Gibbons Does Another Redo On 399 Strand

I just got my May Gibbons Stamp Monthly and found an article about another redesign of their store at 399 Strand in London. Can someone refresh my memory- didn't they just do this a few years back? On this one they plan to renovate the ground floor store. It sounds as if they may be getting rid of the retail stamp counter; They plan lots of interactive displays, etc.

I am going to assume they know what they are doing. However they do not have the best history of that. I live in the USA but one of the best philatelic experiences for visiting collectors has been a visit to their shop. I know we have members on here that live nearby and maybe someone can update us as to what the dickens is going on here?

They last refurbished in 2010. They rebranded the website and other collateral starting in September 2019, so a corresponding rework of the store is unsurprising. They had hoped to complete it by the London 2020 exhibition of early May 2020, but perhaps it's a few weeks beyond that. All brands evolve over time so this is not a big deal. I'm sure a visit to 399 Strand, when it becomes possible for us foreigners, will be as valuable as it has been in the past.

Interesting how your memory plays tricks. I had been thinking their last refurbishment was just a few years back, not ten. I don't know if anyone else saw the article but I don't recall seeing anything about them planning to maintain the ground floor sales facilities. It sounded to me more that they planned to create an information center with interactive features,and exhibits. Nothing was mentioned about the sales counter. They apparently have plans to enlarge and improve the auction area upstairs.

There are a few pics of the makeover in this article:

https://www.antiquestradegazette.co...nd-showroom/