyone.”
foodie/sport/music hub set under railway use plastics and looking to introduce cycle
deliveries,” Neil said.

4
1 SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 2019 5
 IN THE SPOTLIGHT

GOING GREEN
Costa bravo
A bustling coffee shop is
brewing up a new campaign
to persuade people to
recycle more paper cups.
Costa Coffee already has
Barista wins big
Customers who find themselves at
Guildford station and in need of a
caffeine hit could do a lot worse than
stopping by Costa Coffee, “second
home” of barista extraordinaire
Ruggero Barlaba.

Setting out their stall

T
a nationwide policy of
he 23-year-old knocked out stiff
collecting and recycling
competition to be crowned Costa Coffee’s
containers, including those
2019 UK and Ireland Barista of the Year. He
from competitors. But the
went on to compete in the global
Marketplaces and multi-use venues like Vinegar Yard provide an company’s efforts are being
championships, taking home an impressive
redoubled north of the
excellent mix of attractions and sit well near stations and in archways second place. “I’m definitely going for the win next
border thanks to a new

O
ur property portfolio includes a
range of flexible spaces that
suit the pop-up drinking/
dining/shopping experience
which has exploded in
popularity in recent years.
One such space is the archways beneath
Glasgow Central station, which have been
transformed into a multifunctional venue.
Billed as the Argyle Street Arches, they
are home to Platform, a Friday to Sunday
street food market with a rotating line up
of vendors. Chefs cook up a storm in the
mobile stalls, while an on-site brewery
ensures visitors don’t go thirsty.
Alongside Platform, Argyll Street
Arches hosts private functions and events.
Barry Halfpenny, director of the Argyle
Street Arches, said: “We’re an independent
company and to stay in the game you have
to offer a bit of everything.”
Another business offering variety is Real
Food Markets. It champions sustainable
and ethically-sourced producers and
has three sites across London,
including one outside King’s
Cross station.
It runs Wednesday to Friday
and has built a strong following
among commuters, the local
community, as well as attracting day
trippers and tourists.
Fabio Diu, director of
Fabio Diu, director of
Real Food Markets
6 SPOTLIGHT
Barry at Platform
Real Food Markets, said: “It’s an amazing
venue in a really great location. We feel
lucky to be able to trade in such a busy
location, allowing us to help support a lot of
fantastic independent, small producers,
which is very important to us.”
Real Food Festivals were invited by us to
hold pop-up markets in Waterloo and
Charing Cross before being offered a
permanent pitch as part of the King’s Cross
Square redevelopment. The partnership
has been mutual, with the station providing
excellent footfall while the market has
helped boost the outlying station
community.
Fabio added: “We’ve developed
a thriving market which we
believe has helped bring the
square back to the people. And
that’s what markets are for –
community spaces that bring
people together.”
year,” Ruggero laughed.
collaboration with
The passionate barista juggles an acting career with
environmental charity, Keep
a full-time position at Costa Coffee. While at face value,
Scotland Beautiful.
the two roles have little in common, Ruggero points
This month, the Glasgow
out a strong crossover when it comes to skills and
Central branch will pioneer
development. “My role as a barista is an
Cup Movement, a city-wide
amalgamation of so many different positive attributes
campaign aimed at
I can be working on. Character development, people
transforming people’s
skills, hand-eye coordination, memory; all are so
attitudes. “Paper cups were
transferable to acting.”
very much a single-use
Being global runner-up in the prestigious
product, but they can all be
competition is no mean feat, with contestants facing a
recycled now,” said store
panel of six judges – four sensory and two technical.
manager Brian Simpson.
Each had to present four cups requiring contestants
“There are a lot of people
to tackle the tricky precision of
who don’t understand that.
latte art. Sixteen flawless drinks
This campaign is all about
were expected in 35 minutes,
education, to let people
before a specialty round tested
know things have changed.”
creative flair.
Visual messaging and
“We had to create our own
campaign branding will be
drink, one which we felt best
in all Glasgow Costa
showcased the Italia blend that
branches for three months,
Costa represents,” explained
reinforced by local press
Ruggero. “Mine was called
and posters. Brian hopes it
Morning Sunshine. I grew up in Bermuda and every
will inspire people to
morning I would have orange juice. My family, being
emulate regular customers
Italian, would have espresso, so it reminded me of
who gather used cups from
home. I thought what better way to combine these
their workplaces to bring to
two worlds than to make a drink that was both orange
Costa. “It doesn’t matter
juice and coffee. The drink also epitomised my
what it is, we’ll be able to
personality because it was really light, bright and kept
recycle it,” he said.
you sprightly – positivity in a cup!”
SEPTEMBER 2019 7
 INSIGHT Honest Burgers & Pure

