Imagine looking up a shop on Google Maps, opening Street View and finding yourself outside a different retailer.
That was the problem facing visitors searching for BYREDO London Spitalfields. Google Maps showed the correct address at 107A Commercial Street, but Street View opened outside The Ordinary, around four shopfronts further along the road.
Customers unfamiliar with the area had to navigate along Commercial Street and work out where BYREDO was located.
360 View created and published a new Google Maps virtual tour that begins directly outside the correct shop. Customers can now recognise the BYREDO entrance, use Old Spitalfields Market as a nearby landmark and continue virtually from Commercial Street into the shop.
| Project | Detail |
|---|---|
| Client | BYREDO London Spitalfields |
| Location | 107A Commercial Street, London E1 6BG |
| Problem | Street View opened outside another retailer |
| Reference point | Old Spitalfields Market entrance |
| Solution | Exterior and interior Google Maps virtual tour |
| Result | A clear route from Commercial Street into the shop |
BYREDO in the Heart of Spitalfields
BYREDO was founded in Stockholm in 2006 by Ben Gorham.
The brand was created from a desire to translate memories and emotions into objects and experiences. Its visual identity brings together Scandinavian minimalism, sensory creativity and bold artistic expression.
The BYREDO London Spitalfields Market shop offers fragrance, make-up, hand and body products, and products for the home.
Its position on Commercial Street places it beside one of the entrances to Old Spitalfields Market and among a busy mix of shops, restaurants and visitor destinations.
This makes a clear online view of the entrance particularly useful. Customers may arrive from Commercial Street, the market, Shoreditch or nearby transport connections, and many will be visiting the area for the first time.
Street View Began Outside Another Shop
The Google Maps pin correctly identified BYREDO at 107A Commercial Street. However, opening the available road view placed the customer outside The Ordinary at number 117.
Google Street View opened outside The Ordinary at 117 Commercial Street.
The two shops are on the same side of Commercial Street, with around four shopfronts between them.
A customer could eventually find BYREDO by moving through several Street View positions and comparing the signs above each shop. However, they first had to choose the correct direction and recognise that the opening view was not the location they were searching for.
On a busy London shopping street, that creates unnecessary confusion.
A Google Maps pin and its associated Street View image do not always provide the same experience. The address may be correct while the first available road panorama is positioned beside a neighbouring business.
When a Passing Camera Catches the Wrong Moment
Another Google road view was positioned closer to the BYREDO shopfront, but vehicles, pedestrians and delivery materials were visible immediately outside.
An alternative road view showed the BYREDO entrance partly obscured by vehicles and deliveries.
Google’s Street View camera car records the street as it appears when the vehicle passes. The photography is intended to document the wider road, not to present each business under carefully selected conditions.
A bus or van might block the sign. A parked car may hide the entrance. Deliveries, boxes, bins, scaffolding or temporary building work can also appear in front of a shop.
The resulting image may show the correct address, but it may not provide a particularly clear or helpful view for customers.
Professional retail 360 photography can be planned differently. The photographer can choose a suitable time, place the camera in front of the correct entrance and check that important signs and landmarks are visible.
Capturing a Clear First View
For the BYREDO project, we positioned the exterior panorama directly outside the shop.
We timed the photography for a clear moment when the entrance, windows and signage could be seen without vehicles or temporary pavement obstructions blocking the view.
The completed panorama clearly shows the BYREDO name, black framed windows, open doorway and distinctive red brick building.
Customers can turn towards neighbouring businesses and look along Commercial Street. They can also see the Old Spitalfields Market entrance immediately to the right of BYREDO.
This market entrance provides a simple visual reference. Someone approaching from Old Spitalfields Market can see that BYREDO is directly beside it.
The photography still shows the real shop and its surroundings. The difference is that it was captured at a time and from a position that allow customers to see the location properly.
Continuing From Commercial Street Into the Shop
The exterior view connects with a sequence of interior 360 photographs.
Customers can move through the entrance and explore the BYREDO retail space without leaving Google Maps.
Inside, the shop reflects the brand’s minimalist visual style. Light neutral surfaces, wall shelving, dark display plinths and distinctive turquoise details create a carefully considered setting for the products.
The connected tour shows the layout and how fragrance, make-up, hand and body care, and home products are presented.
Customers cannot experience a fragrance through a screen. However, they can explore the environment, understand the shop layout and know what to expect when they arrive.
Explore the BYREDO Spitalfields Virtual Tour
Making the Journey From Search to Shop Simpler
The completed virtual tour improves the journey from finding BYREDO online to arriving at the correct entrance.
Customers can now:
- Begin directly outside the correct shop.
- Recognise the BYREDO sign and entrance.
- Compare the shop with neighbouring businesses.
- Use Old Spitalfields Market as a location reference.
- Continue from the pavement into the retail space.
For shop managers and customer service teams, this provides a useful visual reference when giving directions.
For retail marketing teams, the same professional 360 photography can be used on Google Maps, the Google Business Profile, a shop finder, a website location page and customer communications.
For brands with several locations, individual Google Maps 360 tours can give each branch a clear online starting point and a consistent standard of presentation.
The new tour does not remove or replace Google’s general road photography. It adds current business imagery that begins at the entrance and gives customers a more relevant way to explore the shop.
Google Street View Photography for Shops
360 View creates Indoor Google Street View tours for independent shops, luxury boutiques, flagship locations, showrooms and national retail groups.
Our service can include exterior shopfront photography, connected interior panoramas, Google Maps publication and a tour suitable for embedding on your website.
Businesses commonly contact us when Street View opens beside another shop, when traffic obscures the entrance or when existing photography no longer reflects the current branding, refurbishment or shop layout.
Explore our virtual tours for retail shops and showrooms or view more of our recent virtual tour projects.
Questions From Retail Teams
Why does Street View open outside a neighbouring business?
Google Maps may connect a business listing to a nearby road panorama rather than one positioned directly outside the correct entrance. This is more noticeable on streets containing many shops close together.
Can a Google Maps tour begin directly outside my shop?
Where access and Google publishing requirements allow, the exterior photography can be positioned outside the correct shopfront. Surrounding businesses and landmarks can also be included to help customers understand the location.
Can new photography remove Google’s existing road view?
A business virtual tour cannot delete Google’s road photography. It adds current imagery connected to the business listing, giving customers a clearer view of the entrance and interior.
Can we add the same virtual tour to our website?
Yes. The tour can be embedded on your shop finder, contact page, location page or another relevant part of your website.
Give Customers the Right Place to Begin
If Google Street View opens beside another business or shows your entrance hidden behind traffic, deliveries or temporary clutter, a professionally planned Google Maps tour can provide a much clearer view.
