Going on vacation to the UK? Shopping in London is something you should not give up. Do not even doubt it. After all, shopping in London is one of the most wonderful entertainment. It has a lot of advantages.
Shopping in London: planning ahead
So, more details. Shopping in London, of course, must be planned in advance. And it’s worth starting with the tickets themselves. In principle, you can meet only seven thousand rubles. We clarify again: only if you start to determine such nuances as early as possible. A visa is issued, as a rule, for six months (or even for a longer period). Thus, with one visa you can go to England several times. If the purpose of your trip is shopping, consider settling in near the center of the capital and Oxford Street - the main shopping street in London.
Large department stores are very popular here. You can buy almost anything from them. Some of these malls sell exclusively luxury goods. In others, more affordable products. Many of these stores have their own websites on the Internet, where all products and prices are indicated. Accordingly, every tourist can easily get acquainted with the assortment, having outlined for himself what he wants to purchase and how much it will cost him. Sometimes this avoids even spontaneous rash spending.
Large department stores
Shopping in London is also very interesting. The main thing is to know where to go. One of the most famous London department stores is Harrods. Here you can buy food, cosmetics, shoes, clothes, souvenirs and household goods. For the most part, these are luxury goods. However, during sales at the department store, you can make many wonderful purchases at absolutely affordable prices.
Many tourists in their reviews note the chain of stores House of Fraser. Here you can also buy shoes, clothes, furniture and various household goods. True, the price range is much wider than in Harrods. Represented in stores and luxury brands, and inexpensive goods. Among them: Radley, Hobbs, Ted Baker, Lulu Guinness, Aspinal of London, etc. By the way, many of the things presented here can be purchased only in London. That is, you get a great chance to buy exactly what you can’t get in Russia.
An equally popular chain of department stores with low prices are John Lewis and Selfridges. If you want to buy products by famous designers, visit Harvey Nichols department store.
How to get there?
Shopping in London receives extremely positive reviews. Especially if the stores are located in the most convenient areas of the city. Harrods is located at Knightsbridge Underground Station on Brompton Road 87-135. This store is the most famous in all of London.
House of Fraser is located at 318 Oxford Street, at the Oxford Circus Underground Station. Shops of this network are located at many other addresses.
The largest Selfridges store is located at 400 Oxford Street (Bond Street Underground Station). One of the busiest and most interesting shopping centers.
The largest store "John Lewis" is located on Oxford Street, 300. Here are almost the most affordable prices.
On Regent Street, there is a premium store called Liberty. The establishment also has a restaurant and a literary lounge.
On the same street is a huge Hamlis toy store. It was discovered back in 1790 by Hamley William.
Harvey Nichols is a store at Knightsbridge Underground Station. This is a shopping center for youth fashion lovers.
There is a Top Shop on Great Castle Street. The largest clothing store in the UK capital for youth.
Some nuances
Inexpensive shopping in London, however, is not so simple as it might seem at first glance. Do not forget about some of the nuances. Let's say you want to return value added tax. In England it is 17.5%. So you must make purchases at least 75 pounds. After that, a special Tax Free check is issued at the store. After showing the customs officers the packed purchases at the airport, you will receive stamps on the checks. After that, the above percentages of the amount spent on the credit card will be returned to you. They can also be issued in cash at some special exchange points. Just do not forget that for cashing can take an additional commission. It is best to return money to a credit card.
Remember also that, when making purchases in London, it is necessary to take into account the local system of sizes of shoes and clothes. It differs from the Russian one. As a rule, in stores there are tables in which size ranges of different countries are compared.
Shopping streets
What else do you need to know about shopping? Escort in London to the most famous places by guides is a common thing for many tourists. Many say that it is very convenient. After all, not everyone knows all the shopping streets and shops. And even more the most convenient way to these points.
London's main shopping street is Oxford Street. This is where most of the famous stores are located, offering the consumer a wide variety of goods at very affordable prices.
Regent Street also boasts a huge number of shops. Bond Street has many boutiques of luxury brands.
Keep in mind that most stores are open until 18-19 hours. The maximum is up to 20. Unlike Moscow outlets working until late, this schedule of visitors to the capital of Great Britain can noticeably surprise. Moreover, in winter, when you want to use daylight for sightseeing, and the evening for shopping.
When to go shopping?
But that's not all! Shopping at home in London is not always convenient. Reviews say that it is advisable to come to the UK during sales, as mentioned above. In winter - from early December to late January. In summer, the discount period lasts all season - from the beginning of June to the end of August. Prices at this time are reduced by almost 70%.
Many sales are also held on New Year's holidays. On Oxford Street during this period, it can be simply impossible to push through. Enormous streams of people running around various shops flow along the sidewalks. Queues at the box office and fitting rooms are getting much longer.
Small discounts (up to 30%) can be obtained during off-season sales. In April and October.
Bicester outlet shopping village
Thus, shopping in London is considered an incredibly exciting experience. It’s best to buy shoes, clothes, and all kinds of household goods during sales in the capital of England in outlets. By visiting the Bicester Outlet Shopping Village, you can save some money on shopping.
You can get to the outlet by bus, train or taxi. Trains from the city come from London Marylibone Station. Travel time is about an hour. A special bus then goes to the outlet from Bicester Station. One ticket acts on him and on the train. At the box office, you just need to say that you are heading to Bicester Village.
In principle, shopping in London is considered one of the best in the world. Of course, because it is the birthplace of many famous designers and brands of shoes and clothes. Judging by the reviews, returning from here without good shopping is extremely difficult. Here you can find quality items for every taste at affordable prices.
Markets
Another way to shop in London. Photos of such outlets cannot but attract the attention of tourists. A variety of inexpensive goods makes it possible to purchase exactly what you need without much difficulty. Many markets operate seven days a week. One of them is Camden Market. However, it is best to come here on Saturdays.
However, it is undesirable to purchase simple clothes in the markets. But all sorts of outlandish souvenirs - always welcome! At Camden Market you can buy clothes designed for different subcultures, or national. For just a couple of pounds, you can buy here, for example, a hand-painted T-shirt or an original hat.
Portobello, open exclusively on Saturdays, offers customers books, unique souvenirs and antiques. It is customary to bargain with sellers. The starting price sometimes drops as much as 90%. However, caution is required. In the markets - a very big flea market. Therefore, there are many pickpockets. Carefully monitor your belongings so as not to overshadow the joy of your purchase.
Summary
In a word, if you want to have fun, interesting and usefully spend your free time - go shopping in London! Shops and markets will delight you with an abundance of goods and quite affordable prices. You can buy here men's, women's and children's clothes and shoes from well-known designers, personal care and home care products. Incidentally, budget designers are often visited by young designers themselves. They claim that in them you can find many things that will become relevant only in a couple of months.
Good advice: on the outskirts of London there are quite a lot of outlets where you can buy many things at lower prices than in the city center. Moreover, even one of the largest in the country is among them. Here you can "get stuck" for almost the whole day. Although in large shopping centers there are also places for recreation - cinemas, cafeterias, hairdressers, etc.
Outlets give residents and visitors the opportunity to buy chic branded items. The consumer is offered designer shoes, clothes and various accessories with big discounts. Pay attention only to the fact that outlets can sell things with a small marriage - those that are unsuitable for sale in boutiques. That, in principle, is all you need to know. Have a nice shopping!