Making your brand known

Network Rail’s marketing team shares their top tips to
help tenants and retailers establish their brand:

SOCIAL MEDIA DIGITAL SCREENS

SUPPORT As a retailer you’re
Every station has a entitled to a discount-

Finding
social media account ed rate to advertise on
Malina Islam, assistant manager Khiels tells us how offering free
consultations is helping bring people into her London Bridge store. “We did very well over the and champion who can
share your posts and
our JC Decaux screens,
which can be found in
first two weeks, much better promote local offers. most of our major
stations. For more
than expected.”

your feet
RETAIL DIRECTORY email UKSales@ everything – from
ANAMARIA RAITA A great way to let jcdecaux.com coffee to cats. If your
customers know where brand aligns to certain
as a “virtuous circle”. he added: “We can you are, your contacts CUSTOMER days it’s a great
really champion new suppliers to help them and opening hours. INFORMATION opportunity for some
get to the next stage.” Search ‘retail directory’ POINTS timely promotions.
Traditional promotions – such as on our website. These are printed And don’t forget
Moving into a new area can be challenging, leafleting and offering samples – are tried display boards in annual events such as
but there are many tools – both traditional and tested methods of attracting stations that provide a Easter and Christmas.
customers. And leafleting is one of the ways cost-effective way of
and original – to help build a customer base the team at Pure in London’s Liverpool sharing promotions.
Street station have been drawing in the For more information
crowds since opening in July. email Thomas.Dunn@
During the opening weeks team ukmedia.co.uk
members handed out discount cards

M
aking its patties in an
in-house butchery and
cooking its rosemary
chips fresh everyday has
helped establish Honest
Burgers as a restaurant
that’s a cut above. But the business doesn’t
just rely on its signature dishes when
opening in a new location. It goes a step
further to ingratiate itself by collaborating
with neighbouring producers to create new
dishes, exclusive to that specific community.
For their latest opening at London Bridge
they worked with suppliers to whip up a
bespoke burger and cocktail, named after
nearby streets.
Adam Layton, head of brand
collaborations, said Honest relishes the
chance to discover, and collaborate with,
local producers. “It means we can deal
direct with suppliers, we get to know them,
and they come to invest a bit more in our
“We can really champion
new suppliers to help them
get to the next stage.”
ADAM LAYTON
team,” he added. “It’s been very successful
– people notice the effort.”
The Tooley Street burger stacks an
Honest patty with taleggio cheese, mayo,
tomato, rocket, pickles and Nduja sausage
made by Crown and Queue, a cured meat
supplier a stone’s throw from the station.
Adam said: “I went to Maltby Street,
which has got lots of great suppliers, and
one of the doors I knocked on was Crown
and Queue. It’s a really premium product
that uses British rare-breed pork.”
Drawing on Bermondsey’s history of gin
distilling and beer brewing, the team was
also keen to create some bespoke tipples
offering customers money off during their WASHROOM
and found the perfect partners in the first three visits. EXHIBITION SPACES POSTERS
Bermondsey Mixer Co and brewers The simple promotion has paid off, said One of the best ways to Advertising within our
Partizan. The Bermondsey Mixer Co’s manager Anamaria Raita. “We do this for promote your brand is station washrooms is GETTING IN TOUCH
grapefruit tonic is among the ingredients in
the Bermondsey Spritz – the restaurant’s
all our store openings, it’s about bringing
people in and letting them know you’re
to use dedicated
exhibition space, which
managed by Admedia.
Contact Enquiries@
The marketing team is
on hand to help. If
twist on the traditional Aperol spritz – while here,” she added. “It’s worked because we’ve is available at many of admedia.co.uk for you’d like to discuss
Partizan’s pale ale, IPA and fruity saison started to get regular customers.” our stations. Offering more details. any of the above or
beer also feature. “People have really The discounts – and Pure’s healthy free samples, leafleting marketing opportuni-
responded to the Bermondsey Spritz. It’s offerings – have proved so popular with and holding demon- CALENDAR EVENTS ties generally email
been so popular we’ve decided to roll it out customers the new branch has already strations are great There’s a national day marketingenquiries@
across the group,” Adam said. smashed sales targets. ways to draw people in. for near enough networkrail.co.uk
He described working with local suppliers Anamaria added: “We did very well over
the first two weeks, much better than
expected. We have targets that we needed
to hit in the first three months and we’ve
In the next issue...
almost already beaten it in three weeks.
“It’s a really good start for us.” We’re talking all things festive – Christmas shoppers? Or will you
and we want to know your top tips! be trying something new in 2019?
On social media What do you do over the Christmas
period to promote your brand?  end us your tips, with your
S
twitter.com/Spotlight_NR Have you got some tried and name, job title and location to
tested methods of drawing in spotlight@abcomm.co.uk

