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Forget 10 Downing Street – this summer, all eyes will be on the new occupant of another famous London address. The Sting, a clothing department store already well established across Europe, will be opening its flagship London store at 1 Piccadilly Circus.

It will be just over a year since leaseholders of the property, Standard Life Investments, announced that the space would be rented out to The Sting; and almost 18 months since the collapse of the building’s former occupants – the entertainment retail chain Zavvi.

Branches of The Sting, a Dutch retail chain founded by Herman Franzen, can also be found in Germany and Belgium. The store branches function on the same principle as stores such as John Lewis – rather than manufacturing and selling its own-branded goods, The Sting’s stores will host a variety of clothing items from other brands. Just like the retailer, the brands on offer originate from continental shores. This is probably one of the reasons that many of the brands are still relatively unknown here in the UK. However, with The Sting placed in one of London’s hottest and most visible locations, these brands will have the perfect stepping stone to becoming household names. The shop floor will play host to attire for men and women from around a network of thirty brands, including Bien Bleu, Costes and Gallice.

The takeover of 1 Piccadilly Circus by The Sting followed the liquidation of Zavvi (formerly Virgin Megastore) in December 2008 during the credit crisis, after the company went into administration along with many other well-known high street stores including Woolworths. The closure of Zavvi’s Central London branch was the focus of media attention due to the store’s great location and size, with the flagship store spanning three floors. From July 2010, all three floors of the building will be filled with dresses, shirts, jeans and more – and with 33,875 square feet of store space to be filled, fashionistas from the capital should have no problem finding something to suit their tastes. Could Piccadilly Circus soon rival Oxford Street as a must-visited destination for the fashion set? Probably not, but it will be a major destination for anyone on a day out shopping in central London.

After an earlier advertised opening of spring 2010, The Sting at Piccadilly Circus will now open its doors on the 9th July 2010.