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| National Geographic Café |
| "If you expect plenty of globes and maps, you won’t be disappointed." |
Words by Zarina Holmes The recent opening of National Geographic flagship store at Regent Street last November is a pretty brave move, considering that over the Christmas holidays a few major high street retail outlets went into receivership. But hey, this is National Geographic – the most revered travel brand in modern history. It is reported that £6 million was spent by NatGeo and its Spanish partner, Worldwide Retail Store, to launch the impressive three-storey shop. The interior is tasteful and captured the romance of travel. If you expect plenty of globes and maps, you won’t be disappointed. Visitors are greeted by a colourful exhibition hall at the ground floor consisting the publication’s classic images dating back from the 30s throughout the 70s. The hall will display a rotating showcase of curated exhibits inspired by content from National Geographic's international channels, magazines and mission-oriented projects, such as the Genographic Project. I absolutely love the works of legendary photojournalist, Thomas Abecrombie, who was famous for capturing the largely unknown Muslim world from the 50s until the 60s. The Middle East was magical then, a very different picture from today. He was probably the first non-Muslim ever allowed to photograph the Holy City of Mecca. Abercrombie later converted to Islam. The café is cosy but the food left a lot to be desired. It’s okay if you are only here to experience coffee in an Indiana Jones atmosphere. The menu is composed of slow food, organic food and fair trade source.
| "On the first floor you will find travel guides, Travel Desk and Photography and Optic section – curiously selling only Sony cameras and lenses – and various optical gadgets." |
Key product lines in the store include apparel, footwear, eyewear, stationery, maps, watches, home furnishings and a wide selection of children's products. Customers can road test their apparel in the store's product-testing area, featuring wind gusts, extreme temperature changes and other conditions that simulate the often-challenging environments that National Geographic explorers experience in the field. On the first floor you will find travel guides, Travel Desk and Photography and Optic section – curiously selling only Sony cameras and lenses – and various optical gadgets. The most unlikely choice of merchandise is the home décor items, not unlike the “global” type you would find at Heals or any average department store. Nothing here is a bargain. It is quite clear that this is a premium retail brand. However if I can blow a few hundred quid easily, I would definitely invest in the elegant lluminated Floor Globe (£500) that also functions as a standing lamp or the Swiss-made Weather chronograph watch (£292) that begs the wearer to go explore the elements. www.nationalgeographiclondonstore.co.uk |
