Where To Buy Kids Shirts/Backpack Central London?
 

I'm going to be in London this weekend but really pressed for time. Can anyone suggest a good place to buy a reasonably priced backpack right in Central London? I'm not looking for top quality, but something that a young boy could take to school this fall. Could also use t-shirts, etc. The only reason I want to buy there is that the UK seems to have a different selection of the popular character items than the States or Germany does.

Thanks very much!

How young is your young boy? If he's too young to have developed strong views about what is, or isn't cool, clothing, then Marks & Spencer is a good bet. There's a large one at Marble Arch, on Oxford Street. M&S has good quality, good value clothes. You could probably find a backpack for school in stationery stores, or in any of the department stores along Oxford Street (I'd start with Debenhams and BhS for decent quality clothes at low prices; Selfridges and John Lewis are posher). On Regent Street (running south from Oxford at Oxford Circus), there are a lot of "high street shops" (branches of national chains) as well as shops catering to tourists. I can't think of anything specific, but I'm sure you'd find something along the street (at least as you get closer to Piccadilly Circus). Also, you must go to the toy shop on Regent Street (Hamley, I think) - it's the FAO Schwartz of the UK. Great stuff, and you might find a backpack there.

There's a clutch of shops selling all sorts of luggage around the junction of Charing Cross Road, Oxford St and Tottenham Court Rd (Tottenham Court Rd underground station): these tend to be the standard sort of things you could see anywhere, though (not sure what you mean by "character items").

Thanks for the suggestions! I haven't been in London for twenty years, so don't have a good feel for where things are. Those ideas will definitely get me started.

My son is seven and would dearly love either a Pokemon or Duelmasters pack for school this fall. It's not critical, but I figure he's not going to be into the "character" stuff too much longer and it would be nice to get him one if I can. I'm sure I can find something there he'll like.

Thanks again! I'm off to the airport in 18 hours!!!!

The M+S business model means it has a very limited range and very little character merchandising (for its schoolbag range see http://tinyurl.co.uk/bvab)

The John Lewis business philosophy ("the main quality I seek in a buyer is taste" said its Founder, who really is still referred to that way) regards characters as the kind of thing you can go and buy in lesser shops. Hamley's business model is everyday high prices.

I'd have though a street market (Berwick St in Soho is open on Saturday) would be your best bet.

woolworth (all over central london) has a lot of that sort of stuff.

Thank-you. I figure in another year or two he won't want to be wearing such things, but for right now it's a big deal to check out each others new stuff on the first day of school. I'm still going to try to check out M & S though as I can definitely use some basics for him. Too bad it's not feasible to take food back on the plane to Germany though. I remember the M & S store in Victoria, Canada when I was a teenager and loved their Shepherd's Pie.