CWG managing director, retail, leisure and hospitality, Stuart Fyfe, talks openings, culture and constantly working to achieve balance
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“We’re never going to be finished – we’re constantly looking at how we can bring more people to Canary Wharf,” said Stuart Fyfe, managing director – retail, leisure and hospitality at CWG (Canary Wharf Group).
It’s easy to take things for granted in life.
Walk through the estate today and you’ll find it busier that its ever been, especially at weekends.
The Wharf has matured well beyond delivering services to office workers.
It’s become a place to live, a destination for dining, socialising, sport and leisure plus, increasingly, a base for tourists visiting the capital.
But its evolution isn’t a happy accident.
It’s down to the careful, diligent work of CWG, spearheaded by Stuart and his team, who constantly manage the mix and improve the offer to best serve the needs of Wharfers, making sure the estate’s finger is kept on the pulse.
That means a stream of new openings, carefully selected and positioned to move the dials in the right direction as needs and fashions change.
Recently, totemic Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo announced it would launch a branch at the western end of Jubilee Place in 2027.
delivering an anchor
“With retail you’re always looking to engage with the strongest brands,” said Stuart.
“We always felt Jubilee Place needed an anchor fashion store and it’s taken some time to engineer the opportunity.
“Uniqlo is a fantastic retailer – I’ve been lucky enough to see its flagship store in Tokyo and it’s mind-blowing how they make it work over 12 storeys.
“It’s a brand that has broad appeal and that’s important.
“When you’re doing a deal with an anchor store – you need to ensure there’s enough space for the brand to showcase a wide selection of its products, you want to be able to see and shop the collections.”
Uniqlo will extend through what was once three units opposite Circle Collective and Reiss with customers able to peruse its Heattech and Airism ranges, as well as seasonal collections for women and men.
The brand joins a wide range of businesses that are soon to call Canary Wharf home.
Nikkei Cuisine restaurant Bamboo Mat is set to officially open just off Union Square on October 2, 2026, following a soft launch on September 29 and 30.
Other brands coming soon include Nokwol, Chisholm Hunter, Face Gym, The Tallyman, Bronson Burger and Creed, all following hot on the heels of the likes of Jigsaw, Vagabond, Beam and Sea Lanes Canary Wharf.
But how does CWG go about curating the businesses that find their way into the malls and onto the streets of the estate?
“You have to have a strategy for each sector,” said Stuart.
“Food and beverage, for example, is fascinating because there’s a huge amount of entrepreneurial spirit there.
“A lot of people have good ideas and one of the skills of my job is to work out how successful they’re going to be.
“You also have to make sure you’re getting the right blend.
“For instance, we started in Wood Wharf with Dishoom and Hawksmoor – both massive brands that put the area on the map.
“Then it was a deliberate move to bring in a series of different operators, especially with the independents in 8 Harbord Square to appeal to local residents as well as people working in and visiting Canary Wharf.
“You have to put yourselves in the shoes of the residents, to ask what they want to see, something appealing, hidden gems, so you can ask if they’ve been to all the different places.
“I think we’ve always been good at backing independents and we’re always looking at the trends that are here and coming.
“Right now there’s the explosion in popularity of matcha.
“We wanted to reflect that, so we engaged with Jenki, which opened in Jubilee Place.
“Then there’s salad, with three new operators opening in Canary Wharf over the last three months to join the ones we already have.
“I can remember, when I first started at Canary Wharf, there was real demand for nutritious options and its brilliant we’ve got so many people now eating tasty, healthy food from businesses based here.”
the thrill of retail
Stuart began his career with Knight Frank as a graduate, gaining experience across a range of sectors within commercial property.
But it was always retail space that fascinated him as he moved on to agency work with Lunson Mitchenall and worked to let space in Canary Wharf.
He joined CWG in 2012 as head of retail leasing and clearly still relishes the challenge of renewing and refreshing the existing estate as well as working to fill new buildings.
“Retail always interested me the most – it’s an ever-changing market and everyone’s a consumer,” he said.
“You have to make sure you’re taking a view that will be to the benefit of as many people as possible.
“That’s especially true here, because Canary Wharf itself is ever-changing – you have workers, residents and visitors who all have different requirements.
“You have to balance all of that with the demographics of the people living in Tower Hamlets and the surrounding area to create as compelling an offer as you can.
“During the course of my career, food and beverage has been a huge growth area and we have an incredible selection in Canary Wharf now at different price points, offering cuisines from across the world.
“You can’t eat on the internet, so that’s one way we drive footfall to the estate.
“Another has been the explosion of leisure destinations.
“It’s something we were at the forefront of here.
“The chances are, if you spend a couple of hours at Fairgame, The Cube, Electric Shuffle or K1 Speed go karting, you’ll have a drink or a meal before or afterwards, which means people spend more time here and explore.
“We also had the foresight to see how big Padel tennis was going to get – although I’m not sure we realised quite how huge it would become.
“Padium’s opening here has been a game-changer and Sea Lanes Canary Wharf has also been phenomenally successful – we’ve really had the weather for it.
“The winter is coming, but it’s all in their business plan and they are offering saunas, Yoga, paddleboarding and lots of other things so I’m sure they’ll nail it over the colder months too.
“There are also cultural attractions such as the Hunger Games On Stage at Troubadour Theatre Canary Wharf gives people a completely different reason to come here.”
the public buy-in
For Stuart and the team, it’s seeing those crowds that really gives them satisfaction, the joy of witnessing people actually using the amenities they’ve worked hard to establish.
“That’s pride, for me,” said Stuart.
“Seeing the first guests arrive at Locke to stay in the newly opened hotel, watching audiences arrive dressed up for the Hunger Games.
“It means we’ve created something the public are buying into.
“Personally, the rise in the weekend footfall is a huge endorsement of what we’ve done.
“It’s also when you hear people say they spent time in Canary Wharf and thoroughly enjoyed it.
“It’s fantastic that young people admire the quality of the environment we’ve created here too – they really get it.
“A lot of people talk about placemaking – here we’ve done it.”
As for the future, Wharfers can expect the ongoing evolution of the estate to continue.
“We want to grow the retail and leisure offering, to give people more reasons to come to Canary Wharf and to stay longer,” said Stuart.
“That involves opening hotels – we have three already and House Of Gods will be the fourth – and working hard to get international visitors here.
“We have so much to offer – the history of the Docklands, our proximity to The O2, our green spaces, the open water and so many restaurants, bars and facilities to explore.
“We want to build on the successes we’ve already had and I’d like to grow our cultural offering.
“That might be via a viewing gallery to look back at the City skyline or immersive experiences for visitors to enjoy.
“Then, on the retail side, the high street is back.
“Trends are always changing and there are innovative brands coming into the market and having phenomenal success.
“Part of the appeal of stores is that it’s possible to offer great customer service more easily and also to showcase products to people directly.
“One thing I’m certain of is that what people want is variety – that’s what creates urban culture and that’s what we deliver.”
key details: retail, leisure and hospitality in Canary Wharf
Full details of the estate’s retail, hospitality and leisure offering can be found on its website here or via the Canary Wharf App here.
Read more: How Bamboo Mat is set to bring Nikkei cuisine to Canary Wharf
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