Trailblazing Shopping Experience Comes To Wimbledon

                                                                                     Founders Josh and Alicia (image taken pre-Covid)


A new store joined Centre Court Shopping Centre at the end of last year, bringing with it a trailblazing new movement which could change the future of retail in Wimbledon.

Previously located in Merton Abbey Mills in South Wimbledon, Zéro has now landed in the heart of Wimbledon Town Centre, joining several other independent businesses in Centre Court Shopping Centre and well-received by the local community.

Zéro is Wimbledon’s first zero-waste shop, where all products are sold in bulk or without disposable packaging and, where possible, come from organic or fair-trade farming and from local producers. Customers bring their own containers and fill them to the level desired – offering a simple alternative to excessive single-use packaging consumption.

One of the owners, Alicia, commented on their choice of relocation, stating that the unit in Centre Court not only offered a bigger space in a more central location, but also enabled the business to retain some of its customers due to its proximity to Merton Abbey Mills, whilst also reaching out to many more.

“We would like to think that our shop will inspire people and even other businesses to make a difference. Our shop is not only a place where people can find eco-friendly products, it is also an area where new ideas and conversations about sustainability can germinate.”

– Alicia, owner of Zéro

The inspiration for the store was developed from the continental European model of zero-waste grocery shopping, where the culture remains of going to specialised shops for individual items. Such an exciting and pioneering innovation to the face of retail in Wimbledon, can contribute to significant changes in the future of the zero-waste movement in our local area and lead to a shift in thinking from consumers towards greener, more sustainable shopping practices.

“We believe that the idea of zero-waste living must become more mainstream and having a shop in a major shopping centre in a place like Wimbledon will hopefully help achieve this.”

– Alicia, owner of Zéro

Centre Court Shopping Centre has seen in a surge in many small/independent businesses joining their premises over the last few months, and Love Wimbledon has been supporting and facilitating these introductions, to help diversify and retain the culture of our local town.

The manager of Centre Court, Simon Plumb commented:

“We’re so pleased to be able to welcome a store like Zero to the shopping centre especially in a year where we have all realised the importance of supporting small, independent businesses. We are continuing to work with our partners in the community to have conversations with local enterprises and to find new innovative concepts that can be brought to life in the Centre.”

We hope that the introduction of Zéro stimulates further investment into the sustainable future of Wimbledon, encourages more environmental innovation, and that many other businesses consider how to introduce greener practices into their services/products.

Click here to read our full interview with Zéro.