When I was at primary school, a key signifier of social status was whether you had queued from midnight to buy the latest Harry Potter book on release day (I was never allowed — respect, Mum). With the final instalment, *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, having been published in July 2007, the rather less edifying modern-day equivalent, I’d suggest, is convincing your parents to take you to one of the garish unofficial Harry Potter shops, found in increasing numbers in UK cities from London to Edinburgh via Oxford.
Three stores have opened between Leicester Square and Charing Cross stations in central London over the past few years — House of Spells, Magical Platform and Wizards & Wonders — and each is as tacky and depressing as the next. Stuffed elves and owls, Hogwarts Express bookends, handbags boasting “Proud Ravenclaw”, stacks of wands … nothing on the shelves is tasteful, let alone useful, and all of it is overpriced (one wand for £55 or two for £100). If Hieronymus Bosch were alive I reckon he would have ripped up his hellscapes and painted House of Spells instead — this grotesque postcard from the consumeristic abyss of Britain would hang pride of place at the Prado in Madrid.
(No paywall)
Is that the sound of the bottom of a barrel being scraped?
Do people still care about HP? It has been decades.
Ruining the cities, really?
Aren’t these stores just the new American Candy? a.k.a money laundering establishments
That sounds like NIMBYS.
Anyway, don’t buy anything HP related since JK literally uses her money to oppress trans people.
Love to see it being dragged. I cringe hard every time I see an adult with official HP merch. Fan made stuff I don’t mind, even if it’s still publicly showing support for the work of a real life villain, but at least it doesn’t get money from that.
cheap quality tourism isn’t ruining our city
i’m not against advocating for alternatives but at least make a proposal rather than complaining about what is creating a pull
> Years of enforcement by Westminster council has started to drive these candy shops out of business. In their place – literally, in the case of some retail units – have come the Harry Potter shops. Some of the individuals who have operated Harry Potter shops have a past record of running candy shops, and in one instance they even retained the same phone number for the new business.
> Many of the new Harry Potter shops also have similar corporate ownership structures to the candy shops, raising serious questions about how they are operated and the transparency of their tax affairs.
> Wizards and Witches, a large store between Piccadilly Circus and the Book of Mormon’s home at Prince of Wales Theatre, is a typical example. Since it began trading in October 2022 the store has been operated by four different companies, which in turn have been owned by five different people, all in their 30s and with Indian nationality. None of the companies that have operated the shop during its two years of trading have filed accounts, while three out of the four have changed their legal addresses and their directors.
Oh yeh that’s the real issue with this city! Harry Potter’s tour!
The Times, showing they know what’s up in the streets of Britain.
Slow news day… can think of a million things actually ruining the city..
Adults still obsessed with HP are cringe
The best way to deal with mass tourism to London is a tourism tax + pedestrianisation of Central London.
Around the West End especially, the tiny sidewalks get so full you can barely navigate, and yet the cars get more space because the roads are much wider than pavements.
These shops are total scams. It’s nothing to do with people liking Harry Potter but the scam back-of-houses that run these shops. London Centric did a big article on it late last year.
An excerpt:
*”Patsy directors”*
*The proliferation of Harry Potter shops in central London is part of the wider story of the collapse of the British retail industry over the last two decades, the poor state of the capital’s key shopping streets, and the strange business practices of the London gift shop trade.*
*The failure of a number of well-known retail brands over the last decade has left behind multiple empty units on high streets and landlords desperate for available tenants to fill them. At the same time, the continued lack of resolution over a long-running battle between mayor Sadiq Khan and Westminster council regarding the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has helped to leave the country’s most famous shopping street and its surrounding roads in a shabby state, with some building owners reluctant to invest amid an uncertain future.*
*Into this gap stepped a series of temporary shops selling perfume, luggage, and souvenirs. Others sold American candy. The ‘candy shops’ became notorious among Londoners for their illegal practices and were openly described as “far from legitimate businesses” by Westminster council. Some of them were avoiding millions of pounds in business rates (the company equivalent of council tax, paid by tenants to their local authority), not paying corporation tax, or simply selling counterfeit Willy Wonka bars at over-inflated prices. There were even claims that the candy shops were “a hub for global money laundering”.*
*One person involved in dealing with the candy shops described to London Centric the exhausting battle with “patsy directors”. They were put in place by the real owners, who would find someone to sign documents and take legal ownership of the business for a few months at a time before handing control to a fresh person.*
*Years of enforcement by Westminster council has started to drive these candy shops out of business. In their place – literally, in the case of some retail units – have come the Harry Potter shops. Some of the individuals who have operated Harry Potter shops have a past record of running candy shops, and in one instance they even retained the same phone number for the new business.*
*Many of the new Harry Potter shops also have similar corporate ownership structures to the candy shops, raising serious questions about how they are operated and the transparency of their tax affairs.*
*Wizards and Witches, a large store between Piccadilly Circus and the Book of Mormon’s home at Prince of Wales Theatre, is a typical example. Since it began trading in October 2022 the store has been operated by four different companies, which in turn have been owned by five different people, all in their 30s and with Indian nationality. None of the companies that have operated the shop during its two years of trading have filed accounts, while three out of the four have changed their legal addresses and their directors.*
*This shop’s latest change of legal ownership came this summer, when it was taken over by Licensed Gift Shop Ltd, a newly-formed company owned and controlled by Safoora Shafeeq — the woman in Oxford who insisted she is not the real owner.”*
Even if the author wasn’t using her private wealth to fund hate against trans people and even if the series wasn’t sanctimonous dreck these shops are just plastic overpriced tat factories for tourists and I hate them on principle.
