Organisation type
Public sector
Sector
Cities and communities
Transport, travel and tourism
Service
Leadenhall Market is one of London’s most iconic Victorian marketplaces, but like many destinations in the Square Mile, it faced a familiar challenge: attracting visitors beyond the traditional working week.
The City of London appointed Barley Communications to develop a long-term communications and marketing strategy that would reposition Leadenhall as a vibrant cultural destination while respecting its rich heritage. A key objective was to increase weekend footfall, encourage longer dwell times, support tenant businesses and attract new audiences without losing the character that makes the Market unique.
Our insight was simple: people already loved Leadenhall’s architecture and history, but they needed a compelling reason to stay.
We developed the creative platform “Bringing the markets back to Leadenhall”, reviving traditional weekend market trading for the first time in more than 40 years. Rather than creating one-off events, we built a programme of curated vintage, craft and artisan markets that celebrated the Market’s heritage while giving contemporary audiences a new reason to visit.
Barley managed the campaign end to end, from sourcing specialist market operators and designing the visitor experience to media relations, influencer engagement, paid and organic social media, event delivery and stakeholder management.
We worked closely with the City of London, market tenants and cultural partners to ensure the markets complemented existing businesses, increased footfall across the site and supported wider ambitions to make the Square Mile a destination seven days a week. Strategic media relations, influencer breakfasts and highly visual social content helped position Leadenhall as one of London’s must-visit heritage destinations while generating sustained interest throughout the programme.
The return of the Weekend Markets transformed perceptions of Leadenhall Market from a weekday retail destination into a thriving cultural and leisure destination with year-round appeal.
The campaign generated coverage across BBC Radio London, Secret London and Londonist, while partnerships with Destination City, Eastern City BID and other City organisations amplified the campaign to new audiences. Visitors were encouraged not simply to pass through the Market but to spend time exploring its independent retailers, food and drink businesses and curated market stalls.
The success of the programme led to the Weekend Markets returning for an extended season in 2025, demonstrating their long-term value to both the City of London and Leadenhall’s tenants. Alongside stronger visitor engagement, the campaign helped attract new businesses to the Market and reinforced Leadenhall’s position as one of London’s leading heritage destinations.
“
It is an absolute pleasure to work with Barley on Leadenhall Market. Whether PR, events or social media, the team at Barley provide incredible creativity, expertise, and insight, resulting in improved asset and business performance for both the City of London and its tenants. Barley continues to be a critical part of the daily function and success of Leadenhall.
Ollie Goode
Asset Manager, City of London Corporation
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