LOTRHP

Hi All,
Hoping to get some recommendations on where to shop in London. It's been a while since I've been there last and I would appreciate your knowledge of the shopping areas of London (yes I do like tourist stuff). I know certain neighborhoods have different times their stores close so I would appreciate your info on general store hours for various areas.

Also, I would love to pick up some Harry Potter merchandise (some is only available in England). Anyone have some suggestions of stores to go to?

Thanks for your feedback.

mclaurie

I can't really help because the exchange rate is so shockingly awful I don't even consider buying anything these days. But I think it would help others give you advice if you mentioned the kinds of things besides Harry Potter that interest you. Clothes? China? etc.

jenabeat

Harry Potter merch? UGH!!

cmcfong

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

GreenDragon

I'm off to London in a couple of weeks, and the friends have started asking me for souveniers. One wants a Mind The Gap t-shirt -- are these available for sale at the underground stations themselves, perchance? Or shall I brave the ticky-tacky tourist shops?

LOTRHP

I don't have any specific merchandise in mind(except for Harry Potter--note to jenabeat--not interested in negative comments, and you don't know what you're missing!)

I'm more interested in learning about the general shopping areas. It's always fun to look around and be in a fun area.

starspinners

LOTRHP,
I don't know for certain where you'll find Harry Potter merchandise, but I suggest you try Harrods' toy department or Hamleys .(I've always had better luck finding toys at Harrods.)
Green Dragon,
If you're in Covent Garden, take a look in the London Transport Museum's shop. They sell all kinds of "mind the gap" stuff; so you just may find your t-shirt there.

m_kingdom2

Harrods is now open on Sundays. I think this is absolutely disgusting, but I suppose money beats exclusivity.

London is far better for shopping on weekdays - the staff can be more attentive, and you don't get these vulgar Essex types there.

david_west

For the Harry Potter stuff you might want to try forbidden planet in Tottenham Ct Rd - they do all sorts of fantasy/geeky comic stuff.

And of course you could go to Kings Cross Station where the Hogwarts express leaves from. The last time I was there they had a platform 9 3/4 etc you could get photographed at. Not sure if it's still there (Kings Cross was one of the stations badly affected by the bombs).

And the idea above that Harrods is EVER exclusive is beyond belief. It is for les garagistes and puddle headed footballers.

m_kingdom2

Harrods has vastly improved in the last decade. It has a far more impressive selection of designers and pieces than Brown's, and Harvey Nichols which really is pretty poor in comparison.

The ground floor is the busiest, and full of tourists, but all the others are more serious. It's an exceptional store, with excellent service. Selfridges cannot compare, it's awful where service and stock is concerned.

david_west

Re Harrods: Just remember who owns it!

nwtraveler

My favorite shops in London are Hobb's clothing store and LUSH. But LUSH now has some shops in the United States, unfortunately you can still only get things shipped from Canada, but their products are fabulous. Both stores have various locations in London.

crefloors

I really liked Monsoon..the one on Kings Road. It had things for the home and gifts. They also have clothing stores all over..Oxford Street is easy to get too. Cute stuff but too young for "moi". I got some really cute beaded candel holders, a really pretty journal and a few other things at the store on Kings Road. By the way, I really liked that street in general..lots of stores, including Lush, lots of restaurants and a lot quieter than Oxford Street. My neice took us there..she was living in London at the time, and I was glad she did. I probably never would have thought of it to tell you the truth.

m_kingdom2

If that was the case, one would never shop anywhere. The decor in certain areas is undesirable, but the mens and womens fashions are excelling themselves, and have never been better.

Poohgirl

I'll second the vote for LUSH. The store I visited was at Covent Garden. Also, LOTRHP, you might like to try the market at Portobello Road. It's very crowded, but I thought it was fun.

Lynette

Almost every little corner store has Mind the Gap t shirts.
Right across from Harods is a shop called Zara. Casual womens fashions and reasonably priced. Oxford street has of course tons of shopping, and the Lilywhites, at Picadilly circus, had some great deals on sports wear (Umbro, Diadora, Nike, as well as UK team logo wear for soccer)
Harods is worth a visit just to say you've been there, but the shoe floor is worth checking out ( never saw so many shoes all in one place. Thought I had died and gone to shoe heaven)
I found this web site that might interest you in regards to Harry Potter.
http://www.londontaxitour.com/london...otter-tour.htm

The sunday AM market at Covent Garden is a fun stop(I think I went to Jubilee Market), and also the shops and regular stores. There was a Monsoon there. very fun
http://www.coventgardenlife.com/shopping/shopping.asp

m_kingdom2

Shoes are Harrods weakest fashion point. Kurt Geiger supply them with the shoes as one of the directors of KG is also a director of Harrods. The womens are better than the mens. Mens tends to verge a little on the traditional Prada/Gucci/Tod's side, and they carry far too shoes/boots by Dior/Jil Sander/Miu Miu/more obscure designers whose clothes they stock. That said, Harvey Nichols is even worse where mens' shoes are concerned. Selfridges is surprisingly good actually, but the service is pretty awful.

jules4je7

Mind The Gap T-shirts are abundant in the Wal-Mart sized gift shops at Heathrow Airport. If you want, you can simply pick one up on the way out of town. I found them to make great and inexpensive gifts to the teenagers in my life.

Jules

tuscanlifeedit

But where are the interesting shopping neighborhoods, please? I'm thinking of what SoHo in NYC used to be before being run over by chains, or what Melrose Ave in LA was once, or the groovy shops in the Marais in Paris.

Where to go in London for interesting shopping?

JennyK

I am a Londoner and although no longer live in the city I do work there at the moment. Shopping hours - in the West End, Kensington, etc most shops are open between 09.00 and 19.00. Elsewhere they will close at 17.00 or 17.30. Sunday opening is common in most main areas but hours vary 10.00 to 16.00 or 11.00 to 17.00. Best to check locally or look on the doors.
My favourite spots are Convent Garden, Oxford Street (for department stores such as House of Fraser and Selfridges plus Marks & Spencers), Knightsbridge and Kensington. If you like markets you can try Camden Market (clothes, accessories and crafts) or Portobello Road for Antiques (Saturday only). If you are in London on a Sunday, then the pictures and crafts along Bayswater Road can be fun.
On Harry Potter there are several SciFi type shops that also sell Harry Potter merchandise - one is in Shaftesbury Avenue opposite Neal Street.
If you know where you are staying I may be able to give you some local tips.