If you’re wondering about the best place for shopping in London, this guide is for you! We’ll take you through all the city’s top retail areas, streets, and department stores. Also covered are the best places to find bookshops, boutiques, children’s stores, gift shops, and the finest cake shop in the city.
From the best clothes shopping in London or unique souvenirs of your trip to where to find delicious food, this is the complete guide to what London has to offer those in search of retail therapy.
Where to Go for the Best Shopping in London
Best Shopping Areas
Oxford, Regent and Carnaby Streets
📍 Tube: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus
Of all the best shopping areas in London, the Oxford Street district is probably number one. Not only because it offers over 300 stores, but also due to its proximity to other popular streets. Such as Regent Street and Carnaby Street. The latter actually comprises 13 streets.
Another bonus of shopping in the Oxford Street area is that it isn’t too far away from other favoured London shopping districts and streets, such as Piccadilly, Bond Street, Mayfair, Seven Dials, and Covent Garden.
Mayfair and Bond Street
📍 Tube: Bond Street
Bond Street and the surrounding Mayfair area are fashionista favourites among those with cash to splash. South Molton Street is also lined with deluxe fashion and jewellery stores, and puts on an impressive display of Christmas lights, too.
Shops to browse include Burberry for fashion featuring the signature check, Christian Louboutin for shoes, Louis Vuitton for brown monogrammed luggage, and Tiffany for high-end and personalised jewellery.
Piccadilly, St James’s and Leicester Square
📍 Tube: Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square
Highlights of the St James’s and Piccadilly area include Fortnum & Mason, famous for its food hall; Jermyn Street for smart men’s shirts and fashion; and Burlington Arcade, which was the world’s first retail arcade.
Leicester Square is also close by, and the Lego and M&Ms stores hold plenty of appeal for kids.
Covent Garden and Seven Dials
📍 Tube: Covent Garden or Leicester Square
With pedestrianised areas, street entertainers, and a famous market, Covent Garden is one of the best shopping districts in London. And lesser-known, neighbouring Seven Dials is also up there with the best. Incidentally, Covent Garden Market actually comprises several smaller ones, all housed under one roof.
There are high street names, high end retailers, and independent shops in Covent Garden and Seven Dials. Neal Street, Neal’s Yard, Floral Street, and St Martin’s Courtyard are great for clothes, accessories, homeware, beauty, and lifestyle stores.
Chelsea, Belgravia, and Knightsbridge
📍 Tube: Sloane Square or Knightsbridge
London’s most well-heeled district is famous for the King’s Road. Just off the busy thoroughfare you can also find around 30 clothing and lifestyle stores at Duke of York Square. The department store Peter Jones, meanwhile, is on Sloane Square.
If you fancy a sweet treat, don’t miss Peggy Porschen cakes on Ebury Street in nearby Belgravia. You literally cannot miss this sugar-pink confection of a shop, which is an Instagrammers dream. Belgravia also offers some unique stores and boutiques, while Knightsbridge is known for department stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols, as well as a plethora of designer brands.
Westfield – Shepherds Bush and Stratford
Tube: Shepherds Bush or Stratford
There are Westfield shopping centres in Shepherds Bush, west London, and Stratford in the east. Both offer over 250 shops per mall, plus around 80 places to eat. You can shop at both for everything from high street fashion to designer labels, all under one roof.
Stratford also features the All Star Lanes bowling venue. Both have a Vue cinema on site, too, for a post retail therapy rest.
Cecil Court
📍 Tube: Leicester Square or Covent Garden
Cecil Court is a hidden gem in the heart of London, just off Charing Cross Road. Known for its historic charm, this picturesque pedestrian street is famous for its antiquarian bookstores, art galleries, and unique boutiques. A visit to Cecil Court is like stepping back in time, with many of the shops retaining their Victorian-era shopfronts.
Literature lovers will find a treasure trove of rare and collectable books, while film enthusiasts might recognize Cecil Court as (another) possible inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series.
Whether you’re a bookworm, a history buff, or just looking for a quaint place to explore, Cecil Court offers a peaceful escape from the busy streets of London.
