On 16 August, Kapten & Son opened the doors to its first ever UK store in London’s Seven Dials. Ahead of the launch, I visited the Neal Street location to see the space firsthand. The store immediately stands out for its attention to detail: the clean design, thoughtful layout and interactive features make it feel like a true extension of the brand’s philosophy of combining functionality with style.
What makes the flagship particularly interesting is how closely it has been shaped by real customer feedback. Before finalising the London concept, the Kapten & Son team spent time in their existing stores listening to what shoppers said, asked, and struggled with. The result is a space where many of those small but telling observations have been turned into practical solutions.
The “magic mirror” is one example. In other stores, customers often asked sales associates to take photos of them wearing backpacks because it was difficult to judge the look and fit from all sides. The London team took that insight and built a mirror that allows shoppers to view themselves from every angle without assistance.
Johannes Theobald, Co-Founder and CEO of Kapten & Son, said: “Our London store is a key milestone in our international retail strategy. As a specialist backpack brand, we wanted a store concept that reflects our expertise and offers an engaging, hands-on experience for customers. Seven Dials gives us the perfect location to connect with both local and international shoppers.”
The same approach shaped the “packing table”. Staff had noticed how frequently customers tested backpacks by filling them with laptops, jackets, or bottles of water to get a sense of real-life capacity. The London store now provides a dedicated area for this, so visitors can simulate how the bag will work for daily commutes, work or travel before buying.
Even the “hand luggage check” feature was born from direct feedback. Travellers regularly asked staff whether certain models complied with airline cabin bag regulations. Instead of vague assurances, the new store includes a built-in airline size guide, allowing customers to check compliance for themselves on the spot.
Together, these design details make the Neal Street store feel less like a traditional retail environment and more like a testing ground for how Kapten & Son’s products function in everyday life.
Alongside its signature backpacks, the store also presents the brand’s wider lifestyle range, including functional luggage, sunglasses and jackets, positioning Kapten & Son as a destination for travel and urban essentials.
The UK debut is supported by a new online retail partnership with John Lewis, giving customers nationwide access to the brand’s most popular products.
Kapten & Son’s arrival in London marks the next stage in its international expansion, as it continues to blend experiential retail spaces with a strong e-commerce platform to grow its global community.
