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Shopping
Shopping in a cultural capital of
Europe, Glasgow offers an
amazing shopping experience.
From the world’s best department store to
vintage bargains in the market, shopoholics are
in for a treat all over Britain.
This guide provides information about Britain’s shopping
hotspots and British brands from high end to high street.
This guide has been produced especially for international media
seeking information on Britain. It contains copyright free story ideas,
sample features and images, as well as useful press contacts.
There are seven guides available on different aspects of Britain:
Countryside, Culture, Food, Heritage, Music, Shopping and Sport.
Shopping Contents
Great British Shopping ...............................................................................................................5
Shopping hotspots ...................................................................................................................... 7
British by design ........................................................................................................................ 10
Key dates ..................................................................................................................................... 13
4
Shopping Great British Shopping
Sample feature
Britain offers shopping experiences to cater to all tastes and budgets,
from luxurious designer boutiques where you can swoon over Alexander
McQueen or Stella McCartney, to down-to-earth markets, where you can
haggle your way into getting vintage bargains and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Regardless of your preference though, it’s the experience that makes
shopping in Britain great. Fantastic shop window displays at Fortnum and
Mason in London, or the Princes Square in Glasgow; an old-fashioned
pride in excellent service at the nation’s department stores, like John
Lewis and Liberty of London, not to mention the World’s Greatest
Shopping store (voted the second year running), Selfridges, with its
regular in-store exhibitions and events, shopping in Britain is as much fun
for the spectacle as it is for the products.
That’s not to say the products don’t deserve a mention. Britain is home to
respected designer flagship stores, independent stores selling one-off
designs, and plenty of craft shops and boutiques in all corners of the
nation with stock sourced from local craftspeople and artists. It’s almost
impossible to come away from a trip to Britain without a souvenir that
tells a story. You’re spoilt for choice in the cities, for high end and high
street names from British designers like Burberry (whose largest ever
store opens on Regent Street this year), Paul Smith and Mulberry through
to the more affordable
end of the spectrum like
Reiss and Jigsaw, both
favourites of new British
style icon, the Duchess of
Cambridge.
So where to go? London
is, without a doubt, one of
Fashion, handbags and luggage by Prada at
Selfridges
the world’s most exciting,
influential and thriving
shopping capitals. From luxurious long-established designers to up-andcoming young innovators, the city is a showcase for talent, beauty and
craftsmanship. Oxford Street is a haven for shoppers of all ages, from
Topshop’s five floors of fashion to a catalogue of high street stores;
Knightsbridge is home to Harrods – luxury in a building – while Sloane
Square groups together the best designers. The capital is full of
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Shopping curiosities, not only with markets like Spitalfields and Portobello, but
quirky experiences like Junky Styling which ‘upcycles’ old clothes, and
pop-up shops, which often bring together stylish people, cocktails and
one-off designs. For ‘everything under one roof’, you can’t beat the
newest addition to London’s shopping scene – Westfield Stratford City,
located right by the Olympic Park.
Outside of London, there is much to explore. The beautiful city of Bath is a
calmer shopping destination, with charming boutiques selling clothing,
jewellery and accessories from some of world's best designers, and
antique treasures waiting to be found in the many shops and
galleries. Manchester is the self-styled capital of the north and a hotspot
for capturing great street style inspiration. Some of the best names in
fashion can be found there, with branches of Harvey Nichols and
Selfridges as well as stylish boutiques in the modern shopping district of
Exchange Square or Manchester's out of town shopping mall, the Trafford
Centre. Brighton, in the South of England, has dozens of independent
boutiques and eccentric characters, weaving in amongst its famous
‘Lanes’ to cultivate their unique style. Up in Scotland, Edinburgh’s
exclusive Princes Street is where you'll find the city’s institution Jenners,
the oldest department store in the world. Capital of Wales, Cardiff’s new
£675m St David’s shopping centre has helped it become the third most
popular retail destination in the UK, while the city’s Victorian and
Edwardian arcades are filled with independent retailers and cafés to
provide respite from bargain-hunting.
Those keen to shop like the Queen and her family can do so, by looking
out for Royal Warrant Holders
given the seal of approval from
the top. These include Floris the
perfumier, a haven of scent off
Piccadilly, London; to the House
of Fraser department stores all
over Britain; whisky distillers
Laphroaig in Scotland and to
kitchen linen producers the Ulster
Weavers in Northern Ireland.
Westfield Stratford City
6
Shopping Shopping hotspots
Whether on the hunt for vintage bargains, indie goods,
couture collections, or bespoke clothing, there are a number of
great shopping destinations for a fashion fix in Britain.