8 SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 2019 9

 DESTINATION STATION Edinburgh Destination Station INSIGHT

Safe spot
Edinburgh
Difficulty finding secure parking
for his bike led Callum
McPherson to open a first-of-its Edinburgh
Playhouse
kind motorbike storage business. Moto
Stable
And Edinburgh’s railway arches Edinburgh
Waverley ile
proved to be the perfect location Station 1m

for Moto Stable, which is revving Scottish

up in popularity Parliament

Photos: Lenny Warren

The premises, located in three “When I came across these
arches, provides secure parking for arches it was more or less perfect
Edinburgh Fringe Matthew Lafferty Tom Burns
Festival Pret a Manger JD Wetherspoon more than 30 bikes alongside – the size and shape of them was
workshop space so owners can ideal, they’re dry and there’s no

Setting the stage

tinker with their machines. The site windows.” Since launching in
is monitored inside and out by January 2018, Moto Stable has
“Everyone’s having fun and 24-hour CCTV and bikers gain
access via a PIN pad. Callum
getting along with each other – Callum first thought of the Moto
McPherson
Moto Stable
it’s a wonderful atmosphere.” Stable concept three years ago but
finding the perfect site proved
MATTHEW LAFFERTY
tricky. He explained: “I’ve got a bike,

A
I live in the centre and didn’t have

Edinburgh’s s the world’s largest arts

festival, the Edinburgh
absolutely right!” she added. “Nothing is
unusual and everything is extraordinary.”
Making the most of Scottish products was a
big push this year, and they were displayed
my own garage. I looked at
individual lock-ups and they were all
Fringe draws more than The station team works to support prominently in front of the store’s
world-famous
pretty expensive and had no
400,000 people to the city’s retailers to make the most of the additional Edinburgh Castle wall vinyl. security, no power, no water.
historic streets. And many of crowds – with footfall tripling during “We want people to walk into Edinburgh “I thought I could do this cheaper quickly become a hit with Edinburgh
Fringe festival them choose to arrive by festival weekends and 15% up on weekdays. station and feel they’ve walked into if I got an industrial unit and got a bikers, as well as visiting petrol-
train, meaning the team at Edinburgh Juliet said: “Creating a welcoming Scotland,” Natalie said. few people together, and it would heads. It’s so popular, Callum is keen
annually attracts Waverley has to be ready for their arrival.
Preparations begin months in advance of
atmosphere for festival visitors and
commuters alike is really important.”
At nearby Pret a Manger, staff put in
extra time to serve festival crowds, opening
work as a business.
“It took two years to find a
to expand into two neighbouring
arches to provide more parking and

close to half a the festival’s launch in August as the station

team stocks up on consumables.
This year, the team at M&S – led by store
managers Heather McMillan and Natalie
until 11pm. But the “buzzing” atmosphere
carries colleagues through.
location. It was pretty difficult
because I needed an industrial unit
develop the workshop into a hub for
the biking community.

