A local’s guide to the best shopping areas in London and the best things to buy – from Muswell Hill to Piccadilly, you’ll find here the best shops in town!
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a shopaholic – London’s shopping centers and charity shops are a playground for me.
Go to Westfield White City, and you’ll find what is still the only Bath and Body Works shop in London.
Pop by Chelsea or Notting Hill Gate, and you’ll come across some of the best charity shops to snatch second hand designer clothes.
The city is a shopper’s paradise (might be why so many people come at Christmas time – for sure, it’s not only to check out the Christmas lights and decorations!).
The Best Shopping Areas in London from Charity to Souvenirs and Luxury
I have to admit that I, for one, have relentlessly experienced the pull of Burlington Arcade, Glossier in Covent Garden, and many, many other shops.
I tend to collect wee bits of everything: scented candles, lipsticks, stickers, perfume, books and notebooks…
And while it can be tough on my everyday budget, it’s true that everything can be found in London.
Whatever you’re looking for (even if you’re not too sure what to buy!), you’ll find the best shopping areas in this guide…
Get ready, because it’s full of information for you to know exactly where to go on a shopping spree!
Best Shopping Areas in London: Seven Dials and Covent Garden
Covent Garden is one of the most famous areas of London.
Whether you visit for just one day, two weeks or are living here, that’s a must-visit when it comes to shopping.
Where Covent Garden focuses on beauty, makeup, clothing and jewelry, Seven Dials is the place you pop by when you want to try some new street food.
I especially love Seven Dials as it’s where you’ll find some of the prettiest streets in Covent Garden, like Neal Street and Monmouth Street, along with the colorful Neal’s Yard.
Perfume shops like Penhaligons are present in Covent Garden, along with Rituals, Boots and Charlotte Tilbury, and if you’re looking for more luxury brands, the outside of the Apple Market is filled with them!
Read: Dark Academia in London: A Secret London Itinerary
Best Shopping Areas in London: Regent Street, Oxford Street and Piccadilly
There’s a notable difference between the three following shopping streets:
- Oxford Street is where you go for touristy shops for souvenirs, family-fun shops like the Disney Store, and high-street clothing brands like H&M and Zara, along with a few cafes and food spots
- Regent Street sees its collection of stores take it up a notch, with trendy and luxury brands, from Church’s shoes to Tory Burch, Burberry or L’Occitane
- Piccadilly is the poshest of the three shopping streets; that’s where you will find Fortnum & Mason, one of my favorite department stores, as well as Maison Assouline and Hatchards, two incredibly gorgeous bookshops
Piccadilly also offers its fair share of beautiful cafes, like the Gentlemen Baristas, and is the very place in which you will find The Ritz, one of my favorite places for breakfast in Central London.
Read: A Quirky Bookish Itinerary in London
Best Shopping Areas in London: Mayfair for Luxury
While I visit Mayfair for the beautiful architecture more often than not, as well as to spend some time at the free rooftop terrace at Brown Hart Gardens, it is the must-visit place to find luxury shops in London.
Other places like Chelsea, Knightsbridge and South Kensington are also famous for their designer brands, but Mayfair is, well, located right off Oxford Street, making it oh-so-easily accessible.
Conduit Street, Bond Street and New Bond Street, as well as Burlington Arcade which leads to Piccadilly, are all filled with shops.
Saint-Laurent, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, the Fenwick department store, or even Chanel are all to be found in Mayfair, and gorgeous stops for an Old Money Itinerary.
Read: How to Spend 3 Days in London: A Fun Itinerary
Best Shopping Areas in London: Muswell Hill, North London
Muswell Hill, in North London, is a more local area than places like Piccadilly and Oxford Street; it is residential, for starters, but still offers an interesting array of shops.
The Muswell Hill charity shops are some of my favorite to browse racks full of second hand designer racks, and with Londonworks nearby, a really inspiring concept store, the neighborhood is a definite must-visit.
There are also lots of places to eat in Muswell Hill; the Crocodile Cafe or Dunns Bakery are two great spots, and for affordable Neapolitan pizza, Franco Manca has a branch in Muswell Hill too.
