The Royal Exchange, the City of London’s leading luxury retail and social destination, has further strengthened its premium offer with the expansion of macaron pâtissier Ladurée into an upgraded store
The Parisian brand, which has been open at The Royal Exchange since September 2020, has moved to a new external-facing boutique on the Threadneedle side of the Square Mile landmark. It has taken the 556 sq ft unit on a new 10-year lease.
Founded in 1862, the French group has 10 UK outlets in prime luxury locations and presences in over 20 countries worldwide. Famous for its macarons, Ladurée is also known for its high-end chocolates, pastries and gift assortments.
Ladurée’s new store represents a significant vote of confidence in The Royal Exchange’s position as the foremost luxury quart in the City of London, reflecting the strength of both footfall and trading performance at the iconic destination.
Also arriving, on the Cornhill side of The Royal Exchange, is Poco Matcha, a Turkish matcha tea operator with five cafés in Istanbul, opening its first UK location. Poco Matcha has signed a new 10-year lease for the outlet.
Joe Swindells, asset management and development director of The Ardent Companies UK, said: “Securing this renewed commitment from Ladurée for a new outlet, and welcoming Poco Matcha to the scheme, underlines the ongoing demand from food and beverage operators at The Royal Exchange. The iconic destination is a must-have location for any luxury brand looking to capitalise on the City of London’s resurgence as a retail and social hub, and we look forward to Ladurée and Poco Matcha opening their doors to give visitors an even greater range of options.”
The Royal Exchange is the City of London’s leading luxury line-up, with brands such as Tiffany & Co., Bremont, Omega, Montblanc and Hermès all having made long-term commitments to the scheme. The retail offer is complemented by a range of dining and socialising options – including Engel and Jang, The Libertine and the Fortnum & Mason bar and restaurant – drawing new visitors to the area both during the week and at weekends.
The success of The Royal Exchange’s offer can be seen in rising visitor numbers, with footfall 12% higher in 2025 than in 2024. Its growth is reflected in the City of London’s wider luxury retail and social resurgence; visitor and worker numbers are underpinning strong demand for stores, bars and restaurants, while the creation of a new public realm at Bank is showing the historic building at its best. TfL data for 2025 shows 31.1 million passengers entered or exited at Bank station, adjacent to The Royal Exchange – an increase of 4% on 2024 levels.
The retail element of The Royal Exchange was acquired by US-based real estate investment and asset management firm The Ardent Companies (Ardent) in October 2022. Since the acquisition, Ardent UK, together with specialist asset manager Pave, has implemented a new leasing strategy and refreshed the advisory team, with experienced City agents at Bruce Gillingham Pollard and Savills appointed to rejuvenate the tenant mix.