Larger cities tend to have more department stores, while the
smaller towns are perfect destinations to browse vintage
stores, boutique shops, and secondhand clothing stores. Ten
shopping hotspots not to miss.
Princes Square, Glasgow
This specialty shopping centre is one of the most upscale shopping
Info:
www.princessquare.co.uk
venues in Scotland and houses more than 30 fashion and jewelry stores.
Head here to visit retailers such as Lacoste, Belstaff, Ted Baker, and
Vivienne Westwood. The three-floor shopping complex is also home to
nine of Glasgow's leading restaurants.
Oxford Street and Knightsbridge, London
Running just about 1.5 miles from end to end,
Info:
www.harrods.com
Oxford Street is home to Selfridges (named
the World’s Best Department Store), Primark,
www.oxfordstreet.co.uk
HMV, M&S, and retailers including French
Connection and Aldo. Be sure to head here
over the holiday season to see the window
displays. Knightsbridge has upscale designer
boutiques and is the Central London shopping
district for any well-heeled traveler. The
famous Harrods department store is located
on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge and
Destination on side of
London bus, Oxford Street,
London, London, England.
within walking distance of several other highend shops and luxury boutiques.
Bicester Village, Oxfordshire
A label lover and bargain lover’s dream. Hundreds of labels, many of them
iconic British ones (Temperley, Mulberry, Anya Hindmarch, Fred Perry),
are available at slashed prices. It’s exactly what it says it is – a shopping
Info:
‘village’, rather than a large mall-style affair where you are never really
www.bicestervillage.com
sure what time of day it is, and it’s only 60 minutes from London and
Birmingham.
7
Shopping Bullring, Birmingham
Info:
The Bull Ring has been a major commercial area of Birmingham since the
www.bullring.co.uk Middle Ages, when its market was first held. Two shopping centres have
been built in the area; in the 1960s, and then in 2003, which is known
simply as Bullring. It has a Selfridges (one of only four in the world), which
was designed in an ultra-modern, curvaceous style, which won a RIBA
(Royal Institute of British Architects) award in 2004. The rest of the
building is just as unique, and though it has its critics, it’s definitely
somewhere that has an impact, and results in a more exciting shopping
experience. All the major high street stores are represented, along with
good quality dining options and art on display.
King Street, Manchester
This shopping area is home to several upscale retail stores and designer
boutiques including Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, and
Emporio Armani. Head here when you're looking for designer fashions
and want to enjoy an afternoon of people-watching near the city centre.
St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff
Info:
www.stdavidscardiff.com
The city’s new £675m shopping centre has helped Cardiff become the
third most popular retail destination in the UK. It is made up of several
sections: The Hayes is the most stylish strip in the city, lined with designer
and high-end boutiques, like Kurt Geiger, Jo Malone (luxury perfume and
candles), Links of London; the Hayes Arcade houses jewellery and watch
stores, and the Grand Arcade connects to the original shopping centre
and John Lewis, split over two floors and flooded with light from the
impressive glass roof. Elsewhere in Cardiff, the city centre’s arcades are
full of independent retailers and cafés.
Royal Mile, Edinburgh
To pick up an authentic kilt while in Scotland, it’s best to head to the Royal
Mile for souvenirs, handmade gifts, and even cutting-edge fashions. This
street connects the Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The Lanes, Brighton
This shopping centre is the place to go for that one-of a-kind outfit or
Info:
http://www.brightonsausageco.c
om/
piece of art. The lanes are connected streets with cute independent
boutiques and charming, quirky shops. There is everything from antiques
to jewelry along the picturesque cobblestone streets, and there’s often an
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Shopping impromptu street market on over sunny weekends, selling anything and
everything from old comics to vintage bags, well-loved books to old
postcards. Perfect for the curiosity hunter who likes to punctuate
shopping with a pint at any of the friendly pubs.
Spitalfields Market District, London
Info:
www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com
In addition to shopping for bargains
www.absolutevintage.co.uk
at Spitalfields Market, there are
great vintage stores nearby.
Absolute Vintage boasts the largest
vintage shoe and bag selection in
the UK and is the perfect place to
scoop up Gucci handbags, Versace
shoes, Fendi backpacks and Chanel
Old Spitalfields Market
shoes from an era gone by.
Victoria Square, Belfast
Info:
It’s impossible to miss the giant glass dome located in the centre of this
shopping and entertainment district in Northern Ireland. The shopping
centre is home to upscale fashion boutiques and retail stores including
House of Fraser, H&M, and Topshop. There is a Viewing Dome, from which
it is possible to see panoramic views over Belfast.
