Putney High Street Gets Virtual Shops


Aiming to attract shoppers, businesses and reduce cleaning bills


Empty shops on Putney High Street are being covered in environmentally friendly ‘virtual windows’, which will help cut fly posting, graffiti, and improve the town centre’s aesthetics.

Made of vinyl, they can be found at multiple locations on and around the high street including outside the vacant Halfords, M&S and Starbucks.

Once new businesses move into the empty properties, the vinyl will be recycled into traffic cones.

Positively Putney Business Improvement District are leading this initiative and working with high street landlords – in 2018, they spent £14.000 on street deep cleans and chewing gum removals, £3,000 on a litter campaign, and their ambassadors removed more than 50 posters in a single day. This was separate and additional to Wandsworth Council’s services.

Nicola Grant, Chief Executive of Positively Putney, said: “We’re making good progress on attracting quality businesses into Putney. Recently we’ve had Gail’s Bakery, wine shop The Sampler and clothing shop Trespass setting up in the heart of Putney.

“However, we have a few shops temporarily empty, and while we work to fill them, we are covering them with ‘virtual windows’ made out of vinyl. Not only do they look good and attract shoppers and visitors to the area, they will help cut illegal fly posting and slash our street cleaning costs.



Nicola (pictured above) believes that: “Measures like this will help Putney town centre remain an attractive location in the Capital and thrive for years to come.”

January 31, 2019