Moving to England Forums

England Information · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 22 Home Country: uk

SHOPPING IN ENGLAND (LONDON)

GENERAL

Although London is one of the world's best shopping cities, it often seems made for wealthy visitors. To find real values, do what most Londoners do: Wait for sales or search out discount stores.

American-style shopping has taken Britain by storm, in concept -- warehouse stores and outlet malls -- and in actual name: One block from Hamleys, you'll find the Disney Store. The Gap is everywhere, and Tiffany sells more wedding gifts than Asprey these days. Your best bet is to concentrate on British goods. You can also do well with French products; values are almost as good as in Paris.

Hours -- London keeps fairly uniform store hours. The norm is a 10 am opening and 5:30 pm closing Monday through Saturday, with a late Wednesday or Thursday night until 7pm, maybe 8pm. Some stores in districts such as Chelsea and Covent Garden tend to keep slightly later hours.

Sunday shopping is now legal. Stores are allowed to be open for 6 hours; usually they choose 11am to 5pm. Stores in designated tourist areas and flea markets are exempt from this law and may stay open all day on Sunday. Therefore, Covent Garden, Greenwich, and Hampstead are big Sunday destinations for shoppers.

Sales -- Traditionally, stores in Britain held only two sale periods: January and July. Now, whenever they need cash they have a sale, although January and July sales are still prevalent. July sales begin in June -- or earlier -- and promotions are commonplace. The January sale is still the big event of the year. Boxing Day in England (Dec 26), following the Christmas shopping spree, marks the end of the year-end clearance sales, which often run through January. On Boxing Day itself, many merchants take an additional 10% off merchandise that has already been marked down. Though some stores start their after-Christmas sales on December 26, most usually start after the first week in January, when round-trip airfares are in the low range, and savings on sale items might earn your travel [spam word detected] if you find enough bargains.

Discounts can range from 25% to 50% at leading department stores. Depending on their inventories and their sense of timing, Harrods produces some very visible sales events, spending large amounts on promotions and publicity. Depending on the sale, extra discounts might apply to souvenirs with Harrods logos, furniture and gift items, English china (seconds are trucked in from factories in Stoke-on-Trent), and English designer brands like Jaeger. But while the Harrods sale is the most famous in London, it's not the only game in town. Just about every other store -- except Boots -- also has big sales in January and June. Beware, though: There's a huge difference in the quality of the finds at genuine sales, when stores are actually clearing the shelves, and the goods bought at "produced" sales, when special merchandise has been hauled in just for the sale.

SHOPPING AREAS

Shopping in "Banglatown"

Some of London's most fashionable and trendsetting shoppers are trekking over to the famous old Brick Lane in the East End of the city. Brick Lane is the main drag along "Banglatown," known for its low-cost curry restaurants and sari stores, catering to London's burgeoning population from India. Almost overnight, funky little boutiques and home furnishing stores started moving in, no doubt attracted by the low rents. Today you can seek out such shopping delights as Beyond Retro, 110 Brick Lane (tel. 020/7613-3636), where the managers keep the displays interesting by adding 300 new vintage pieces daily; Mar Mar Co., 16 Brick Lane (tel. 020/7729-1494), where you'll find Scandinavian ceramics and china boxes glazed with retro wallpaper designs, along with dozens of other delights, and Work Gallery, 156 Brick Lane (tel. 020/7377-0597), with its collection of quirky jewelry. Dozens of other shops await your own discovery.

Carnaby Street

What happened to Carnaby Street? A faded echo left over from the Swinging '60s? That was true for a long time. But Carnaby is rising again. A new influx of talented designers and offbeat shops are popping up not only on Carnaby, but along its offshoot streets -- Newburgh; Foubert's Place; Kingly Street; Marlborough Court; and Lowndes Court. Innovative boutiques seem to open each week behind small Georgian shop fronts.

Among the zillions of shops are such favourites as Mikey, 25 Carnaby St., W1 (tel. 020/7437-1101), London's pioneering jewelry shop, which has chosen Carnaby Street for its flagship store. Lambretta Clothing, 29 Carnaby St., W1 (tel. 020/7437-7078), retains the mod lifestyle philosophy and has launched a range of casual wear for men and footwear for men and women. The line has a retro feel but uses the latest fibers and fabric finishes of today. All Saints, 1 Great Titchfield St., W1 (tel. 020/7323-3883), is the creation of noted designer Stuart Trevor, one of the most innovative British menswear designers.

Central London Shopping

Thankfully for those pressed for time, several key streets offer some (or even all) of London's best retail stores, compactly located in a niche or neighbourhood so you can just stroll and shop.

The West End -- As a neighbourhood, the West End includes Mayfair and is home to the core of London's big-name shopping. Most of the department stores, designer shops, and multiples (chain stores) have their flagships in this area.

The key streets are Oxford Street (in either direction) for affordable shopping (start at Marble Arch Tube station if you're ambitious, or Bond St. station if you care to see only some of it), and Regent Street, which intersects Oxford Street at Oxford Circus (Tube: Oxford Circus). The Oxford Street flagship (at Marble Arch) of the private-label department store Marks & Spencer ("Marks & Sparks" in the local parlance) is worth visiting for quality goods. Regent Street, which leads all the way to Piccadilly, has more upscale department stores (including the famed Liberty of London), chains (Laura Ashley), and specialty dealers.