million people. Lifts, escalators and cleaning machines

are serviced in readiness and extra
Toshack – held food tasting sessions and
created a display of Scottish products.
Team member Matthew Lafferty said:
“Everyone’s having fun and getting along
with roller shutting doors, it needed
to be central and to have power.
Moto Stable has also provided an
innovative solution to a prevalent

And Waverley cleaning, security and customer service

staff are brought in. But the payoff is
Heather said: “It’s like Edinburgh’s
Christmas really. During the festival we
with each other – it’s a wonderful
atmosphere. Being in the station, you get to
problem in Edinburgh.
Callum said: “More bikes are
working in an “extraordinary” atmosphere, take around £150,000 - £170,000 a week.” meet a lot more people.” Festival footfall is stolen than sold new in the UK and
station provides said station manager Juliet Natalie added: “We reviewed where “incredible”, he added, with a normal it’s bad in Edinburgh. Tourist bikes
Donnachie. “A few years products are located based weekday feeling like a very busy weekend. get stolen daily in Edinburgh.
the opening ago an elderly American on previous years’ sales It’s the same story at The Booking Office, “Some people probably didn’t
couple described the and we’ve put more on the the recently opened JD Wetherspoon pub. have a bike because they had
curtain to many atmosphere like being in
[children’s TV show]
shelves of what customers
bought in previous years.
Tom Burns is one of 13 managers at the
pub, which champions local produce,
nowhere to keep it, but now they’ve
found out about us and are going

visitors’ Fringe Fraggle Rock – I

couldn’t stop
We also change our rota
and put in a night shift
serving all Scottish-brewed ales. He said:
“It’s about 1.5 times what we’d usually do
back to it. This has opened the door
for a lot of people to get a bike.”

experience laughing as they

were, and still are, Heather
to ensure we’re fully
available first thing.”
during a busy week. It’s great fun and you
meet people from all walks of life.”
McMillan and
Natalie Toshack
M&S
10 SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 2019 11
PARTING SHOT

Hitting the target

While some businesses are facing the
chop, life is bang on for indoor axe-
throwing venue Hatchet Harry’s,
which recently opened at Arch 18,
Forth Banks in Newcastle.

J
oint owners and
managing directors
Jack Beadle and
Richard Bridge are
determined to be a
cut above the competition
and chose to open the
business at the Arches
because of its central
location and availability of parking. Axe throwing
has become hugely popular in recent years and the
duo decided now was a good time to take
advantage of the interest.
“We wanted something a little different,” said
Jack, who previously ran an activity centre. “A lot of
axe throwing venues make reference to the Vikings,
but we wanted to stand out from other places and
Hatchet Harry’s makes for a stylish brand.”
Although they’ve not leased a commercial
building before, the pair found the process
straightforward and are delighted they took the
plunge. “I was expecting to have to jump through a
lot of hoops, but [commercial estate manager]
Derek Brace made it easy. We were in a rush to get
the keys and he did everything in his power to get
them to us when we needed them.”
Initially, the business saw lots of couples and
small groups, but there has been a big increase in
larger groups, from stag parties to corporate clients
looking for fun team-building exercises.
“It’s a scalable business and we’d like to open
more venues in more cities,” Jack added.

COMPETITION

Sweet treat!
Readers are in for a treat this
issue as we’re giving away a
hamper from Hotel Chocolat.
To win, answer the following question: When did
Bristol Temple Meads open? Tweet your answer
to @Spotlight_NR by 11 November and keep your Martin Scrafton
eyes on the feed where we’ll announce the winner. Hatchet Harry’s
manager