Mary Portas partners with Ankorstore to “breathe life” back into UK high streets

Retail expert and broadcaster Mary Portas and business-to-business marketplace Ankorstore have announced a partnership to revitalise the UK independent retail scene following the damaging effects of the pandemic.

Portas, who was recently announced as the co-chair of the Better Business Act (BBA) campaign, will collaborate with Ankorstore on a series of campaigns championing the evolution of independent retailing.

The collaboration will also look at the current state of the British independent retail scene post-pandemic, via reports and trend forecasting. Portas will participate in an exclusive roundtable event for retailers and media, alongside hosting an engaging content series to inform and inspire budding new entrepreneurs.

In the press release, Ankorstore said that it hopes that Portas’s “unrivalled background and knowledge of the retail space,” will complement its decades of retail and e-commerce expertise, established by its founding team of retail and technology experts to "swing the balance in favour of independents".

The partnership coincides with Ankorstore celebrating its first anniversary in the UK and follows its rebranding in May to a new “rewild retail” concept to harness the power of technology to return independent shops to the heart of local communities.

Ankorstore teams up with ‘Queen of the British high street’ Mary Portas to champion independent retailers

Since Ankorstore launched in 2019, the company has seen growth in the UK and across Europe, amassing more than 200,000 retailers and over 15,000 brands on its platform, which has evolved from a B2B online marketplace to an ecosystem that empowers brands and retailers to grow freely. In January this year, the company secured 250 million euros in a Series C funding round and achieved unicorn status with a valuation of 1.75 billion euros.

Jina Kwon, deputy general manager at Ankorstore UK, said in a statement: “As a European curated marketplace for independent retailers and brands, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with British retail expert Mary Portas. As a brand advocate, Mary embodies Ankorstore’s own values and beliefs, supporting and giving a voice to independent businesses throughout her career.

"At Ankorstore, our mission is to level the playing field for small and independent retailers who are the backbone of the UK economy, especially after the hardships of Brexit and Covid, to ensure a more evenly balanced retail ecosystem. We are excited to have Mary on board as we work to ‘rewild retail’ expanding our platform and giving our growing community the tools they need to thrive.”

Commenting on partnering with Ankorstore, Portas added: “I’ve always championed independent retail as the key to thriving local high streets and our communities. I believe it is such an exciting time for independent brands and retailers and I’m thrilled to partner with Ankorstore, a brand that genuinely shares my vision and ambition for this sector.”