Parallel to Regent Street, Bond Street (Tube: Bond St.) connects Piccadilly with Oxford Street and is synonymous with the luxury trade. Divided into New and Old, it has experienced a recent revival and is the hot address for international designers -- Donna Karan has two shops here. A slew of international hotshots, from Chanel to Ferragamo, to Versace, have digs nearby.

Burlington Arcade (Tube: Piccadilly Circus), the famous glass-roofed, Regency-style passage leading off Piccadilly, looks like a period exhibition and is lined with intriguing shops and boutiques. Lit by wrought-iron lamps and decorated with clusters of ferns and flowers, its small, smart stores specialize in fashion, jewelry, Irish linen, cashmere, and more. If you linger there until 5:30pm, you can watch the beadles (the last London representatives of Britain's oldest police force), in their black-and-yellow livery and top hats, ceremoniously place the iron grills that block off the arcade until 9am, at which time they just as ceremoniously remove them to start a new business day. (There are only three beadles remaining.) Also at 5:30pm, a hand bell called the Burlington Bell is sounded, signaling the end of trading.

For a total contrast, check out Jermyn Street (Tube: Piccadilly Circus), on the far side of Piccadilly, a tiny 2-block-long street devoted to high-end men's haberdashers and toiletries shops; many have been doing business for centuries. Several hold royal warrants, including Turnbull & Asser, where HRH Prince Charles has his pj's made. A bit to the northwest, Savile Row (between Regent St. and New Bond St.) is synonymous with the finest in men's tailoring.

The West End theatre district borders two more shopping areas: the still-not-ready-for-prime-time Soho (Tube: Tottenham Court Rd.), where the sex shops are slowly converting into cutting-edge designer shops, and Covent Garden (Tube: Covent Garden), a shopping masterpiece full of fashion, food, books, and everything else. The original Covent Garden marketplace has overflowed its boundaries and eaten up the surrounding neighbourhood; it's fun to wander the narrow streets and shop. Covent Garden is mobbed on Sundays.

Just a stone's throw from Covent Garden, Monmouth Street is somewhat of a London shopping secret: Londoners know they can find a wide array of stores in a space of only 2 blocks. Many shops here are outlets for British designers, such as Alexander Campbell, who specializes in outfits made of wispy materials. Some shops along this street sell both used and new clothing. Besides clothing, stores specialize in everything from musical instruments from the Far East to palm and crystal-ball readings.

Knightsbridge & Chelsea -- Knightsbridge (Tube: Knightsbridge), the home of Harrods, is the second-most-famous London retail district. (Oxford St. edges it out.) Nearby Sloane Street is chock-a-block with designer shops.

Walk southwest on Brompton Road (toward the Victoria and Albert Museum) and you'll find Cheval Place, lined with designer resale shops, and Beauchamp (Bee-cham) Place. It's only a block long, but it's very "Sloane Ranger" or "Sloanie" (as the Brits would say), featuring the kinds of shops where young British aristocrats buy their clothing for the "season."

If you walk farther along Brompton Road, you'll connect to Brompton Cross, another hip area for designer shops made popular when Michelin House was rehabbed by Sir Terence Conran, becoming the Conran Shop. Seek out Walton Street, a tiny snake of a street running from Brompton Cross back toward the museums. Most of the shops along this street specialize in nonessential luxury products, the kind a severe and judgmental Victorian moralist might dismiss as vanities and fripperies. This is where you'll find aromatherapy from Jo Malone, needlepoint, and costume jewelry. King's Road (Tube: Sloane Sq.), the main street of Chelsea, will forever remain a symbol of the Swinging '60s. It's still popular with the young crowd, but there are fewer mohawk haircuts, Bovver boots, and Edwardian ball gowns than before. More and more, King's Road is a lineup of markets and "multistores," conglomerations of indoor stands, stalls, and booths within one building or enclosure. About a third of King's Road is devoted to "multistore" antiques markets, another third houses design-trade showrooms and stores of household wares, and the remaining third is faithful to the area's teenybopper roots.

Finally, don't forget all those museums in nearby South Kensington -- they all have great gift shops.

Kensington, Notting Hill & Bayswater -- Kensington High Street (Tube: High St. Kensington) is the hangout of the classier breed of teen, one who has graduated from Carnaby Street and is ready for street chic. While there are a few staples of basic British fashion here, most of the stores feature items that stretch and are very, very short; very, very tight; and very, very black.

From Kensington High Street, you can walk up Kensington Church Street, which, like Portobello Road, is one of the city's main shopping avenues for antiques, selling everything from antique furniture to Impressionist paintings.

Kensington Church Street dead-ends at the Notting Hill Gate Tube station, jumping-off point for Portobello Road, whose antiques dealers and weekend market are 2 blocks beyond.

