Virgin Media O2 opened a new store at Westfield White City on 22 May 2026, bringing a hands-on retail format to the first floor of the Westfield Shopping Centre in White City. The site spans more than 3,860sqft and is built around discovery zones where customers can test the company’s latest products, gaming equipment and entertainment tech.
The launch is meant to feel like an event as much as a shop opening. Visitors can join a scavenger hunt and, if they complete it, redeem their entry at a custom-designed vending machine stocked with more than 500 prizes, including Chilly’s bottles, Lindor chocolate bars, Virgin Experience Days vouchers, Treatwell vouchers, Tastecard memberships and Disney+ subscription vouchers. Customers can also take part in a quiz in the Virgin Media zone for a chance to win one of two exclusive Disney+ bundles.
Will Houldsworth called the opening a hugely exciting moment for Virgin Media O2, saying Westfield was the right place to create a space where customers can discover, experience and get hands-on with the latest technology. He said the store represents the future of retail for the company, combining immersive experiences with customer service and expert support, and added that the company remains focused on creating spaces that better serve customers and local communities as it keeps investing in its stores across the UK.
That pitch matters because the company is trying to make the shop do more than sell contracts and devices. Dedicated in-store advisors are available to help with billing and account support, including for vulnerable customers or people facing more complex situations, while the layout also makes it easier to recycle old or unwanted devices. Mobile phones, earphones, wearable tech and cables can all be dropped off for recycling, turning the store into a collection point as well as a sales floor.
The opening also ties into a broader support role. The new shop joins more than 300 others as a National Databank hub, offering people experiencing data poverty a free O2 SIM with 25GB of monthly data, plus texts and calls for 12 months. Virgin Media O2 said the store was designed and constructed with a sustainable approach, using recycled and responsibly sourced materials and prioritising energy efficiency. For a company trying to modernise its high street presence, the White City site is both a showcase and a test of whether experiential retail can carry practical support with it. It also fits with the company’s wider circularity push, including the refurbished-device work outlined in Virgin Media O2 sets out 2030 circularity push with refurbished devices and its green reuse targets in Virgin Media Down? Virgin Media O2 sets 2030 green, reuse targets.
