We Built This City

What We Built This City does

We Built This City is a London-based retail and e-commerce company founded in 2014 by Alice Mayor to reimagine the UK souvenir industry through contemporary, artist-designed products. The company curates and sells art prints, homeware, accessories, and gifts from a network of 650-700+ London-based artists and makers, operating a Shopify-powered online store that ships worldwide and a rotating portfolio of pop-up retail stores at iconic London locations including Carnaby Street (10+ pop-ups), Camden Market, Westfield London, and Battersea Power Station. Product pricing spans from £4.50 ceramic mugs to £475+ limited-edition prints, with £75 free UK delivery threshold.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce (transaction-based sales), physical pop-up retail, B2B creative retail consultancy (bespoke pop-ups, curated collections, murals, live events for landlords and councils), and wholesale merchandise (notably the 'Super London' range at WHSmith Heathrow Terminal 2). Distribution channels include the WBTC online store, 'Buy Direct' redirection to artists' own stores (introduced March 2022), and enterprise B2B partnerships. The company has sold over 500,000 artist-designed souvenirs cumulatively and has been recognized by Time Out (3rd Best Shop in London, 2019) and Dot London (Best Independent Lifestyle Retailer, 2015).

The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding. A small core team of approximately 6-7 people (founder, marketing, finance, store management, retail operations, lead art curator) supports operations. In March 2022, the company paused its direct online store and pivoted to a Buy Direct model to support artists directly, with a new project announced for summer 2022. Core technology is a standard Shopify storefront with no proprietary AI or platform infrastructure documented.

Name

We Built This City

Legal name

We Built This City Ltd

Website

https://webuilt-thiscity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

We Built This City is a London-based retail and e-commerce company that curates and sells art prints, gifts, and souvenirs from a network of 650+ London-based artists via online store and rotating pop-up retail locations across London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Art & Gift Retail

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Art Dealers (45992), Home Furnishings Retailers (44912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Tourist Souvenir & Destination Gift Shops (CRALAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wall Décor Retail (Art Prints, Mirrors, Clocks, Wall Hangings) (CRAIACAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Art prints retail
• Designer souvenirs
• Creative retail consultancy
• Pop-up retail stores
• London gifts

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. E-commerce retail sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through the We Built This City online store featuring art prints, homeware, accessories, and gifts from London-based artists. Customers purchase directly; artists fulfill orders.
2. Pop-up retail stores: Physical retail operations at prime London locations including Carnaby Street (10+ pop-ups), Camden Market, Westfield, and Battersea Power Station. Direct sales to consumers and tourists.
3. Retail consultancy services: Creative retail consultancy for businesses, landlords, and councils including bespoke pop-up stores, curated art collections, exclusive merchandise development, live art events, murals, and creative masterclasses. Services include managing inventory, staffing, interior design, and store setup.
4. Wholesale merchandise: Bespoke souvenir and gifting products sold wholesale to retailers. Notable client: WHSmith at Heathrow Terminal 2 with exclusive 'Super London' design and Battersea Power Station merchandise collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

We Built This City sells curated art prints, limited editions, music icon prints, homeware, accessories, and gift collections designed by over 650 London-based artists and makers, through its Shopify online store and rotating pop-up retail shops at iconic London locations. The company also delivers creative retail consultancy services for businesses, landlords, and councils, including bespoke pop-up store design, exclusive merchandise development, curated art collections, live art events, and mural projects.

