Central London Shopping

You can buy just about anything in London; the different types of shops are abundant. Book shops, antiques, boutiques, department stores, gifts, specialist shops and more. Shopping in London can either be a very rewarding experience or leave your pockets empty, depending if you know what you want or are just browsing. The busiest shopping area in Europe is Oxford Street, the longest shopping street in the world. Also famous for London shopping is Knightsbridge, Regents Street, Mayfair and Chelsea. You will also find many street markets in London, for instance Portobello Road for antiques or Camden Market for fashion and vintage clothes.
View our list of places to shop in Central London or use our shoping guides below.

Antique Shops
London antique shops are very sought after, especially with overseas tourists. They sell unique items which are usually very old, of high quality and thus extremely expensive. Or you may find a bargain that has just arrived from a house clearance and later find it to be worth a fortune....... that's the excitement of antique hunting. A great place to go for antiques is the Portobello Road especially on market day, Saturday, with stalls set up with all kinds of unusual objects.
View Antique shops in Central London

Book Shops
Book shops in London come in all types and include shops that specialise in rare, first edition books or manuscripts. Some book shops offer new or second hand books, the latter are very useful places to find out of print books or hard to find publications. Book shops often sell other printed matter such as maps or newspapers and offer study material for university students. Most second hand book shops will also buy your used books, which is very useful for students. The best areas for book shops are Covent Garden and Westminster.
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Clothing Shops
Usually on a high street you can find one clothing shop after another, all offering fashion but at different rates depending on the designer. The types of clothing shops in London cover the whole range from designer to brand shops. For high fashion designer shops go to Chelsea or Sloane Street, you may even find vintage clothes in Chelsea. For boutiques, Bond Street would be a good area and the best place for bespoke tailoring is Savile Row.
View clothing shops in Central London


Department Stores
London has some of the most famous department stores in the world, these specialise in selling a wide range of products such as clothing, home wares, cosmetics, shoes, electricals and luggage. They also provide services such as cafes, beauty therapies, food halls and personal shoppers. The best areas for department stores in London are Oxford Street, Knightsbridge and Piccadilly.
View department stores in Central London