Shopping in London: A Guide
Last updated: Jun 6, 2018
What would travel be without a little shopping? Craziness, that’s what! Although it’s not usually thought of as a shopping destination, London is actually a fantastic place for a little retail therapy. Whether you want to purchase a bridal gown or just troll the thrift shops, you’ll find it all in this foggy city.
London shops opening hours
When you’re traveling, there’s nothing worse than arriving at a place only to find it’s closed. Before you set out looking for bargains, make sure the store you’re going to is actually open.
“Nearly all shops are open from 9 a to 5.30 pm but in the busiest places many shops will be open later. Mind you I'm not very good at shopping, that's my wife's specialty. LOL”
“West end shops open 10.00AM to 7.00PM most days (Some of the department stores open at 9.30 and close at 8.00Pm) and noon to 6.00PM on Sundays.”
“In the past Thursday nights was late night shopping night in London - however, most bigger west end stores stay open ‘til 8pm Monday to Friday, closing earlier on Saturday. Sunday opening can be much more restricted with many shops shut by 4pm. Further out of town shops tend to close at 5 or 6pm - and bigger shops staying open til 8pm on Thursday.”
“Most larger shops open approximately 11-4 on Sundays. they may open a little longer in the West end: I avoid it at weekends. Many smaller shops outside central London (and a few in central London) stay closed on Sundays”
If there’s one thing this country is known for, it’s weddings! Where better to hunt down the perfect bridal dress! Here are a few ideas about where to start:
“London Brides is very close to Marble Arch.”
“Also check out the large department stores such as Debenhams and Selfridges (Oxford St) and House of Fraser (Regent St). Also shops such as Liberty’s (Regent St) and Browns Brides.”
Looking for specialty food stuffs? There’s no better place than London! Here are a few ideas about where to find Middle Eastern and Asian groceries:
“Just west of Paddington, on Queensway south towards Bayswater, was a larger Middle Eastern area. That is if my memory is intact.”
“There are loads of Middle Eastern shops and restaurants in Westbourne Grove, Edgeware Road, Soho, etc. You can get all of those items in Marks and Spencers, Selfridges and any delicatessen.”
“For Middle Eastern produce, your best bet is the Edgeware Road, which isn't far away. For Asian, Chinatown.”
If you’ve never experienced London’s charity, or as we would say in the U.S., thrift shops, you haven’t really been shopping in London. They’re easily as good and as plentiful in London as they are in New York. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
“Oxfam has a bunch of locations throughout London, I couldn't find a link with all of the addresses, but if you Google it, the locations will come up on Google Maps.”
“It's difficult to say what a "good" charity shop is, as you never know what you'll find there. Oxfam has the more variety in books, in my mind, but it really depends on what has been donated. If you leave the city centre, you 'll find more charity shops which offer different things. In Golders Green for example I found very interesting books about Jewish life, in Muswell Hill I found more high-priced items, but that's part of the fun, looking around and discovering.”
“I am a charity shop aficionado. One tends to find that very good-quality goods (high-end labels etc) are distributed around a number of shops belonging to a particular charity, rather than all being in one particular shop. As well as Oxfam (which nowadays tends to focus more on books and CDs rather than clothes) I suggest you try the Scope shops and the British Heart Foundation and Barnardos. I've found that both generally have a higher standard of clothing etc., on sale and do not have the 'charity shop smell' that is still, occasionally, found in a few shops. But remember that it's all a matter of opinion and luck and quite frankly depends entirely on what was in the shop when you visit. Charity shops in upmarket areas will always, always have higher prices than the same charity's shop in a less well-off area, but the latter will not necessarily have worse quality goods.”
“There is an Oxfam at Portobello road, where other interesting shops are located.”
“I understand that The Oxfam shop in Covent Garden is considered to be quite good - I visited it a few years ago, and there were plenty of ' designer outfits' some are donated by 'celebrities', but they were priced quite high!”
“Charity shops are all over London and some are more expensive than others. I normally only search for books and quite often some of them have a special sale as they have too many books in stock.”
“Here is a London insiders tip for you and a place I have used many times. It is a little off the beaten track but search out the Red Cross shop at 69-71 Old Church Street, Kensington, SW3 5BS which is basically off the Kings Road in Chelsea, it is an absolute gem, full of designer kit from the beautiful people of Chelsea and mostly worn once. I know for a fact that the world famous Thomas Pink shirt company used to donate all their unworn display shirts and "last season's" styles which were sold for a fraction of the retail value. They do remove the label so people cannot take them back claiming to have bought them and demanding a refund but if you know what you are looking at, they are not hard to spot. It is well worth a run and easily the best charity shop (for clothes) that I know in London.”
“I've been to quite a few charity shops, in fact I almost always have to pop in for a browse when I pass one if time permits. I think Pimlico/Victoria area would be a good place to start there's a cluster of Charity shops just off Vauxhall Bridge Road including Oxfam and Trinity Hospice where I had once found some interesting hand-painted plates. Of course, you never know what you will stumble upon. I live in Kensington and I quite like the Charity shops on High Street Kensington (Oxfam, Geranium Shop For The Blind) and Kensington Church street, if that is convenient for you, they are worth a browse. And there are some good ones in Camden too. Happy charity shopping.”
Crafters and sewers take note: London is a great place to pick up supplies! Here are some great resources for fabric:
“Walthamstow market is supposed to be good for fabrics (haven't been myself, am going from recommendations on sewing sites). It's a daily market but just a farmers' market on Sundays.”
“I've seen several blogs and websites which mention the fabric shops on Goldhawk Road in Shepherd's Bush.”
“Yes, Goldhawk Road is good, or for something different there's a shop near Willesden Green tube station that has a huge range of African fabrics with wonderful prints. Or of course sari fabric in Southall.”
“If you want a more conventional department store with a good range, John Lewis on Osford Street or Liberty on Regent Street are both well regarded, with the latter being more upmarket and rather expensive.”