If you ever go to Cornmarket Street in Oxford it’s always rammed and there’s always these tits crowding the legally distinct Harry Potter shop.
We could just ban all this Arrest the people running them for fraud and deport them…but no. Because the beneficiaries are friends with politicians
Capitalism ruins culture and environment: News at 11
I saw uni students playing quidditch once. Not relevant, just a fond memory. Not even a HP fan.
You’re a fraudster Harry
Not to mention aspiring doctors using Wingardium Leviosa on people’s wallets and phones
I’d argue that there’s a myriad of things ruining big cities in general, but if you want to blame tourism for it then go for it I guess…
I’m not a money launderer, I’m just Harry
I think this sort of thing has probably been going on for a really long time. I remember when the Tottenham Court Road end of Oxford street was almost exclusively souvenir/luggage shops. We maybe never questioned it back then because we thought ‘Oxford street, tourist attraction, makes sense’ but during COVID there were no tourists. That’s when it pivoted to American candy. That’s more noticeable because after a while people question why there are so many American candy shops. So now it’s pivoted to fake Harry Potter
The brand allure of Harry Potter is crazy. There’s a spectacular example in Porto where there’s a bookshop that claims it was the inspiration for JKR.
It’s utter rubbish and untrue, made up by the owners, but they still have a huge queue of people paying to get in just to look around.
Cool just block them from opening a shop
Harry Potter fans getting ripped off?
No, not something I can bring myself to care about.
Can we organise the homeless to start mass shitting on their doorsteps
29 comments
**From** ***The Sunday Times*****:**
When I was at primary school, a key signifier of social status was whether you had queued from midnight to buy the latest Harry Potter book on release day (I was never allowed — respect, Mum). With the final instalment, *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, having been published in July 2007, the rather less edifying modern-day equivalent, I’d suggest, is convincing your parents to take you to one of the garish unofficial Harry Potter shops, found in increasing numbers in UK cities from London to Edinburgh via Oxford.
Three stores have opened between Leicester Square and Charing Cross stations in central London over the past few years — House of Spells, Magical Platform and Wizards & Wonders — and each is as tacky and depressing as the next. Stuffed elves and owls, Hogwarts Express bookends, handbags boasting “Proud Ravenclaw”, stacks of wands … nothing on the shelves is tasteful, let alone useful, and all of it is overpriced (one wand for £55 or two for £100). If Hieronymus Bosch were alive I reckon he would have ripped up his hellscapes and painted House of Spells instead — this grotesque postcard from the consumeristic abyss of Britain would hang pride of place at the Prado in Madrid.
(No paywall)
Is that the sound of the bottom of a barrel being scraped?
Do people still care about HP? It has been decades.
Ruining the cities, really?
Aren’t these stores just the new American Candy? a.k.a money laundering establishments
That sounds like NIMBYS.
Anyway, don’t buy anything HP related since JK literally uses her money to oppress trans people.
Love to see it being dragged. I cringe hard every time I see an adult with official HP merch. Fan made stuff I don’t mind, even if it’s still publicly showing support for the work of a real life villain, but at least it doesn’t get money from that.
cheap quality tourism isn’t ruining our city
i’m not against advocating for alternatives but at least make a proposal rather than complaining about what is creating a pull
https://www.londoncentric.media/p/harry-potter-and-the-unpaid-tax-bill is a much better read.
> Years of enforcement by Westminster council has started to drive these candy shops out of business. In their place – literally, in the case of some retail units – have come the Harry Potter shops. Some of the individuals who have operated Harry Potter shops have a past record of running candy shops, and in one instance they even retained the same phone number for the new business.
> Many of the new Harry Potter shops also have similar corporate ownership structures to the candy shops, raising serious questions about how they are operated and the transparency of their tax affairs.
> Wizards and Witches, a large store between Piccadilly Circus and the Book of Mormon’s home at Prince of Wales Theatre, is a typical example. Since it began trading in October 2022 the store has been operated by four different companies, which in turn have been owned by five different people, all in their 30s and with Indian nationality. None of the companies that have operated the shop during its two years of trading have filed accounts, while three out of the four have changed their legal addresses and their directors.
