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Whisky Exchange to open third shop in London Bridge
Award-winning retailer The Whisky Exchange has revealed plans are under way for a third store in London Bridge.
A snapshot of the spirits available at The Whisky Exchange, Covent Garden
Speaking to The Spirits Business last month, founders Sukhinder Singh and Rajbir Singh said the third shop would be opening “in the next six months”.
The new shop will join the company’s existing stores in Covent Garden and Fitzrovia, London.
The Whisky Exchange was founded in 1999 as an online retailer and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
A few years after opening, as the business started to grow, Sukhinder was approached to open a whisky shop in London’s Vinopolis. Seven years after starting The Whisky Exchange online, the brothers’ pitch for Vinopolis was accepted and the first store sprung to life.
The shop was forced to close in 2015 after the Vinopolis building was sold, but shortly before its closure a second shop was opened – The Whisky Exchange in Covent Garden.
Commenting on the third London Bridge shop, Rajbir said: “It goes back home to where Vinopolis was. Covent Garden was always supposed to be the second shop; it wasn’t supposed to be a replacement for Vinopolis.
“We hope the London Bridge shop will be open in the next six months.”
The Whisky Exchange shop in Fitzrovia joined the fold in 2018, boasting 3,240 sq ft of space spread across two floors. The shop offers a “floor to ceiling” whisky selection, Champagne, gin, others spirits and beer, plus a private tasting “snug” for up to six people.
“Shop number two [Fitzrovia] will take time because of the location – it’s an up-and-coming area, there’s a lot of redevelopment,” explained Sukhinder. “We feel it’ll take another year or so, but we’re confident, we’re happy.”
Further details about the new London Bridge shop will be revealed in due course.
In September, The Whisky Exchange reported its rum sales grew by 165% over the last three months, making it the first summer in five years the spirit has seen higher growth than gin.
The Whisky Exchange hosted its 11th Whisky Show on 28-29 September. This year’s Whisky Show bottlings featured UV light-sensitive labels – thought to be a first for the whisky category.
For an in-depth interview with Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, see the October issue of The Spirits Business magazine, out now.