When Brompton Junction Covent Garden moved a few doors along Long Acre, its existing virtual tour still showed the previous premises. The entrance, interior and displays had changed, and Brompton wanted the new photography to meet a higher standard.
The team commissioned 360 View to create a Google Maps virtual tour with clear, detailed images and a natural route through the store. The brief was to show what the new location offered, help customers plan their visit and give them a sense of familiarity before arriving.
| Project | Brompton Junction Covent Garden |
|---|---|
| Location | 69 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9JS |
| Service | Google Maps virtual tour |
| Brief | Introduce the new premises with premium photography and natural navigation |
| Coverage | Storefront, entrance, bike displays, accessories and workshop area |
| Capture | Approximately two hours before opening on a Monday morning |
| Priorities | Clear product displays, carefully chosen viewpoints and a coherent walkthrough |
Representing the new store to Brompton’s standards
Brompton’s earlier tour showed a different store design and layout. Its darker imagery also fell short of the presentation the team wanted for the new premises.
The replacement needed to do justice to the investment in the store. That meant choosing positions that showed the displays clearly, capturing useful detail and connecting the views so customers could understand how the space fitted together.
For someone researching a Brompton folding bike, the shop is part of the experience. It is somewhere to explore the range, see accessories and speak with the team. The tour needed to introduce that setting and give people a reason to discover it in person.
Photographing before the store opened
We completed the photography in approximately two hours on a Monday morning, before customers arrived.
The store was already organised and ready for the day. With no staging or rearranging needed, we could begin photographing immediately and concentrate on the viewpoints, composition and route.
The street was also relatively quiet during our session. Fewer vehicles and pedestrians meant fewer distractions around the frontage, making it easier to show the store and its entrance clearly.
Working within this window allowed us to capture the prepared retail environment before trading began. For a busy London location, the timing was an important part of presenting the space well.
Viewpoints chosen around the customer experience
In a retail virtual tour, camera placement affects both how products are presented and how visitors understand the shop.
We chose viewpoints to reveal the bike displays and key areas in context. Customers should be able to look around a section, see how it relates to the surrounding space and continue exploring without losing their bearings.
The route connected the entrance with the interior, including the displays, accessories and workshop area. Brighter, clearer photography made those spaces easier to appreciate, while the connections between views gave the tour a natural progression.
This combination of photographic detail and thoughtful navigation was central to Brompton’s brief. An individual image needs to work well, but so does the journey through the whole store.
A brand that encourages exploration
During our visit, the store’s virtual reality cycling experience offered another way to discover Brompton. Through a headset, customers could imagine riding through cities and scenic destinations, exploring where a folding bike might take them.
The Google Maps tour brings an earlier part of that visit online. It gives prospective customers a way to discover the physical store, understand its layout and picture themselves there.
That made careful presentation particularly relevant: the online introduction needed to reflect the attention to design and experience found inside.
Previous store and new store: compare the tours
Explore the new tour first, then look at the previous version. Notice the brightness and detail, the position of the camera and how easily you can follow the route.
These tours show different premises and layouts, so the interiors and lighting conditions also differ. The comparison lets you assess both the change in the store and the approach to its photography.
The new Brompton Junction store, photographed by 360 View
Explore the new Long Acre entrance, bike displays and connected interior views, photographed by 360 View.
The previous store
The previous Brompton store and its earlier virtual tour, shown for historical comparison. This is not the current entrance or layout.
An updated introduction to the store
The completed Google Maps virtual tour shows Brompton’s new Covent Garden premises through the entrance, displays and connected interior views.
Customers can explore the setting before visiting, and the store team has an updated visual introduction to share. The photography was completed before opening, within the approximately two-hour session.
For other retailers, this project demonstrates what an update can address together: a change of premises, a higher standard of imagery and a more considered way to explore the shop.
Support that continues when the business changes
A virtual tour should remain useful as the business develops. Moving, refurbishing or changing a layout can leave older imagery showing customers something they will no longer find.
Publishing a new tour does not automatically remove the previous one. This makes ongoing access and support worth discussing when choosing a provider.
360 View supports future updates and can manage removal of imagery published through accounts we control. Where an earlier tour belongs to another contributor, we clarify the access or cooperation needed.
Historical imagery can still have value, as this comparison shows. The important distinction is whether it is clearly presented as a record of the past or could be mistaken for the current store.
Questions about updating a retail virtual tour
Should we update our Google Maps virtual tour after moving a few doors away?
Yes. A short move still changes the entrance and interior customers need to recognise. Review the tour alongside your business address, map pin and website directions so they describe the same location.
Will a new virtual tour remove the old photographs?
No. Older imagery may remain available. The account that published it can remove it; another provider cannot simply delete it. Discuss the existing tour before commissioning its replacement.
Can you photograph our store before opening?
Yes, where access and timing allow. Brompton’s session took approximately two hours before customers arrived. We recommend a capture window based on your store’s size, agreed coverage and readiness.
What support should we expect if our store changes again?
Ask who manages the published imagery and how future updates or removal requests are handled. 360 View remains available after delivery to discuss changes and plan new photography when needed.
Explore more retail projects
See how we approached an updated retail interior at Allbirds Marylebone, or explore the furniture displays across two floors in our George Smith Chelsea showroom tour.
If your store is opening, moving or ready for better photography, explore our Google Maps virtual tour service. Share your location and what you want customers to see using the enquiry form below.