Not far from Notting Hill Gate is Whiteleys of Bayswater, 151 Queensway, W2 (tel. 020/7229-8844; Tube: Bayswater or Queensway), an Edwardian mall whose chief tenant is Marks & Spencer. Whiteleys also contains 75 to 85 other shops, mostly specialty outlets, plus restaurants, cafes, bars, and an eight-screen movie theatre.

STREET & FLEA MARKETS

The West End -- Covent Garden Market (tel. 020/7836-9136; Tube: Covent Garden), the most famous market in all of England, offers several markets daily from 9:30am to 7pm (we think it's most fun to come on Sun). It can be a little confusing until you dive in and explore. Apple Market is the bustling market in the courtyard, where traders sell -- well, everything. Many of the items are what the English call collectible nostalgia: a wide array of glassware and ceramics, leather goods, toys, clothes, hats, and jewelry. Some of the merchandise is truly unusual. Many items are handmade, with some of the craftspeople selling their own wares -- except on Mondays, when antiques dealers take over. Some goods are new, some are very old. Out back is Jubilee Market (tel. 020/7836-2139), also an antiques market on Mondays. Tuesday to Sunday, it's sort of a fancy hippie market with cheap clothes and books. Out front there are a few tents of cheap stuff, except on Monday.

The indoor market section of Covent Garden Market (in a superbly restored hall) is one of the best shopping venues in London. Specialty shops sell fashions and herbs, gifts and toys, books and dollhouses, cigars, and much more. There are bookshops and branches of famous stores (Hamleys, The Body Shop), and prices are kept moderate.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields Market (Tube: Charing Cross) is good for teens and hipsters who don't want to trek all the way to Camden Market and are interested in imports from India and South America, crafts, and local football souvenirs. It's located near Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden; hours are Monday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm, and Sunday from noon to 5pm.

Berwick Street Market (Tube: Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Rd.) may be the only street market in the world that's flanked by two rows of strip clubs, p*rn stores, and adult-movie dens. Don't let that put you off. Humming 6 days a week in the scarlet heart of Soho, this array of stalls and booths sells the best and cheapest fruit and vegetables in town. It also hawks ancient records, tapes, books, and old magazines, any of which may turn out to be a collector's item one day. It's open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

On Sunday mornings along Bayswater Road, artists hang their work on the railings along the edge of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens for more than 1 mile (1.5km). If the weather's right, start at Marble Arch and walk. You'll see the same thing on the railings of Green Park along Piccadilly on Saturday afternoon.

Notting Hill -- Portobello Market (Tube: Notting Hill Gate) is a magnet for collectors of virtually anything. It's mainly a Saturday event, from 6am to 5pm. You needn't be here at the crack of dawn; 9am is fine. Once known mainly for fruit and vegetables (still sold throughout the week), in the past decades Portobello has become synonymous with antiques. But don't take the stallholder's word for it that the fiddle he's holding is a genuine Stradivarius left to him in the will of his Italian great-uncle; it might have been "nicked" from an East End pawnshop.

The market is divided into three major sections. The most crowded is the antiques section, running between Colville Road and Chepstow Villas to the south. (Warning: Be careful of pickpockets in this area.) The second section (and the oldest part) is the fruit and veg market, lying between Westway and Colville Road. In the third and final section, there's a flea market where Londoners sell bric-a-brac and lots of secondhand goods they didn't really want in the first place, but poking around this section still makes for interesting fun.

The serious collector can pick up a copy of a helpful official guide, Saturday Antique Market: Portobello Road & Westbourne Grove, published by the Portobello Antique Dealers Association. It lists where to find what, be it music boxes, lace, or 19th-century photographs.

Note: Some 90 antiques and art shops along Portobello Road are open during the week when the street market is closed. This is actually a better time for the serious collector to shop because you'll get more attention from dealers and you won't be distracted by the organ grinder.

South Bank -- Open on Friday only, New Caledonian Market is known as the Bermondsey Market because of its location on the corner of Long Lane and Bermondsey Street (Tube: London Bridge, then bus no. 78, or walk down Bermondsey St.). The market is at the east end, beginning at Tower Bridge Road. Only the most hopelessly addicted shopping junkies will go here. Instead of a true antiques market, its vendors often sell newly manufactured stuff. If chipped crockery, dented teakettles, and cheap glass are your thing, then head here. Otherwise, skip it. Many dealers come into London from the countryside. Prices are generally lower here than at Portobello and other markets. It gets underway at 5am -- with the bargains gone by 9am -- and closes at noon. Bring a "torch" (flashlight) if you go in the wee hours.

North London -- If it's Wednesday or Saturday, it's time for Camden Passage (tel. 020/7359-0190; Tube: Northern Line to Angel) in Islington, where there's a very upscale antiques market. It starts in Camden Passage and sprawls into the streets behind. It's on Wednesday from 7am to 4pm, and Saturday from 7am to 4pm.

Don't confuse Camden Passage with Camden Market (very downtown). Camden Market (Tube: Camden Town) is for teens and others into body piercings, blue hair, and vintage clothing. Serious collectors of vintage may want to explore during the week, when the teen scene isn't quite so overwhelming. Market hours are from 9:30am to 5:30pm daily, with some parts opening at 10am.