220 Best Places to Shop in England

An entertaining and quirky treasure trove, St. Paul’s Gallery specializes in hand-signed fine-art prints of album covers, past and present.

When it comes to encyclopedic coverage, there is simply no better map and travel shop on the planet. Trading in Covent Garden since 1853, Stanfords is packed with a comprehensive selection of travel books and travel accessories, as well as ordnance surveys, cycle route maps, travel adaptors, globes, replicas of antique maps, mosquito nets, and more. Even the floor is decorated with giant maps. Whether you're planning a day trip to Dorset or a serious adventure to the Kalahari Desert, this should be your first stop.

It's not easy emerging from the shadow of a Beatle father, but Stella McCartney is a major force in fashion in her own right. Her signature jumpsuits and tuxedo pantsuits embody her design philosophy, combining minimalist tailoring with femininity and sophistication with ease of wear. Her love of functionality and clean lines has led to her branching off into lingerie, accessories, swimwear, and sportswear, designing a line for Adidas. A vegetarian like her parents, she refuses to use fur or leather, making her a favorite with similarly minded fashionistas.

If you're looking for an alternative to the cheesy and the mass-produced, this eclectic shop packs loads of distinctive, stylish, affordable gifts into a small space. The assortment includes handsome gloves and fake-fur accessories, handmade silver jewelry, tweed travel blankets, cashmere shawls, leather handbags, comfy yet attractive cotton robes and pajamas, natural-fiber baby and children's clothes and accessories, retro toys, sophisticated stationery, specialty creams and lotions, and flasks and leather goods for him. Best of all, prices are reasonable.

This Japanese-owned specialty store reflects the country's deep-seated enthusiasm for quality socks and is the place to find them, as well as leg warmers, tights, scarves, and stockings, all in a wide assortment of weights. Styles range from functional to fanciful and patterns from simple and elegant to lively and attention-getting. There's another branch on the King's Road in Chelsea.

If you're planning a picnic, Taylors Deli has everything you need. There are tasty cakes, pastries, and other snacks, as well as great tea and coffee.

With five showrooms spread over three floors of a Georgian town house, this antiques mecca sells furniture, jewelry, ceramics, coins, vintage fashion, and collectibles—Roman, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, art deco and more—from more than 120 dealers, who display their wares in "cabinets." 

Besides fine toy soldiers in lead or tin representing conflicts ranging from the Crusades through World War II, with prices starting at £15 and going into four figures, this quintessentially British shop has regimental brooches and drums, historic orders and medals, royal memorabilia, and military antiques.

The city's oldest candy store, The Bath Sweet Shop boasts of stocking some 350 different varieties, including traditional licorice torpedoes, pear drops, and aniseed balls. Sugar-free treats are available.

All the mop-top knickknacks of your dreams are available at this hugely popular, official Beatles souvenir shop.

Begun in the early 1970s, when weekend stalls sold the output of nearby craft workshops, Camden Lock Market later expanded to five markets: Camden, Camden Lock, The Stables, Buck Street, and the Canal Market, all grouped around two locks on Regent's Canal. Though much of the merchandise is targeted at young street-fashion aficionados as well as aging hippies, anyone with a taste for alternative culture will also find plenty that appeals. This shopping experience is best suited to those who don't mind large crowds and a boisterous atmosphere (i.e., teenagers), especially on weekends. For many years, the markets have hosted more than 1,000 stalls offering a wide-ranging array of merchandise—vintage and new clothes, antiques and junk, rare vinyl, vintage board games, ceramics, Indian bedspreads, fetishwear, obscure band memorabilia, and toys.

The outdoor Camden Market on Camden High Street mainly sells cheap jeans, secondhand clothes, and tacky pop-culture paraphernalia; Camden Lock Market is the place to go for artisans' crafts, clothes, and jewelry, plus loads of street food stalls while The Stables Market, which has expanded into the so-called Catacombs (Victorian brick arches), has more than 700 shops and stalls and is where you go for furniture and vintage items. The Buck Street Market, made of largely converted containers, sells food and fashion with an emphasis on sustainability. The former Canal Market is now known as Hawley Wharf, an upscale mixed-use complex with luxury apartment buildings plus retail and independent dining outlets featuring cuisine from Afghanistan to Jamaica, a canal-side farmers' market, and a Curzon arthouse cinema. The other markets are currently earmarked for further redevelopment, so more gentrification is in the cards—if the original scrappy, bohemian atmosphere of the area appeals to you, enjoy it while you can.

On the edge of the Dartington Hall estate, a dozen stores in and around an old cider press make up the Cider Press Centre. Open daily, it's a great place to find handmade Dartington crystal glassware, kitchenware, crafts, books, and toys. The Food Shop and the connected deli counter sell local food and drink, including Sharpham cheese and wine, fudge, ice cream, and Devon cider while a café/restaurant, Bayards Kitchen, has an excellent selection of organic, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and meat dishes. The Centre also has a branch in Totnes proper, offering a small selection of Dartington craft items and a greater stock of books.

