London: The Shopping
We loved London. We loved the food, we loved the architecture, we loved the history — but most of all, we loved the shopping. Shocking, right?
One of the first things we talked about while planning this trip was where we wanted to shop, and if there were any specific items we wanted to leave the UK with. Obviously, there was — and our list grew seemingly by the minute. (And by our, I really mean my.) Coming from California, where all the stores are packed into strip malls (or actual shopping malls) with massive parking garages (or valet 💁🏻♂️), shopping in London was a new experience for me. Granted, we didn’t have a car so we didn’t need to worry about parking. I couldn’t even imagine trying to navigate the narrow streets and dodging rogue pedestrians in search of a spot.
If you’re anything like me, you’re itching to get to the goods — let’s dive right in.
Note: I tried to break the list below down by neighborhood to make it easy. There were a number of small shops between all these neighborhoods, too, full of trinkets and tchotchkes that I encourage you to look for when you’re in town. I couldn’t give it all away.
The ratings
🇬🇧: Hard pass
🇬🇧 🇬🇧: If you’re nearby
🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧: Decent
🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧: Good use of time
🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧: Must see
Covent Garden
Covent Garden Market 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
As I shared previously, Covent Garden was my favorite neighborhood (and where we spent the bulk of our time.) The area has numerous little shops and boutiques, in addition to larger/more well-known stores and luxury brands. Here, you’ll find an Apple store next to an English chocolatier, and a Dior cosmetics sharing a wall with a studio of ornate crystals. A majority of the shops are covered, which is nice if you get caught in the rain (like we did.)
Seven Dials + Seven Dials Market 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Only a couple of blocks away you’ll meander into Seven Dials which is home to hundreds of shops, which again, range from mom and pop to global brands. Unlike stores in the States, a great deal is paid to the exterior appearance. We saw a handful or more of the stores that had faux flora meticulously draped in entryways and storefront window displays.
We actually stumbled upon Seven Dials Market — which is an indoor market full of up-and-comers and newly launched storefronts. It almost felt like an incubator for small businesses to grow in before they fly into the real world. Its aesthetic fit the mold for any Insta-influencer, and was home to the cutest little bookshop, aptly named, Market Bookshop, where I picked up a few books for my nephew, nicknamed Bean.
Leicester Square 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Honestly, there’s not a ton of shopping in the Square. That said, when we got caught in the rain, (are you picking up on a theme here?), and were able to pop into one of the newsstand-like shops to pick up a couple of cheap umbrellas (and socks with Big Ben embroidered on them.) There were a number of souvenir items like shot glasses, magnets, t-shirts, etc. if you needed to grab something for a friend. And seemingly a larger selection than the airport gift shops — and cheaper, too!
Knightsbridge
Harrod’s 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Harrod’s is a shopper’s paradise — and there’s nothing you can say to get me to think otherwise. At 300+ departments in a whopping 1.1 million square feet (spread out over 5 acres), Harrod’s is the largest department store in Europe. And it feels like it. You can shop in miniature versions of high-end stores like Dior, Prada, and YSL, then pop down to the basement and splurge on any and all types of candy, desserts, and yummy treats in the food market. I think we spent about £80 on candy at Harrod’s alone. My mouth is still watering thinking of the British Toffee. Mmm.
Harvey Nichols 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Harvey Nichols is the unrelated kid brother to the more buttoned-up Harrods. Located just down the block, Harvey caters to the cooler clientele. As B puts it, “There are more streetwear brands and up-and-coming designers featured at Harvey, and an overall trend of fashion forward.” Think more neon art, versus Harrod’s marbly heritage feel. Plus, they house their own goodies section on the top floor, too, along with a cafe that has the best club sandwiches and chips — but more on that in the next blog. I looked around for sunnies (an item I was on the hunt for) but no luck.