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www.victoriasquare.com
Shopping British by design
Most British designers have their flagship stores in central
London, which now has more major chain flagship stores
than anywhere except New York, having overtaken Paris,
Milan, Tokyo and LA over the past decade. But in Britain
there’s more than the big names and flashy labels – the stories
behind designers and products is often the most interesting
part. Some truly British products are where to find them.
The Duchess Effect
Since her engagement to Prince William, Kate Middleton has become a
style icon in Britain, and widely admired abroad. People talk about the
‘Duchess effect’, with high street dresses she has worn flying off the
shelves and a whole generation of women aspiring to own an Alexander
McQueen dress. The Duchess is a big McQueen fan, having worn the
designer for her wedding. The flagship Alexander McQueen store is at 4-5
Old Bond Street. Kate’s sister Pippa wore Temperley to the wedding and
both women are fans of the Somerset-born designer. The current
Temperley flagship store is a Notting Hill, and is unmissable as it features
a large Union Jack on the façade. Temperley has opened a new flagship in
Mayfair, on Bruton Street. The building houses a two-floor store, carrying
all three Temperley collections as well as press and wholesale showrooms
and financial and ecommerce offices. Vogue published an article on the
news here. Not just a fan of high fashion, Kate Middleton has favoured
high street brands for years. The most notable is very British label Reiss,
who have stores all over Britain selling affordable elegance; for shoes, the
Duchess has been a fan of L. K. Bennett, an ‘accessible luxury brand’ with
a British heritage.
By Royal Appointment
Royal Warrants are granted to establishments that provide goods or
services the Royal Family, and have been for centuries. The Queen, The
Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales can grant Warrants. Some
850 individuals and companies, including a few non-UK companies, hold
more than 1,100 warrants to the British Royal Family. Suppliers must have
had a trading relationship with an individual in the family for at least five
years before they can be considered for a warrant, and warrants are up
for renewal after five years. A Royal Warrant adds prestige to a product,
10
Shopping and gives you the sense that you are living a little bit like a royal!
Jermyn Street (off Piccadilly) is a hotbed for Royal Warrant holders,
including the shirtmakers Turnbull and Asser, who have fitted Prince
Charles, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill and dozens of Bonds for shirts
and have the patterns for many of these on display. The company turned
125 this year. Also on Jermyn Street is sole perfumier to The Queen,
Floris, whose boutique is a haven of scent and still run by the same family
that opened the store seven generations ago. Sniff Ian Fleming’s unique
perfume, Number 89. Just a bit further up the road is another warrant
holder, Paxton and Whitfield, heaven for cheese lovers, with cheeses from
all over Britain and around the world. For press info on Turnbull and
Asser, Floris and Paxton and Whitfield, contact Lucia Ruz at Sister PR;
[email protected].
Speaking of royal-approved food, no visit to London can miss out on
Fortnum and Mason, which has had a Royal Warrant since the 1800s when
the scheme began. The store currently holds two, one from The Queen
and another from the Prince of Wales, who is also a supplier – his
Highgrove range is stocked there. On 1 March this year, Fortnum and
Mason saw a visit from The Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall and the
Duchess of Cambridge, who launched the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon,
which has ‘tea-ristas’ and tastings. The shop always has lavishly
decorated window displays, and though products are luxurious, there are
plenty of affordable items.
British bags
Mulberry is a global fashion brand,that
Info:
originated in Somerset, England. It was
http://www.mulberryfactoryshop.
com/
established by Roger Saul in 1971. The
http://www.radley.co.uk/
original Mulberry Factory Shop is tucked
away in rural Somerset where the story
began, and makes for a shopping
experience far removed from the
glamour and glitz of its many big city
locations.
The more affordable, yet equally
coveted, Radley is a brand with a great
A Mulberry Bayswater bag with
a Union Flag clasp: exclusive to
Selfridges.
British story. It started as a market stall in Camden 1984, but Australian
founder Lowell Harder’s designs were spotted by John Lewis, resulting in
growth in the business, which is a global fashion brand with model Laura
Bailey as its first brand ambassador this year. The bags feature iconic
‘Scottie’ motifs (a Scottish terrier dog features on all the designs), and in
2010 Radley announced a partnership with Harris Tweed to incorporate
the Scottish textiles into the handbag designs. The Covent Garden store is
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Shopping on quirky Floral Street, a sweet tucked away alley away from the hubbub. Tweed and Tartan
www.harristweed.org
Scotland’s style heritage is known all over the world and loved for the way
it seems to embody the Scottish spirit: tartan is colourful, fun and
encapsulates history within a stretch of material; tweed is hardy and
sturdy, perfect for the brisk climate – also ‘the only fabric governed by its
own Act of Parliament’. Both tweed and tartan have been around for
hundreds of years, yet both are still worn today, with some evolutions to
make things more interesting.
