The National Geographic's first retail shop is set to open in the coming days on London's Regent Street.

It will feature a 9m palm tree planted in the centre of the shop by a team from Landform Consultants.

Landform Consultants managing director and Association of Professional Landscapers vice-chairman Mark Gregory said it had been an exciting project to work on:

"We planted a really big palm in the middle of the shop, which was a bit of a challenge."

The palm tree, which came from Holland, is part of the new store's interactive visual displays and design dedicated to celebrating global cultures.

In addition to its retail marketplace, the store will feature an exhibition area, auditorium, tapas café, travel desk and photography studio, set across three floors.

The shop is set to open in the middle of November and will be followed by a second store in Singapore.

Mark Gregory added: "It wasn't such a mind-bending feat but working in a retail environment was different."