Product overview

We Built This City operates an e-commerce platform and physical pop-up retail stores selling art prints, gifts, and souvenirs from over 650 London-based artists and makers. The core product portfolio includes Art Prints (various categories including Limited Editions, Positive Prints, and London Maps), Music Icons Collection (featuring iconic artists like Bowie, Freddie Mercury, and The Beatles), Homeware (ceramics, mugs, kitchen textiles), Accessories (jewellery, tote bags, apparel), and Gift Collections. The company also offers Creative Retail Consultancy services including bespoke pop-up stores, curated art collections, exclusive merchandise development, and mural design services for businesses and landlords.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Prints London-inspired art prints by the city's most exciting artists, featuring maps, skylines, landmarks, typography, wildlife, and music icon artwork in various sizes (A1–A4). Sold to individual consumers and gift buyers worldwide through the online store and pop-up shops.
• Limited Editions Limited edition art prints curated from London's most exciting artists, featuring exclusive and rare designs for collectors and premium gift buyers.
• Music Icons Collection Artist-designed gifts and prints celebrating iconic British musicians including Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Amy Winehouse, Elton John, Mick Jagger, The Beatles, George Michael, Grace Jones, and the Spice Girls.
• London Maps Collection Art prints, guides, and products featuring London maps, including area-specific maps for Camden, Ealing, Hackney, Kensington, and other London boroughs.
• Homeware Ceramic tableware, mugs, coasters, kitchen textiles, and decorative items featuring London-inspired designs by London artists.
• Accessories Fashion accessories including face masks, jewellery, tote bags, and apparel featuring artistic London-themed designs.
• Gift Collections Curated gift ideas drawing from the broader product range, including gifts for her, for him, art lovers, music lovers, and London lovers.
• Creative Retail Consultancy Consulting services for businesses and landlords including bespoke pop-up stores, curated art collections, exclusive merchandise development, live art events, and mural design projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ artist-designed souvenirs sold across the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• WestfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Westfield Marketing Team approached WBTC for their Summer Arts campaign. A one-month pop-up store at Westfield London featured London-inspired art, accessories and gifts, plus a giant colouring-in wall by artist duo RUDE. The London cityscape mural was extended to outdoor walls and stairways.
• Camden MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018As part of Camden Market's regeneration programme, WBTC developed a bespoke pop-up store for Christmas 2018 with over 50 London creatives. The pop-up in The Stables featured curated gifts, accessories, art prints, live portrait illustration, and participation in Camden's night market.
• Battersea Power Station Development TeamflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017We Built This City was engaged in 2017 to develop a unique temporary Design Store showcasing the iconic Battersea Power Station through London's creative community lens. The store featured bespoke and existing art prints, accessories, fashion, ceramics, and homewares from 50+ creatives. WBTC managed inventory, staffing, and interior design with sales exceeding the BPS Development Team's 6-month target.
• WHSmithcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWBTC consulted for WHSmith to expand their souvenir and gifting collection at Heathrow Terminal 2. Created bespoke merchandise including the bestselling 'Super London' design, applying a methodical approach to devising new ranges.
• RUDE (Artist Duo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist duo RUDE painted a giant colouring-in wall for WBTC's Westfield pop-up, extending the London cityscape mural to outdoor walls and stairways for the month-long Summer Arts campaign.
• Landlords & CouncilscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWBTC works with landlords and councils as a broker to bring independent creative brands and businesses to breathe life into empty spaces and areas of regeneration. Provides creative retail solutions including pop-up stores, murals, and events. Creative Retail Solutions Pack available for download.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Boxpark: UK pop-up and container retail concept hosting independent brands and food vendors in short-term leases across multiple London and UK locations. Compares to WBTC's pop-up retail execution model and landlord-partnership approach, though Boxpark is the venue operator whereas WBTC is the tenant/curator.

Direct peers

• Wolf & Badger: UK curated retail platform showcasing independent designers and makers across fashion, jewellery, homeware and gifts. Operates both physical stores and a global e-commerce marketplace — directly analogous to WBTC's curated independent-creator model with multi-channel distribution.
• Not On The High Street: UK-based curated marketplace connecting independent makers and designers with consumers seeking distinctive gifts and homeware. Closely comparable business model to WBTC's curated artist marketplace, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader (non-London) geographic remit.
• The Conran Shop: London-based design retailer selling furniture, homeware, gifts, and design objects. Comparable in product mix (design-led gifts and homeware) and London destination-retail positioning, though operating at a higher price point and with a permanent flagship rather than pop-up model.
• Tate Shop: Retail operation of the Tate galleries selling art prints, exhibition merchandise, design-led homeware and gifts. Closely comparable to WBTC's art-print-led, design-forward gift offering with London cultural-tourism customer overlap, though institutional rather than independent-curated.
• British Museum Shop: Museum-affiliated retail operation selling art prints, books, gifts and souvenirs inspired by the British Museum's collection and British cultural heritage. Comparable to WBTC's tourist souvenir and art print model, with overlapping customer base of London visitors seeking meaningful, design-led mementos.
• Heal's: Long-established London design retailer selling furniture, lighting, homeware, and designer-maker products. Comparable to WBTC's homeware and design-led gift collections with overlapping design-conscious London customer base, though Heal's operates permanent flagship stores at higher price points.
• V&A Shop: Retail arm of the Victoria & Albert Museum selling art prints, designer homeware, gifts and souvenirs inspired by the museum's collection. Directly comparable to WBTC's destination-gift-shop positioning with art-print-led product mix, though with institutional backing and permanent museum locations.
• Oliver Bonas: UK independent lifestyle retailer selling fashion, homeware, gifts, and accessories across a network of physical stores and online. Comparable product mix to WBTC's homeware, accessories and gift collections, though Oliver Bonas is a vertically integrated brand rather than a curated artist marketplace.

Broad incumbents

• Etsy: Global online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods, including art prints and designer-maker products directly competitive with WBTC's curation. Operates at vastly greater scale and breadth than WBTC's London-focused marketplace, but addresses the same buyer persona seeking unique, artist-made goods.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wbtclondon
• Facebookfacebook.com/wbtclondon
• Instagraminstagram.com/wbtclondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-built-this-city

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about We Built This City