Read: How to Spend 24 Hours in London: A Full Itinerary
Best Shopping Areas in London: Wood Green, North London
The Wood Green area is not that far from Muswell Hill on the bus, and with its huge shopping center, makes for a place I love visiting when I know I want to spend some cash.
In the Mall, you will find one of the biggest TK Maxx shops in London, particularly significant for its wide offer of scented candles, makeup, and designer clothes.
One of my favorite clothing shops in town is Nobody’s Child, a branch of which you can find on Carnaby Street with their beautiful maxi dresses.
Well, at TK Maxx in Wood Green, I’ve often found lots of Nobody’s Child clothes, at less than 10/15 pounds – and long lasting at that!
For further cheap clothes shops, Wood Green is a fashionista haven: Matalan outlet and Addax, a really cheap Turkish clothing brand, are both located in the area.
Complete the Wood Green visit with Morrisons, an amazingly cheap grocery shop, and have coffee and a bite at Chaiiwala before you make your way to our next destinations: Camden Town and Kentish Town.
Read: The Best British Shops in London
Best Shopping Areas in London: Camden Town and Kentish Town
Where Kentish Town is a bit posher and residential, Camden Town is edgier and livelier – both are two North London neighborhoods you have to have on your bucket list.
The Kentish Town charity shops, from British Heart Foundation to RSPCA, offer anything from costume jewelry to second hand books and really cheap, vintage clothes.
Shopping in Camden Town is a bit different.
While there are many charity shops there, Camden also enjoys the presence of Stables Market for vintage bits and souvenirs and Camden Lock for tasty street food.
Walk around Camden High Street for charity shops, and walk around the Kentish Town station for one of the best-stocked Superdrug in London, coffee shops and street food spots – two must-visit areas!
Read: The Best Candle Shops in London
Best Shopping Areas in London: North Finchley
While I lived in North Finchley, the High Road was a place I visited almost every single day – I can’t help it, it’s the shopaholic slash fashionista in me.
The High Road is a place a lot of tourists in London will never get to experience, and as someone who has lived there, it’s a shame.
Some of my favorite North London cafes are located there, with places amazing for fresh cakes and the meanest chai latte you’ve ever tried, for instance.
But I wouldn’t be completely transparent if I didn’t admit that the charity shops in North Finchley played a big part in why I was so hooked on this neighborhood, and for so long.
The Cancer Research, the Bothy, the British Heart Foundation…
There are about 8/9 charity shops in this area, which are all amazing, as much in terms of shapes and colors as in terms of prices.
Read: The Best Stationery Shops in London
Best Shopping Areas in London: Crystal Palace
Since I lived for the longest time in East London and North London, and even came to understand a bit more about the West Hampstead vibe when I was an au pair there back in 2023, Crystal Palace was very much an understated area for me.
I knew about the Crystal Palace Park dinosaurs, which I first checked out a few years ago, but I didn’t know just how many vintage shops you can find in this area, namely on Church Road and nearby streets.
Bambino and Maltpress Trading are two favorites of mine when it comes to shopping.
Yet, if you walk around Crystal Palace, you will also find some of London’s most secret cafes, like The Vault Collective and Colairo’s, which I keep talking about as they’re truly wonderful – and so instagrammable!
Find here my full review of The Vaults Collective to learn more about this wonderful cafe, plant and homeware shop.
You can also read my review of Colairo’s Cafe Deli for gorgeous floral and vintage vibes, red velvet doughnuts and delicious chai latte.
Best Shopping Areas in London: Soho, Central London
Whenever I want to go shopping in Soho, I know I have something specific in mind, and that something specific is streetwear shops.
Granted, you do have Liberty of London there, one of the coolest department stores to visit whether you’re into fashion, home decor or perfume.
But the back streets of Soho, like Greek Street, Wardour Street and Old Compton Street, all have something to offer in terms of streetwear – which is, after all, part of London’s identity.
Pop by Supreme, Stussy, Palace, or even Rag & Bone and StockX, and you’ll have found all you needed in terms of streetwear stores.
