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City Guide - London - Shopping | ||
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Shopping London is one of the world's great shopping cities with over 30,000 retail outlets dotted across the capital. Typically for London, particular areas of the city have their own shopping character. The King's Road in Chelsea has a long-standing reputation for fashion. Old and New Bond Streets harbour some of the city's most exclusive designer outlets and high-powered art galleries. Saville Row and Jermyn Street remain the homes of bespoke tailoring. Knightsbridge boasts world-famous Harrods, with its legendary sales and heavenly food hall. Oxford and Regent Streets attract swarms of shoppers to well-known clothing shops and megastores, including Hamley's toy emporium. Tottenham Court Road is lined with electrical shops but, just south, Charing Cross Road has long been the centre for bookshops in London, with enticing second-hand shops and bigger chains, while the world's largest bookshop, Waterstones, is situated at Piccadilly. Covent Garden is one of the most popular areas of town: the Piazza, once the site of the fruit and vegetable market, is now filled with specialist shops, cafés and craft stalls, and street performers and musicians entertain the crowds; while Neal Street contains trendy clothes and shoe shops. Standard shopping hours are 0930-1730/1800 Monday to Saturday; some shops stay open as late as 2000. Shops rarely close for lunch and many are now also open 1200-1800 on Sunday. Late-night opening is held on different days of the week depending on the area. Most major stores and shops in the West End are part of the Tax-Free Shopping scheme by Global Refund (tel: (0800) 829 373), which offers VAT refunds to visitors from outside the EU. Visiting one or more of London's markets is a way of combining shopping with a cultural experience. The vast weekend market at Camden Lock, Chalk Farm Road, NW1, is one of the city's top attractions. Clothing, furniture, crafts and food draw a motley assortment of bemused American tourists, excitable exchange students and laid-back locals. Visitors also flock to the Saturday antiques and flea market on the Portobello Road, W11. In the East End, Sunday markets, selling everything from fruit and veg to jewellery and junk, are held on Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, E1, while Columbia Road, E2, is brightened with a flower market. Antiques and crafts can be found at Spitalfields, E1; Camden Passage (in Islington) N1, and Greenwich Market, SE10. Finally, Brixton market on Electric Avenue, SW9, offers the biggest selection of Caribbean food in Europe. Shopping tips are available from this web site (www.Londontown.com/shopping). |