The Latest Scourge of London Gentrification Is Black Stores With Tiny White Signs

According to a new Tumblr, London’s gentrification has brought with it a menace that has so far skipped the scathing criticism it deserves. The urban transformation process that brought you low-income displacement, fixed-gear bike gridlock, and stores selling complicated bread at £5 a loaf has spawned a new by-product. It’s black-painted shops with tiny white writing.

Look around many cities and such self-consciously under-the-radar stores are indeed cropping up everywhere. Oh-so-discreet, these businesses slicked over with somber, edgy monochrome are telegraphing a pretty clear message. They don’t want to shout to just anyone about the incredible stuff they’re selling inside. They’re way too cool for that. Instead, they’re saving themselves for genuinely discerning, brand-skeptical people who just instinctively know where the best places to hang out and shop are.