Oh yeh that’s the real issue with this city! Harry Potter’s tour!
The Times, showing they know what’s up in the streets of Britain.
Slow news day… can think of a million things actually ruining the city..
Adults still obsessed with HP are cringe
The best way to deal with mass tourism to London is a tourism tax + pedestrianisation of Central London.
Around the West End especially, the tiny sidewalks get so full you can barely navigate, and yet the cars get more space because the roads are much wider than pavements.
These shops are total scams. It’s nothing to do with people liking Harry Potter but the scam back-of-houses that run these shops. London Centric did a big article on it late last year.
An excerpt:
*”Patsy directors”*
*The proliferation of Harry Potter shops in central London is part of the wider story of the collapse of the British retail industry over the last two decades, the poor state of the capital’s key shopping streets, and the strange business practices of the London gift shop trade.*
*The failure of a number of well-known retail brands over the last decade has left behind multiple empty units on high streets and landlords desperate for available tenants to fill them. At the same time, the continued lack of resolution over a long-running battle between mayor Sadiq Khan and Westminster council regarding the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has helped to leave the country’s most famous shopping street and its surrounding roads in a shabby state, with some building owners reluctant to invest amid an uncertain future.*
*Into this gap stepped a series of temporary shops selling perfume, luggage, and souvenirs. Others sold American candy. The ‘candy shops’ became notorious among Londoners for their illegal practices and were openly described as “far from legitimate businesses” by Westminster council. Some of them were avoiding millions of pounds in business rates (the company equivalent of council tax, paid by tenants to their local authority), not paying corporation tax, or simply selling counterfeit Willy Wonka bars at over-inflated prices. There were even claims that the candy shops were “a hub for global money laundering”.*
*One person involved in dealing with the candy shops described to London Centric the exhausting battle with “patsy directors”. They were put in place by the real owners, who would find someone to sign documents and take legal ownership of the business for a few months at a time before handing control to a fresh person.*
*Years of enforcement by Westminster council has started to drive these candy shops out of business. In their place – literally, in the case of some retail units – have come the Harry Potter shops. Some of the individuals who have operated Harry Potter shops have a past record of running candy shops, and in one instance they even retained the same phone number for the new business.*
*Many of the new Harry Potter shops also have similar corporate ownership structures to the candy shops, raising serious questions about how they are operated and the transparency of their tax affairs.*
*Wizards and Witches, a large store between Piccadilly Circus and the Book of Mormon’s home at Prince of Wales Theatre, is a typical example. Since it began trading in October 2022 the store has been operated by four different companies, which in turn have been owned by five different people, all in their 30s and with Indian nationality. None of the companies that have operated the shop during its two years of trading have filed accounts, while three out of the four have changed their legal addresses and their directors.*
*This shop’s latest change of legal ownership came this summer, when it was taken over by Licensed Gift Shop Ltd, a newly-formed company owned and controlled by Safoora Shafeeq — the woman in Oxford who insisted she is not the real owner.”*
https://www.londoncentric.media/p/harry-potter-and-the-unpaid-tax-bill?utm_source=publication-search
Even if the author wasn’t using her private wealth to fund hate against trans people and even if the series wasn’t sanctimonous dreck these shops are just plastic overpriced tat factories for tourists and I hate them on principle.
If you ever go to Cornmarket Street in Oxford it’s always rammed and there’s always these tits crowding the legally distinct Harry Potter shop.
We could just ban all this Arrest the people running them for fraud and deport them…but no. Because the beneficiaries are friends with politicians
Capitalism ruins culture and environment: News at 11
I saw uni students playing quidditch once. Not relevant, just a fond memory. Not even a HP fan.
You’re a fraudster Harry
Not to mention aspiring doctors using Wingardium Leviosa on people’s wallets and phones
I’d argue that there’s a myriad of things ruining big cities in general, but if you want to blame tourism for it then go for it I guess…
I’m not a money launderer, I’m just Harry
I think this sort of thing has probably been going on for a really long time. I remember when the Tottenham Court Road end of Oxford street was almost exclusively souvenir/luggage shops. We maybe never questioned it back then because we thought ‘Oxford street, tourist attraction, makes sense’ but during COVID there were no tourists. That’s when it pivoted to American candy. That’s more noticeable because after a while people question why there are so many American candy shops. So now it’s pivoted to fake Harry Potter
The brand allure of Harry Potter is crazy. There’s a spectacular example in Porto where there’s a bookshop that claims it was the inspiration for JKR.
It’s utter rubbish and untrue, made up by the owners, but they still have a huge queue of people paying to get in just to look around.
Cool just block them from opening a shop
Harry Potter fans getting ripped off?
No, not something I can bring myself to care about.
Can we organise the homeless to start mass shitting on their doorsteps
Comments are closed.