This is the brainchild of the late Sir Terence Conran, who has been a major influence on British taste since he opened Habitat in the 1960s, with its then-groundbreaking concept of advanced design at an affordable price. Although he is no longer associated with Habitat, his Conran Shops remain bastions of similarly clean, unfussy modernist design. Housewares from furniture to lighting, stemware, and textiles—both handmade and mass-produced, by famous names and emerging designers—are housed in a building that is a modernist landmark in its own right. Both the flagship store and the branch on Marylebone High Street are bursting with great gift ideas.

The original Conran Shop was established in 1973 by British design titan Sir Terence Conran, and this Marylebone outpost is filled with high-end furniture, lighting, textiles, homeware, and gifts from brands like Vitra, Knoll, Anglepoise, and Louis Poulsen, along with the store's own eponymous in-house label. Even if you're not buying, browsing for 30 minutes in the space is akin to a trip to the Design Museum (whose original incarnation was also established by Sir Terence Conran).

Exquisitely situated on a corner of Portland Road, this west London gem was one of the city's first “lifestyle boutiques” and is still one of the best. The shop carries luxury casual fashion from the likes of Forte Forte and Velvet, plus housewares, accessories, and jewelry. The accent here is on feminine, quirky boho chic.

A wide collection of rare and vintage books can be found at this ancient, timber-framed building in the center of Lewes. Antique children's books are a specialty.

A two-for-one of funky jewelry stores sharing the same premises, the Great Frog Paterson specializes in jewelry with a rock 'n' roll theme (the owners claim to be the creators of the original skull ring) while Curiouser & Curiouser ( www.curiousercollective.com) is filled with unique handmade pieces (the shop made several pieces of jewelry for the Harry Potter movies).

This welcoming little bookshop, hidden on a quiet pedestrian street, has a well-chosen selection of children's books on the ground floor and adult books upstairs, as well as a lovely selection of stationery and plenty of hiking maps. They often host book signing events with authors.

Originally opened in 1885 as Britain's first safe deposit building, this extraordinary space five floors beneath ground level has been converted into 29 small specialist shops (or "vaults" as they're called) that house silver dealers, the majority of which are family businesses. Products range from early-1600s items to contemporary pieces (with everything in between), and from the spectacularly over-the-top costing thousands to smaller items—like teaspoons, candlesticks, or a Victorian serving tray—at £30.

Once a Royal Mail sorting office, the Mailbox is now filled with trendy shops and designer outlets such as Harvey Nichols and Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes, as well as some fine restaurants.

The brainchild of the couple behind popular womenswear brand Jigsaw, this 15,000-square-foot space over three floors brings together men's and women's fashion from of-the-moment designers like Alexander Wang, Shrimps, and Peter Pilotto, as well as numerous hip denim lines like Acne Studios and Citizens of Humanity. There's also furniture, beauty products, art, homewares, and designer tech accessories—all chosen for style and originality—and an expansive restaurant on the second floor. It's worth visiting for the displays alone, which change regularly.

If Scottish whisky or Irish whiskey is more to your taste than wine, visit family-run The Vintage House on Soho's main drag, Old Compton Street, which has the country's largest selection of single malts (more than 1,350), including many rare bottles, some exclusive to the shop. You'll also find more than 100 tequilas, plus choice rums, liqueurs, ports, and Armagnacs, as well as Cuban Habanos cigars. The shop is open until 11 pm (10 pm on Sunday).

Before moving to Burlington Arcade, luxury housewares shop Thomas Goode had been at the same smart Mayfair address for over 150 years, but the classic style continues to sell at the new location. The china, silver, crystal, and linen, whether from the store's own line or from luxury brands like Christofle and Puiforcat, are simply the best that money can buy, a legacy of its original customer base of international royals and heads of state. The store still holds two royal warrants, but anyone who can afford it can commission their own bespoke set of china. If such luxury is beyond you, visit anyway for the shop's small museum of plates, either antique or designed for royalty, including some created for Princess Diana's wedding.

A butcher and delicatessen, Thomasons sells some very good meat pies—just the thing for putting in your pocket before you climb a Lakeland fell. The housemade sausages are fantastic if you're planning a barbecue.

This shop, where Queen Elizabeth II used to buy her toffee, may also have England's best fudge. The shop was established by Annie Furnass in 1910 and the toffee has been made in Penrith ever since.

An independent design shop located on the Market Place, Treacle George sells a carefully chosen selection of furniture, housewares, and gifts.

A "lifestyle store" stocking clothing, jewelry, accessories, home decor, books, and art, this is an Aladdin's cave of one-off, beautiful, and occasionally quirky items that were carefully chosen by its welcoming owner, the former head menswear designer of Burberry.

The Jermyn Street store sells luxurious jackets, cashmere sweaters, suits, ties, pajamas, ready-to-wear shirts, and accessories perfect for the man who has everything. The brand is best known for its superb custom-made shirts—worn by King Charles III and every James Bond to appear in film, to name a few. These can be ordered at the nearby Bury Street or Davies Street branches, which are devoted to bespoke wear. At least 18 separate measurements are taken, and the cloth, woven to the company's specifications, comes in 1,000 different patterns—the cottons feel as good as silk. The first order must be for a minimum of four shirts, which start at £360 each.