The Harris Tweed Authority is a great resource on everything tweed
related, from its history and the way it is made, to information on the mills
where it’s made and the retailers that stock it.
www.tartansauthority.com
Tartan is the symbolic national dress of Scotland, with a fascinating
th
history that traces its roots in Scotland to the 16 century, through years
of evolution to today’s use of the fabric in fashion (most recently
Alexander McQueen’s tartan dress worn by various celebrities). The
Scottish Tartan Authority promotes a deeper knowledge of Scottish
tartans and has lots of information on its history.
Unique jewellery
Info:
Northern Ireland’s Steensons Jewellery has a nice story. Bill and Christina
www.thesteensons.com
Steenson are graduates of The University of Ulster where they studied
jewellery and silversmithing. Now they are firmly established as one of
Ireland’s leading jewellery designers. In 1988 they opened their store in
Belfast, where Bill & Christina introduced other European and local
designers to display alongside their own designs. Today it is Northern
Ireland’s biggest gallery of designer jewellery. Bill and Christina are still
very “hands-on” jewellers and are to be found “at the bench” most days.
Glenarm has always been their manufacturing base but in 1996 they
moved the workshop to an old bank premises in the centre of the village.
This allowed them the space they needed to expand the workshop and
open a visitor’s centre, where the customers and public can watch the
craftspeople at work.
British China
Info:
www.wedgwoodvisitorcentre.co
Britain has long been known as a home for
m
beautiful pottery; Wedgwood is probably
the most well-known. You can visit the
factory and its visitor centre, set over 240
acres in the heart of the Staffordshire
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A potter giving a demonstration at
the Wedgwood visitors centre..
Shopping www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/p
countrysi de. Have a tour of the factory, a ceramic experience where you
age/factorytours
make your own masterpiece, as well as afternoon tea on the
quintessentially English tableware. There is also a tempting shop, of
course.
Emma Bridgewater is a very different, yet also truly British brand. The
www.belleek.ie/Company-
designs are contemporary, and often humorous, featuring writing and
Info/Visitor-Centre
bright colours. Factory tours of the Stoke on Trent premises give the
chance to speak to the makers of the pottery products, and see the
process from throwing the clay to decorating each item.
Belleek porcelain has been around since 1857, and still operates today
producing fine porcelain. The visitor centre is one of Northern Ireland’s
oldest attractions. A tour reveals the techniques first developed by the
Belleek craftsmen which are still meticulously followed today. On entering
www.portmeirion-village.com
the Centre the first thing you see is one of the oldest and most
prestigious pieces of Belleek ever made, the Belleek International Centre
Piece, which was displayed at the Paris Exhibition in 1900. Belleek China is
popular the world over and is synonymous with Northern Ireland.
Portmeiron in Wales is one of the country’s most enchanting villages, and
has sold beautiful pottery since the 1960s. The pottery itself is made in
Stoke on Trent, but was originally commissioned to sell in the pretty
Portmeiron village of Wales.
Info:
Key dates
London Fashion Week. 15-19 February
www.londonfashionweek.co.uk;
London Fashion Week takes place twice a year, and transforms the capital
into a centre of eccentric fashions, heels and exposed leg, whether in
February or September. It is one of the Big Four fashion weeks over the
www.somersethouse.org.uk
world, along with New York, Paris and Milan. It is organised by the British
Fashion Council. The venue for most major events is Somerset House,
which houses an exhibition in the building, and a large marquee for shows.
Bath In Fashion 15-23 April
Bath In Fashion takes over one of England’s favourite fashion cities every
year. There are catwalk shows, talks, workshops, films, and great
exhibitions, all pulling in big names in British and international fashion.
This year’s theme is ‘Looking at Fashion’ and will bring much-loved
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Info:
www.bathinfashion.co.uk
Shopping illustrators David Downton and Julie Verhoeven to Bath.
Belfast Fashion Week takes place in March, with multiple high fashion
events at locations all around the City. Highlights include catwalk shoes in
iconic locations and Fashion teas. Fashion Week incorporates great
restaurants and bars serving the obligatory Cosmopolitan cocktails. An
array of local and international designers are profiled, as well as a range
of high street names, ensuring everyone’s budget is catered for.
‘The Sales’ are a truly British experience, especially the January version,
where the stock dedicated shoppers have been keeping watch over before
Christmas is dramatically reduced in price. There are massive bargains to
be had all over the country. Although you can get many of these online,
the experience is one to be seen to be believed: Boxing Day, 26 December,
sees hordes of shoppers awaiting the opening of major department
stores, with Harrods the most famous London sale, starting usually a little
after the others. There is a major summer sale around early July, and
several mid-season sales throughout the year.
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Info:
www.belfastfashionweek.com