The Outlook For Commercial Spaces In London

If the covid-19 pandemic taught companies one thing, it was that workers can be just as productive from home office environments rather than commuting to a centralised office space. Not only that, but employees reported better mental health when working from home, rather than handling a costly and stressful commute.

This had a catastrophic effect on retail and hospitality businesses that surrounded office workers. Demand for commercial spaces in London plummeted. A report found that a fifth of office space in London could be useless in a post-pandemic world. All the retail and commercial properties built up around busy office zones also saw a huge decrease in footfall, with some businesses closing their doors for good. As workers returned to the office, many did so on a flexible or hybrid working pattern meaning businesses like coffee shops, cafes, convenience stores, and retail shops still aren’t seeing the same level of demand prior to the pandemic.

In fact, compared to other European cities London is falling behind with the post-pandemic recovery. However, all is not lost. Offices are seeing an increase in workers again with some industries seeing a massive uptake in employees. These are companies in financial services, technology, and gaming. An increase in workers commuting to London also sees higher footfall on the streets and a higher demand for commercial spaces in London.

More Sustainable Spaces

A key element to the future of commercial spaces in London in a post-pandemic world is a shift in creating more sustainable environments and buildings. A scheme has been set up to turn many empty office buildings into residential homes, creating vibrant new communities in central London.

As people look into more sustainable options, they are urged to ‘shop local’ rather than relying on ordering items online and having it shipped halfway across the world. These new communities could see a rise in small commercial spaces developing within them as people look to purchase their food and clothing for local sustainable brands.

Some commercial spaces may be completely revamped into hotels, or smaller offices designed for start-ups or companies using flexible working patterns meaning they only require a few meeting rooms and desk areas for hot desking.

The clear pattern is heading towards sustainable, eco-friendly infrastructure with the mayor introducing guidance that new buildings in London must positively impact air quality, giving residents a healthier environment. Developers must also ensure projects must think about air quality throughout the entire construction process, ensuring there are design features in place to combat the carbon footprint. This could involve using recycled materials and renewable energy sources, ensuring not to use the most highly polluting fuels, and considering the impact on the environment at every step of the supply chain. Through innovative ideas and agile design,

Eco-friendly developments will soon spring up all across the city, breathing new life into dreary streets and creating green spaces.

Office Refurbishment Schemes

As old office buildings sit empty, there are plenty of plans to convert them into different things to meet rising demand in other areas. For example, a company may no longer wish to own ten floors in a skyscraper office building, and may wish to reduce down to two. But the empty space could be subject to a full office refurbishment, converted into many small office spaces for start-up companies, or even turned into a coworking space that smaller companies and freelancers can hire out to use as meeting rooms and hot desk opportunities.

These ideas involve stripping the space right back to a blank canvas and starting again. Some commercial spaces are no longer needed. With fewer workers walking the streets, we no longer need five coffee shops on one road, and three cafes. So there may be more opportunity for new retail shops to crop up.

Across the next few years London will see a lot of properties getting reconfigured and repurposed, as some office buildings can be converted to include shops and restaurants at the ground level, clearing up an empty floor. Other popular units could include gyms – the obsession with fitness has been growing exponentially after covid-19 through social media. These gyms require huge wide o-pen spaces with excellent sound insulation, and could be an excellent choice for developers who are looking to create a profitable commercial space..

The true impact of covid-19 on the commercial spaces in London is yet to be fully understood. But, any plan that involves creating something fresh for the city should be recognised. It can only be a good thing to create eco-friendly residential or commercial environments for residents to enjoy.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

New Build for Merseyside
Breaking News

First-time buyer demand falls sharply

First-time buyer demand falls sharply across Britain’s major cities, with Nottingham leading the decline The latest research by Yopa has shown that first-time buyer demand has dropped significantly across a number of major British cities, with Nottingham seeing the sharpest decline since the start of the year. Yopa analysed first-time buyer (FTB) demand based on…
Read More
Breaking News

Families to save hundreds of pounds through major homebuying overhaul

·        Buying or selling a home to be faster, cheaper, and easier under common-sense reforms ·        First-time buyers to save £710 on average, putting money back into people’s pockets ·        Proposals will halve number failed transactions, preventing last minute fall throughs, slashing weeks off the process and driving up standards across the board Hundreds of thousands of first-time…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Got a New Home in Nelson UK? Explore Stylish Furniture for Every Corner

Moving into a new home is always exciting, and if you’ve just settled down in Nelson, UK, now is the perfect time to furnish your space with stylish, functional, and long-lasting pieces. At AH Interiors Nelson, we bring you a wide range of modern and classic furniture that makes every corner of your home truly…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth steady in September

Annual rate of house price growth of 2.2% in September, similar to 2.1% seen in August Northern Ireland remained the top performing area with annual house price growth of 9.6% Outer South East weakest performing region, with 0.3% year-on-year rise   Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “The annual pace of…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches Online Agent Valuation to help agents connect with more vendors

Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, launches Online Agent Valuation, a new product for agents designed to give them more ways to reach prospective vendors. The consumer innovation delivers quality leads by connecting agents with home-owners who are serious about moving, but who would prefer to get a valuation from a local agent online. Rightmove…
Read More
Breaking News

September sees highest number of homes listed this year

September brings post-summer surge in home seller activity, with highest number of homes listed so far in 2025 The latest internal data from eXp UK has shown that September has delivered a notable surge in market activity, with the firm recording an average of 81 new properties listed every day over the course of the…
Read More