Department Stores
Some of the best places to shop in London are the big department stores. These offer multiple floors of desirable goods, from food halls to designer fashion. As well as a whole lot more.
Fortnum and Mason
📍 Piccadilly
Fortnum & Mason – or F&M – is best known for its fabulous food hall. You can find F&M stamped hampers in households all over the UK, repurposed as decorative homeware. The store specialises in tea, and also has a superb selection of confectionery, chocolate, and preserves.
Homeware, fashion, and beauty items are also sold at the store. There’s a range of restaurants, too, including the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon for afternoon tea.
Harrods
📍 Knightsbridge
Even the Harrods food hall is housed in a grade II listed room, while the gift shop stocks goods featuring the department store’s classic green and gold branding. Historic Harrods has offered eight floors of fashion, homeware and technology – as well as food – for more than 160 years. There’s also a range of restaurants and a Moroccan spa.
Note – Harrods can be extremely busy and overcrowded during the summer months and the run up to Christmas (closely followed by the Boxing Day sales) so do bear this in mind if you plan to visit.
Harvey Nichols
📍 Knightsbridge
Harvey Nicks, as it’s affectionately known, is also in Knightsbridge. Luxury and top-level brands are what the store is known for. You can find fashion for adults and kids, plus a renowned beauty department here, as well as a selection of highly regarded restaurants and a food hall.
John Lewis and Partners
📍 Oxford Street
John Lewis & Partners has seven floors to discover, and is a great place to find iconic British brands and designer labels. The tech department and beauty hall are particular highlights. Visit the Customer Services department here if you want to find out about tax-free shopping.
Liberty
📍 Regent Street
Occupying a commanding corner position between Regent Street and Carnaby Street, Liberty London is housed in a striking Tudor-style building. It produces its own line of fabrics, and also sells upmarket fashion and homeware.
Peter Jones
Peter Jones window decorated for the Chelsea Flower show
📍 Sloane Square
Discover seven floors of covetable goods at locals’ favourite Peter Jones, in the fashionable Chelsea neighbourhood. You can benefit from free fashion consultations, try the newest tech gadgets, swoon over stunning homeware, book a treatment at the beauty rooms, or dine with a view on the top floor.
Selfridges
📍 Oxford Street
As well as six floors of fashion, accessories, beauty products, homeware, and more, Selfridges offers a food hall, a selection of places to eat and drink, and even The Cinema at Selfridges.
Boutiques
Find some of the best boutiques in London at St Christopher’s Place off Oxford Street, in the Carnaby Street area, on South Molton Street in Mayfair, Neal Street and St Martin’s Courtyard in Covent Garden. Belgravia, Chelsea, and Knightsbridge are also particularly good hunting grounds.
You should also drop into Dover Street Market on Haymarket if you want to find the latest fashions – before anyone else does – displayed over six floors.
Bookshops
Daunt Books
📍 Marylebone
Daunt Books, located in Marylebone, London, is a renowned independent bookstore known for its beautiful Edwardian architecture and travel-focused collection.
Established in 1912, the store features long oak galleries and skylights, creating a unique and inviting atmosphere for book lovers. Daunt Books is famous for organizing its books by country, regardless of genre, making it a delightful place to explore literature, travel guides, and histories from around the world.
Hatchards
📍 Piccadilly
A classic Georgian frontage welcomes you to this historic bookshop, which even has a cosy leather sofa. There are featured sections on Winston Churchill and the Royal Family, plus plenty of other kids’, fiction, and non-fiction titles. Look out for events and book signings, too.
Waterstones Piccadilly
📍 Piccadilly
London’s biggest bookstore offers a vast selection of titles. Specialisms include fiction, children’s books, art, history, and travel. You can find everything from first editions and classics to the latest releases here.
Kids
M&M’s London
📍 Leicester Square
The biggest sweets store in the world is heaven for kids, especially those who love colour. M&M’s London also sells clothing, gifts, homeware, and accessories.
The Lego Store
📍 Leicester Square
Leicester Square’s Lego Store is just as bright as the M&M’s candy shop, but stocks all things plastic bricks instead of sweet treats. In-store activities and demos, plus life-size models, make this a must for kids of all ages.
Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾
📍 Kings Cross station
While it might not be the most obvious shopping destination, you can find a Harry Potter store at London Kings Cross. It’s right next to the Platform 9 & ¾ sign, and both often have long queues. For serious fans with cash to spare, though, it’s worth the wait.
Hamleys
📍 Regent Street
Dating back to 1760, this historic toy shop is huge, with seven floors. There are regular events, live demos, and specialist areas for collectors.
Shopping Streets
Oxford Street
📍 Tube: Oxford Circus
Number one among famous shopping streets in London is Oxford Street. Unfortunately Oxford Street has lost some of its sparkle in recent years due to large flagship stores like Topshop and House of Fraser closing and American candy stores moving in.
There are still some great shops along the street including a large and very fragrant branch of LUSH, the UK’s flagship Primark shop for affordable fashion, and The Disney Store.
Regent Street
📍 Tube: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus
Elegant Regent Street offers something for everyone, including some of the oldest stores in the city and shops in all price ranges. The famous Hamleys toy shop is here, and a busy Apple Store. At beauty specialists Aesop, you can even book a facial.
Carnaby Street
📍 Tube: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus
Leading off Regent Street, the Carnaby Street area actually spills out into 12 of the surrounding streets too. An iconic arch marks the start, and the Christmas light displays seen here each November and December are truly dazzling. The area has been a British fashion hub since the 1960s.
Bond Street
📍 Tube: Bond Street
Bond Street is favoured by the smart residents of Mayfair, one of London’s most prestigious districts. Designer stores abound here, and the street is also known for its fantastic festive lights.
King’s Road
📍 Tube: Sloane Square
Like Carnaby Street in the West End, the King’s Road in Chelsea has been at the forefront of British fashion for decades.
Cake Shops
Peggy Porschen
This Ebury Street bakery in Belgravia, close to Chelsea, has to be London’s most famous – and photographed – cake shop. It’s a flower-clad rhapsody in pink, and the cupcakes, layer cakes, and cookies found inside are equally pretty.
Peggy’s creations have won awards and attracted a celebrity and even royal clientele. These aren’t just baked goods, they’re works of art.
Souvenir and Museum Shops
Some of the best places to buy gifts and souvenirs in London are the shops you’ll find at the city’s museums and attractions. Our favourites include those at the V&A, Cutty Sark, the London Transport Museum (in Covent Garden), the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory shops (both in Greenwich), Shakespeare’s Globe, and Westminster Abbey. Art galleries are also good for decorative items.
You can also find great souvenirs and gifts at the Liberty and Harrods department stores, at Arty Globe in Greenwich Market, or at Cool Britannia, which has branches on Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace Road, and Whitehall.
We Built This City is also a personal favourite – although their online store is taking a break, you can peruse their collections and buy direct from the artists.
Other Shopping Areas in London
- Camden Town | Camden Town tube | Camden Markets & unusual London shops
- City of London | Bank or St Pauls tube | One New Change & The Royal Exchange
- Greenwich | North Greenwich tube | Greenwich Market & Outlet Shopping at The O2
- Kings Cross | Kings Cross tube | Coal Drops Yard & the Harry Potter shop
Where Will You Shop in London?
For anyone who enjoys it, shopping in London can be one of the highlights of your trip to the UK. Whether you’re more into affordable high street fashion, luxury brands, or British designers, there are stores all over London to suit everyone’s style, preferences, and budget.
Read next – London Area Guides
- Things to do in Covent Garden & Holborn
- Things to do in Tower Hill and Tower Bridge
- Things to do in Westminster (including Victoria/Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square)
- Things to do in Kensington (including South Kensington)
- Things to do in Greenwich
- Things to do in Mayfair
- Things to do in the City of London
- Things to do in Southwark & Bankside
- Things to do in Leicester Square and Soho
- Things to do in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia
- Things to Do in Belgravia & Knightsbridge
- Things to do in Notting Hill
- Things to do in East London (Shoreditch & Spitalfields)
- Things to do in Marylebone
- Things to do in Paddington
- Things to do in Chelsea
- Things to do in Battersea