Sloane Street 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
If you’re on the hunt for a new Louis, skip the new spectacle store on Bond Street and head straight to the Sloane Street store. (And while you’re there, ask for Erica S. and tell her I sent you!) Sloane Street is home to all of the same stores as Bond Street but has much better customer service. I was able to work 1:1 with a Sales Advisor from each of the stores we went to, which was a welcome change. And despite being relatively close to all of the hustle and bustle of Knightsbridge, Sloane Street feels soothingly calm somehow.
I knew, coming into England, that I was going to leave with a celebratory gift for myself. (I couldn’t remember if I already had a treat-yo-self moment for a milestone I passed during the year or not — but YOLO 💸) I’d had my eye on a few different wallets, and knew one was soon to be my second travel companion home. While I was dead-set on the Zippy Vertical Wallet, I was unsure if I wanted the Damier Graphite or the Monogram Eclipse. Well, when Erica pulled out the exponentially more supple (and expensive 🙄) Monogram Shadow in calf leather, I knew I’d found the one. [Insert GoFundMe link, here.] And after hot-stamping my initials on the inside, they messengered it straight to our hotel. 😍
Sloane Square 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I’ll preface this section by saying we didn’t actually do any shopping in the Square (as we were only here for brunch), the ambiance was lovely. I rated it only three Union Jacks, because, though picturesque, there weren’t many storefronts that caught my attention enough to draw me in. That said, my focus was on the food, so I’d definitely go back to explore more and spend a little more time admiring the fountain or reading up on the War Memorial.
House of Hackney
Shoreditch
House of Hackney 🇬🇧🇬🇧
House of Hackney was one of the cooler spots in Shoreditch. Self-described as a British luxury interiors, fashion, and lifestyle brand, this colorful storefront was home to velvety drapes, chairs, pillows, tapestries, and patterns on patterns. While not my personal style, this store was worth seeing — and beautiful in its own right. If you’re in Shoreditch (or in search of some unique prints, stop in.
Spitalfields Market 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Having been around since 1638, Old Spitalfields Market, has served plenty of travelers and London’s own. While we were fortunate enough (he says sarcastically) to have come to the market on what could only be the busiest day of the year, we still enjoyed browsing all there was to offer. I particularly loved one of the smaller stationery stops but was too distracted to write down the name because of the sale at Lulu. Smaller merchants flood the main floor, with larger stores rounding out the covered market’s borders. Pro tip: Do not use the loo at the market. 😷🤢🥴
Miscellaneous
Bond Street 🇬🇧
Of all the shops we visited, the staff at the Bond Street stores treated us the worst — particularly YSL and Louis Vuitton. We were barely given the time of day, which was disappointing, because we came ready to $pend on a couple of bigger items. One of the women at Prada was at least semi-friendly, but at Louis, nobody even acknowledged us. I didn’t understand it, because everywhere else we went, the staff was so friendly and welcoming. Quick tip: Walk the street for its window shopping glory, but spend your time (and money) on Sloane Street.
Selfridges 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Selfridges is another large UK-based department store (and another place we spent many hours.) Like Harvey Nichols, Selfridges felt more fashion-forward — and maybe even more so. It seemed to be the place to be for luxury/ street fashion, as noted by hordes of trendy teens, each toting a fistful of the electric yellow shoppers. I immediately fell in love with a pair of Saint Laurent sunnies after striking out at Harvey and ended up coming back two days later to buy them. (A tactic I was experimenting with to limit the impulse buys) Note: It half worked.
Louis Vuitton Leadenhall Market 🇬🇧
We (very briefly) popped over the London Bridge after lunch in search of a small pouch B was looking for. And while the service was better than Bond Street, the store was no bigger than a shoebox — which limits the amount of items on display and in stock. Womp womp. But at least we got our steps in?
I’m sure we missed a must-see. But we’re headed back to London in May, so drop me a line with your recommendations.
In this multi-part series, I cover the sights, shopping, and snacks we encountered in The Queen’s country. Stay tuned for the last blog in the series, London: The Snacks. Cheers!