Leasing a Shop on Bond Street: What to Know About the World’s Most Expensive Shopping Street

When it comes to luxury retail in London, Bond Street is the first address that comes to mind. According to Cushman & Wakefield’s report published on 19 November 2025, New Bond Street has become the world’s most expensive shopping street for the first time. Opening a shop here is not just signing a lease; it means positioning your brand next to the best-known names in the world.

In this article we look at where Bond Street is, how it got here, who trades there today and what rents look like. We then cover which brands it suits and what to watch for in the lease when leasing a shop on Bond Street.

Where is Bond Street?

Bond Street runs through Mayfair (W1) in Westminster, between Oxford Street to the north and Piccadilly to the south. The southern section, from Piccadilly to Burlington Gardens, is Old Bond Street; the northern section continuing to Oxford Street is New Bond Street.

Where the two meet stands “Allies”, Lawrence Holofcener’s 1995 sculpture of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt sharing a bench — one of the most photographed spots on the street.

A short history

The street takes its name from Sir Thomas Bond, head of the consortium that developed the area in the 17th century. Old Bond Street opened in 1686 (some sources say the 1680s) and New Bond Street was completed in the 1720s. Bond Street has been associated with fashion and luxury shopping since the 18th century.

The auction world is part of its identity too. Sotheby’s, which held its first auction in London on 11 March 1744, moved from Wellington Street on the Strand to 34–35 New Bond Street in 1917 and has been there ever since.

Bond Street today: who is there?

Today Bond Street is London’s showcase for the world’s leading fashion, jewellery and watch brands, including Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Loewe, Celine, Zegna, Fendi, Chloé, Rimowa, Swaine and Boss.

• Fashion houses: Dior’s London flagship is at 160–162 New Bond Street. In June 2026 Hermès opened its new London store on New Bond Street, combining six historic buildings and presented as its largest store in Europe.
• Jewellery and watches: Graff, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Chaumet and Hublot are on the street; De Beers has its flagship at 45–50 Old Bond Street.
• Art: Sotheby’s and the street’s galleries give it a distinct cultural weight.

This concentration makes Bond Street less a shopping street than a brand positioning address: every window draws on the prestige of the one next to it.

Bond Street rents: the world’s most expensive street

According to the 35th edition of Cushman & Wakefield’s “Main Streets Across the World” report (19 November 2025):

Milan’s Via Montenapoleone (US$2,179) is second and New York’s Upper Fifth Avenue (US$2,000) third.

These are headline rents for the best-located units. The rent for a specific shop depends on its size, frontage, floor split and lease terms, and business rates, service charges and insurance add significantly to the total cost of occupation.

Why are rents so high?

• Scarcity: vacant units rarely come up, and when one does several brands often compete for it.
• International demand: Bond Street is the first stop for high-spending visitors to London.
• Transport: the Elizabeth line has made the street even easier to reach (see below).

The Elizabeth line effect

Bond Street’s Elizabeth line station opened on 24 October 2022, with a direct link to Heathrow Airport and two new ticket halls on Davies Street and Hanover Square — making it easier for international visitors to get from the airport straight to Mayfair.

Rent or advertising?

A brand opening on Bond Street does not just rent four walls; it takes its place next to the world’s most prestigious brands. Rent here is better seen as an investment in the world’s most visible shop window and its most effective signage than as an ordinary operating cost.

Bond Street customers do not come to compare prices but to be part of that world. The store experience, service and brand story matter as much as the sale itself.

Is Bond Street right for every brand?

In short: no. The right address depends on the brand’s positioning and business model.

For high-margin, experience-led brands looking to grow international awareness from London, Bond Street is a strong address. For price-led, high-volume models, Oxford Street just to the north is usually the better choice.

Commercial realities: the lease is everything

Finding the right property on Bond Street is half the job; the other half is the right lease. At these rents, the terms decide how much flexibility the brand has in the future:

• Term and break clauses: when and on what conditions you can leave.
• Rent reviews: how often and on what basis the rent is reset.
• Renewal rights: whether you can stay at the end of the term.
• Repair obligations: under FRI (Full Repairing and Insuring) leases much of the building cost passes to the tenant.
• Dilapidations: the condition you must hand the property back in.
• Assignment and subletting: the option to transfer the lease or sublet part of the unit later.

“Inside the Act” and “outside the Act” leases

A key distinction in English commercial leasing is whether the lease falls under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954:

• Inside the Act (protected): the tenant has a statutory right to renew at the end of the term; the landlord can only oppose renewal on limited statutory grounds.
• Outside the Act (contracted out): before the lease is signed, the parties agree through a notice and declaration procedure that this protection will not apply. The lease ends at expiry and staying requires a new negotiation.

On a street with demand as high as Bond Street, this distinction can decide whether you keep a store you have invested in for years. We covered the topic in an earlier Reel on our Instagram.

How ATOG Group can help

ATOG Group supports entrepreneurs and brands looking to lease commercial property in the UK, especially in London, from start to finish:

• Location identification: we pinpoint the street and property that fit your audience, product and budget — including whether Bond Street is the right address for you.
• Leasing management: we review the lease for you, explain what you are signing without the legal jargon and negotiate terms with the landlord that protect your brand’s future.
• Tailored solutions: we shape the strategy around your business model and stay with you after the keys are handed over.

Checklist for opening a shop on Bond Street

Talk to us about the right property on Bond Street

If you are thinking about opening a shop on Bond Street or another London street, we are here to help you find the right property and agree the right lease. Write to us through our contact form or get in touch directly:

• Email: hello@atog.uk
• Phone: +44 20 3883 5494 · +44 7904 785 194
• Instagram: @atog_uk

Sources

• Sir Thomas Bond – Wikipedia
• Sotheby’s – Our History
• Cushman & Wakefield – New Bond Street named world’s most expensive retail destination (19 November 2025)
• TfL – Bond Street Elizabeth line station (October 2022)
• Retail Gazette – Hermès’ new largest European store on Bond Street (June 2026)
• West End – Christian Dior, Bond Street

Brands named in this article are mentioned only to illustrate the stores on the street; none of them has any relationship with ATOG Group. This article is for general information and is not legal advice.