Read: The Prettiest Christmas Shop Windows in London
Best Shopping Areas in London: Shoreditch, Brick Lane and Bethnal Green
Ever since my first home in Mile End, and my second one in Bethnal Green, I labeled myself as an East London girl.
There’s nothing I don’t like about these residential neighborhoods, which taught me much about what it was really like to live in London.
Visit Bethnal Green, especially Bethnal Green Road, and you’ll find some of the cheapest charity shops in town.
Visit Brick Lane, and it’s vintage shopping heaven.
On top of that, you have lots of amazing coffee shops and restaurants on Brick Lane very much worth a visit, like Dark Sugars for hot chocolate and Beigel Bake for decadent – and cheap! – bagels.
Visit Shoreditch, and you won’t only have the pleasure to come across beautiful bookstores like Libreria and Paper & Cup, but also concept stores like Aida Shoreditch which, on top of everything, also sells the prettiest pink latte in London.
Boxpark, at the crossroads between Bethnal Green and Shoreditch High Street, is perfect for anything from edgy clothes at Absence of Colour to Astrid & Miyu earrings.
Read: The Best Charity Shops in Chelsea
Best Shopping Areas in London: Knightsbridge and Sloane Square
Sloane Square and Knightsbridge are known for being two of the poshest areas of London; Knightsbridge is namely where you will find the famous department store Harrods.
There, from luxury candle brands to couture clothes, racks upon racks show you a piece of the good life.
Sloane Square offers more of a village vibe, where Harrods is all about the posh experience – whether you’re looking for luxury shops or just want to dream about a better life, these are two shopping areas I love to pop by every now and then.
Read: Where to Have Lunch for £5 in London
Best Shopping Areas in London: Camden Passage, Angel and Islington
Camden Passage in Angel is one of those secret alleys we only usually really see around the City of London – not only does this place offer plenty of cute cafes, but also an antiques market and posh grocery shops.
And, on the streets neighboring Camden Passage, you’ll also find a few street art pieces, so why not visit as soon as you get the chance?
Hidden behind Islington High Street, Camden Passage is a historic alleyway in which farmers used to pass through with cattle – and it has retained this old school, medieval aura.
A few spots to pop by when wandering around the street:
- Redemption Roasters, one of the most instagrammable places in London, with its unassuming street-level room and totally white, Greek-statue-clad basement
- Buns from Home – some of the best cinnamon buns you’ll try in your life!
- Le Coq Epicier, one of the true blue French shops you can find in London, with all kinds of spices, mustards and French specialties
Best Shopping Areas in London: Oxo Tower, Gabriel’s Wharf and Southbank
Some time ago, I told you guys about some places you could visit if you only had one hour in London Bridge.
The area is vast, historic and lively, and from cathedrals to old streets and unique shops, London Bridge is simply the place to be.
Walking from Borough Market (with a doughnut from Bread Ahead Bakery, of course) up to the London Eye is something I love doing, as Southbank is my favorite place in London.
Along Southbank, namely at the Oxo Tower and Gabriel’s Wharf, you will find some unique shops you’d do well to pop by at least once in your life:
- Vendula London at Gabriel’s Wharf is one of the most British shops you’ll ever see, with lots of very quirky handbag designs, keychains, wallets and whatnot
- Brand Academy is one of those concept stores slash gift shops in which you can get some really quirky souvenirs from London
- And Coffee Academy, part of Brand Academy, is a place I love popping by during fall and winter as I know their hot chocolate is nothing short of mind blowing
Southbank also has an under-bridge second hand book market, very cool to pop by for anything from classics to Harry Potter books.
And since we’re close to the Millenium Bridge, it’s a must-visit if you’re in search of Harry Potter filming locations, too!
Best Shopping Areas in London: King’s Cross and Coal Drops Yard
Let’s talk a little bit about King’s Cross and Coal Drops Yard – the latter, located behind the secret Pancras Square, is a place I love to visit to find indie brands.
