Elephant & Castle developers reveal first wave of stores at £500 million new town centre

The developers of the £500 million new town centre at Elephant & Castle have revealed the first wave of retail brands to be signed up at the scheme.

Specialist built to rent property company Get Living , which is leading the regeneration of the south London district, said a Marks & Spencer food branch will anchor the new retail offering at development, known as The Elephant, which is being officially launched towards the end of the year.

It will specialise in fresh produce and everyday essentials as well as “on the go breakfast, lunch and dinner options.”
Other brands will include an outlet of Brooklyn’s Blank Street Coffee, which will open in summer 2026 ahead of the main launch, and healthy eating café Jungle Berry.

Latin food market DistriAndina, currently trading locally a railway arch, will relocate to The Elephant.

There will also be a five screen cinema.

The Elephant forms part of the second phase of a £1.5 billion regeneration of Elephant & Castle.

and is being built on the site of the former shopping centre demolished in 2020.

Aidan Malia, senior director, The Elephant, said: “The Elephant’s debut line-up of retailers marks a major milestone for Elephant & Castle.

It is a huge boost for the local community and a definitive vote of confidence in south London’s retail and leisure future and our vision for The Elephant.

“As we set a new benchmark for town centre regeneration, our ambition is to shape a destination where global brands sit alongside evolving and independent retailers, offering something for everyone, serving Elephant & Castle’s beautifully multicultural local community while presenting an experimental mix that drives new visitors to the area.

Will Smith, property director at M&S, said: “Our new store will bring the best of M&S Food to residents and commuters in Elephant & Castle.

We have an exciting pipeline of new stores across the capital and we’re looking for sites where we can deliver the best products and the best possible shopping experience for our customers – we have the opportunity to do just that at The Elephant.

Work will start in the coming months and we will keep the community updated on opening date.”