You are planning a weekend or a short stay in England and you are wondering where to shop in London? What luck ! Indeed, London is a shopaholic's paradise!
Was it Paris is the city most famous for luxury shopping, London as Barcelona ou Madrid is the city where young designers are in vogue. Moreover, in London there is something for all tastes and budgets: Beautiful chic boutiques, beautiful department stores, markets, small inexpensive boutiques, shopping centers, outlets.
To find you there, here is a guide to best places to shop in London but also best places to buy cheap clothes and my tips !
In addition, you will have the google-map to follow my tour of the best places where to shop in London.
Where to go for shopping in London?
Before giving you my good addresses, here are the most famous places to shop in London:
- Oxford Street
- Bond Street
- Piccadilly Circus
- Regent Street
- Carnaby Street
- Knightsbridge
- Covent Garden
- Portobello Road Market
- Camden Market
- Westfield London
Let's see in more detail these famous places, their characteristics, their atmospheres and especially how to get there!
Shopping in London - Walking Tour
To optimize your shopping time, I recommend that you do not waste time looking for where to go ...
Here is a short walk to the places where the most trendy shops are gathered:
Best places in central London
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus one of the most touristic places in London. With its colored lights, flashing advertisements, animation and fountain, Piccadilly Circus is famous all over the world.
This is where my tour starts. Indeed, it is the most practical because by metro you will exit at the Piccadilly Circus station here we go !!! You will only have to follow my Google Map route to go to all the strategic places.
Shopping in London - Carnaby Street
In Carnaby Street you will discover brand shops with original windows with more eclectic and unique pieces. It is one of the trendiest areas in London.
Shopping in London – Regent Street
Regent Street in the heart of the West End is an elegant and busy shopping street. Indeed, Regent Street more than 80 shops!
Shopping in London - Liberty
It is a must for all those who come to London to shop but also to discover historical monuments. Indeed, the Liberty department store on Regent Street is one of the oldest shops in London. Founded in 1875, this store has retained its splendid half-timbered Tudor facade.
Soho
My tour takes you through the most lively and central area of London: Soho. This district had the reputation of being a red light district of London. Indeed, in the 70s, it was famous for its sex shops, brothels and hot places.
Today, this district has many restaurants, clubs, theaters and is worth a visit in passing ...
Shopping in London - Oxford Street
It's here busiest shopping street in London. It runs from Tottenham Court to Hyde Park. It is in this street and in the department stores (see below) that tourists from all over the world go to do their shopping.
In Oxford Street, shopping is eclectic. But this street concentrates many stores and large clothing brands (more than 300): Uni Qlo, Topshop, Debenhams, H&M, Selfridge's (department store), Zara, Mango and especially the largest Primark in the world !
See how to get to Oxford Street on http://oxfordstreet.co.uk/shopping/
Shopping in London - Covent Garden
This square is very popular with tourists. It is a historical place renowned for its Apple Market, its elegant Piazza, the Royal Opera House, its street entertainment and its fashion shops !
Whatever your budget, you will find something to suit you in Covent Garden. Indeed, many brands and retailers have settled there. From the most prestigious to the less known but just as interesting. See it list of brands present at Covent Garden.
Where to go luxury shopping in London
Fans of big brands can indulge themselves in London. Indeed, there is no shortage of luxury boutiques!
Bond Street
Bond Street is a very chic and elegant street that connects Piccadilly to Oxford Street. This is where you should come if you are looking for luxury boutiques, art galleries, jewelry stores as well as high-end fashion hotspots.
Located in the very select district of Mayfair, Bond Street is the best place for those who can afford the most beautiful pieces of haute couture and prestigious brands: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Chloé, Givenchy, Burberry…
Harrods
London has a few department stores that can be visited as much for their tourist interest as for shopping! Two of them are the favorites of tourists from all over the world: Liberty (step on Regent Street of my walking tour) and Harrods.
Harrods consists of several buildings which are located from 87 to 135 Brompton Road.
It is a legendary store in London which supplied the Queen of England until 2001. Since 1985, it has been owned by billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed. In particular, he had a fountain dedicated to Princess Diana installed.
When it comes to shopping, Harrods is the temple of elegance and refinement. This department store brings together the most prestigious brands and the biggest names in London and international fashion (clothing, leather goods, jewelry, silverware, lingerie, etc.).
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is a chain of luxury stores whose main store is located in Knightsbridge. On 8 floors, you will find all the major international brands ranging from clothing, leather goods, perfumes and delicatessen. Moreover, an entire floor is dedicated to food with a bonus restaurant.
Where to go for cheap shopping in London
For those who (like me) do not have a big budget but want to have fun with brands, here are my good addresses in London.
Shopping Outlet London
Here are the 2 best Outlets in London:
Hackney walk
East of town, near trendy Shoreditch, here is a luxury Outlet Village. High-end factory outlets such as Anya Hindmarch, Burberry, Zadig & Voltaire, Folli Follie, Nicole Farhi, Aquascutum or Pringle of Scotland have their windows there.
You can get up to 70% off the prices in shops in central London.
30 minutes from central London, you can get there by tube or bus from Piccadilly Circus (see lines by enlarging the map below):
Hackney Walk (+44 20 3796 8773) - 103 Morning Ln, London E9 6LS, London
London Designer Outlet
London Designer Outlet is a less luxury shopping center with around 20 shops and several restaurants. There are popular brands, clothing and sports chains that offer discounts of -70% to -XNUMX%.
Located on Wembley Park Boulevard, close to Wembley Stadium, this shopping center is easily accessible by public transport.
Here's how to get there from Piccadilly Circus:
Vintage Shopping London
Portobello Road Market
This old market which is more than 200 years old, is nice for its antiques but also for its vintage clothes and at low prices ...
Camden Market
If you are looking for original, colorful, very British, eccentric and old clothes, this is Camdem Market qu have to go!
Hotel close to shops in London
It is difficult to choose a hotel in a great location for shopping on foot.
Here is the one I recommend for its ideal location: The Z Hotel
Just 4 minutes walk from Covent Garden, this hotel is perfect for my shopping tour on foot. Its location far from dangerous areas of London is also interesting for sightseeing (City of Westminster and 400 meters from the National Gallery). To see How to visit London in 1 day?
See also: Where to shop in Amsterdam