My favorite there is Mayal Magal, which I’ve always considered one of the best jewelry shops in London; a brand that I’m wearing a ring of as I’m writing this post, and it’s a collection I keep building.
In addition to jewelry, Coal Drops Yard is known for its many clothes shops, as well as its few food spots.
And, if you make your way closer to King’s Cross Station, you will also find there a few pastry and street food stalls a few days a week.
Best Shopping Areas in London: Portobello Road and Notting Hill Gate
Portobello Road in Notting Hill is another one of the most famous shopping areas in London; its market alone is enough of an incentive to visit the area.
However, the reason why I love Portobello Road is that you have a mix of charity shops, budget shops like Poundland, indie records shops, and posh bakeries dotted along the road.
So you really feel free when walking down the road – if it’s a market day, then you’ll be able to try there some delicious samosas, brownies and fresh chips.
Portobello Road Market is indeed one of the best markets in London, and not visiting it would be a shame.
In addition to gorgeous food (of the kind only London knows how to make), Portobello Road is also filled with vintage shops, and if you allow yourself to get lost in the area, you’ll also come across some of the most colorful streets in town.
Best Shopping Areas in London: Westfield Stratford and White City
Westfield is a brand of shopping centers which don’t only exist in London; a few years ago, I was very surprised to understand that the Parisian shopping center at Châtelet was now a Westfield spot!
Anyhoo – visiting the Stratford Westfield will allow you to get a lot of streetwear at Adidas, Office or Foot Locker.
In addition, you’ll find there two of the biggest makeup stores in London, Superdrug and Boots, with racks filled with MUA, Makeup Revolution, Soap & Glory and Barry M nail polishes.
Kurt Geiger’s handbags can also be found at the Stratford shopping center, which is where I first came across the brand over 10 years ago.
At Westfield White City, following demand and the poshness of the area, you will find many more luxury and couture brands.
Burberry, Charlotte Tilbury, Coach, Ted Baker, Swarovski… There are so many must-visit shops that you could easily spend a day there!
Best Shopping Areas in London: Tottenham Retail Park
The Tottenham Retail Park is, like North Finchley and Muswell Hill, one of the best places I’ve ever gone shopping in London.
I have to admit that my favorite store there is the TK Maxx, another one of the biggest in town – visit, and you’re sure to get out of the shop with lots of Yankee Candle, Sand and Fog and other DW Home candles.
That’s just the way things go.
In addition to the many scented candles at TK Maxx, you’ll also find there one of the biggest selections of clothes I’ve ever seen in such a budget shop, and of course, lots of other must-visit stores.
Asda, Wilko, Poundland, Boots and Argos – they all have big stores at the Tottenham Retail Park.
And while we’re pretty far from Central London, you’ll find that if you ever want to visit Turkish places in London, the itinerary will take you to Tottenham at some point, as it’s historically a Turkish neighborhood.
So why not make the best out of a day in North London, and pop by the Tottenham Retail Park while you’re at it?
Best Shopping Areas in London: Wembley Park
Ah, Wembley Park – when I was living in West Hampstead, quite close to Kilburn, I used to visit this outlet quite often.
The London Designer Outlet offers some of my favorite brands in the whole world:
- Kurt Geiger handbags, often at half the price
- Amazing deals on various Yankee Candle scents
- Really cheap Nike shoes and Adidas clothes
- Some really cheap makeup, like Makeup Revolution and Essie nail polish at Beauty Outlet
There’s really nothing you can’t enjoy at the London Designer Outlet: Guess clothes, Champion, The North Face, and some really cool cafes are located there.
A full day can easily be spent there, spending much less than what you would in Oxford Street’s shops, too!
The Best Shopping Areas in London from Charity to Souvenirs and Luxury
There you have them, all the best shopping areas in London.
As I stated at the beginning of this guide, shopping in London is an endless treat (not so much for our bank accounts, oh well).
I’ve always loved that some areas are better known for a specific type of shops, like Knightsbridge and its department stores, or Brick Lane and its vintage shops…
Makes creating a full fashion itinerary in London that much easier, really!