Rococo News & Magazine, London. A cultivation of Notting Hill

Prompted by his peers during a game of cricket, Patel formulated the proposition to acquire the magazine and newspaper store that had been around for sixty years

Rococo News & Magazine: the Notting Hill area in London

Situated in Notting Hill, Rococo News & Magazine once appeared in a cameo in the film that carries the name of the area. Bhavesh Patel took over the store at thirty-two years old, in 2007. He owns the store alongside three directors. One of them is his brother.

Rococo stands behind the Notting Hill Bookstore, a walk away from Portobello Road Market. The market draws crowds on weekends for its antiques and organic produce. Customers who go to the bookstore pass Rococo and step inside.

Mr. Patel describes the Notting Hill area as diverse. It has individuals from countries abroad alongside the locals. Businesses in Notting Hill are diverse as well, Mr. Patel says. «There is a wine store across from us that caters to the Queen herself». Rococo News & Magazine is a specialist store trading niche newspapers and magazines.

Bhavesh Patel, Rococo News & Magazine co-owner

Before taking over Rococo, Mr. Patel arrived in London in 1996, after graduating with a degree in Business and Commerce in Delhi, India. «I had a role as a sales assistant at a store in the area. I then became a bank officer in the nearby bank. After being in this role for five years, I also became a loan officer. I then followed my manager, at the time, to another bank».

In 1991, in the period of an economic recession, Mr. Patel lost his job at the bank. He then set out to found a business. He owned a convenience store in London, and received a business proposition to take over Rococo News & Magazine. Prompted by his peers during a game of cricket, Mr. Patel took up the proposition to acquire the magazine and newspaper store that had been trading for sixty years. «When we were in the process of taking it over from the owner, he was the second stakeholder of the business. We were the third change of hand».

Taking over Rococo News & Magazine in Notting Hill

Mr. Patel took charge of the business knowing the profitability it was about to bring. He positioned Rococo as a neighborhood seller of hard-to-find magazines and newspapers. «We added on to what was there, polishing the interior and the library of items we stocked». The four partners pooled their funds to take over and rebrand the business.

The idea to own Rococo was a means to expand the owners’ business portfolio. Mr. Patelcontinued to oversee the store. He came in twice a week to carry out administrative errands. «Through acquiring Rococo, our earnings from here have allowed us to take on over two stores. A grocer and a specialist wine store». The partners pooled one hundred thousand pounds sterling for refurbishment in 2007.

He states that the second owner of the store had left the space unkempt. This prompted the owners to halt their business for two weeks after the purchase to refit it to their designs. «Floor to ceiling, renovations were made for the space». Rococo carries the magazines sought after by a niche readership, and draws high-profile customers. «We have had David Beckham as a return customer. There was a time when Rishi Sunak and the Prime Minister’s wife popped by in intervals».

Lampoon review: Design at Rococo News & Magazine newsstand

Rococo and the other businesses of Notting Hill cannot alter their exterior. Mr. Patel says changes took place inside the stores. The council imposed the restriction as an act of preservation of Notting Hill.

The store is a rectangle of approximately eight hundred square feet. Furniture for magazines and newspapers characterizes the layout. Rococo occupies a single floor, with a basement for staff and storage. «A means to keep our stock hidden away. This is to ensure buyers can pay attention to what they have in front of them and not get distracted».

A table sits by the counter of the store. The manager on duty uses it to arrange the library. Wall slates cover walls, and do not take a customer away from the covers of the reading materials. Mr. Patel shares that eighty percent of the space is dedicated to this purpose.

Rococo News & Magazine’s products selection

The magazines and newspapers sold are available in several languages. «We carry Vogue from a variation of countries. U.K., U.S., Spain, Germany as well as Italy to name a few. This was the addition we made after taking over the store». Rococo sells art, fashion, lifestyle and business titles.

The volume of magazines and newspapers also prompts customers to pick up a copy of something they have yet to hear of or have yet to read. Titles include Cabana Magazine, Kinfolk, W and Esquire Magazine. Further, international newspaper titles include The Wall Street Journaland The New York Times. These international magazines and newspapers sit side by side withitems produced in the United Kingdom. Mr. Patel does not limit what the store carries.

Rococo News & Magazine’s activities and services

Rococo helps customers discover published work. «Space was not an issue». Rococo carries twice the stock of the wholesaler that supplies it. The store opens at four in the morning and runs a newspaper distribution for the Notting Hill neighborhood. «We have school children in the neighborhood who assist us with the paper run. They come in before and drop off newspapers and earn some pocket money on the side».

To draw customers, Mr. Patel and his partners added a stationery section and fridges for drinks and snacks. The store acts as an Oyster Card agent and keeps a machine for the purpose.

«Along with this, we have bill payment services and a lottery machine for scratch tickets». Rococo is a registered partner for delivery drop-offs.

Delivery and events at Rococo’s store

On weekdays, publishers and wholesalers across Europe deliver to the store. «There are a number of boxes containing newspapers and magazines we receive. There are also orders that we cater for customers who seek hard to find titles that commercial stores do not carry. The materials can be from within Europe or from other regions of the world. We, therefore, seek to assist inquiries».

Mr. Patel takes recommendations from social media platforms and from customers. Rococo has a following across Europe and customers in Japan, among them a buyer who bulk-buys copies of magazines printed for the U.K. audience.

Hosting events in conjunction with publishers, Rococo was once involved with Net-A-Porter. Rococo has taken its website down. «We had the website five years ago. We had to take it down as it created confusion in terms of shipping for the magazines and newspapers we sold online. It remains hidden but it still is there».

Rococo remained open during the lockdown in England, under government rules. Mr. Patel kept four workers at a time in the store, to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Rococo looks to host customers, bring in reading materials and return its website online.

Rococo News & Magazine
12 Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill, London W11 2HX, United Kingdom
Rococo News & Magazine carries international newspapers and hard-to-find magazines.