Westfield asks Central Saint Martins students to design future of retail destinations

Shopping centre giant Westfield has turned to students of UAL’s Central Saint Martins (CSM) to explore the future of retail and mixed-use destinations.

In a seven week programme running between April and June 2026, Westfield worked with around 40 postgraduates from the MA Innovation Management course to develop concepts responding to emerging consumer expectations.

Through a structured programme, participants questioned how large-scale retail destinations could evolve into integrated environments, bringing leisure, culture and community under one roof.

Using Westfield’s London and Stratford City sites as case studies, themes included the role of retail destinations as social and cultural infrastructure; new models for experiential and community-led spaces; and sustainable or circular approaches to large-scale commercial assets.

Final concept proposals will ultimately be presented to Westfield, with selected concepts to then either undergo further development or real-world pilots. Those selected must bring a future-focused lens to established formulas, while aligning with Westfield’s evolution ambitions and changing consumer behaviours.

A public exhibition will be held in London in August 2026, showcasing selected proposals to industry leaders, brand partners and the creative community.

In a statement, Westfield’s MD, customer and retail operations for Northern Europe, Katie Wyle, said: "As customer expectations evolve, it is important that we continue to explore new ideas and perspectives that can help shape the future of our UK destinations.

“This collaboration with CSM brings together emerging creative talent and practical industry expertise to examine how retail, leisure, culture and community experiences can continue to develop within major urban destinations. The partnership provides an opportunity to explore a new generation of ideas that could help inform the future evolution of our destinations."