Shops and Markets in London

London is a major centre for entertainment, shopping and dining. There are thousands of shops and many markets in London.

Greater London is home to a wealth of covered, outdoor and street market. Markets in London have their origins in the middle ages and ancient charter; set up to serve the population of the City of London. Over time, some emerged as wholesale markets serving specific market segments such as the sale of vegetables, meat, or fish. With an expanding metropolis in the 18th and 19th centuries, street markets were set up to meet the needs of the new suburbs. With the introduction of trams on the streets of London, these were moved (sometimes forcibly) into neighbouring side streets, or new covered markets.

There’s no more colourful way to shop in London than by sampling its many markets. For those that take food seriously, all corners of the capital boast their own farmers’ markets, bringing locally grown produce to the table, while specialised markets like Columbia Road’s famous flower market packs a Victorian cobbled street with bargain blooms every Sunday.

As well as these more fashionable fairs, the capital has stubbornly retained many of its authentic ‘Albert Square’ style markets, selling no nonsense fruit and veg, bric-à-brac and cheap clothing. Here’s our comprehensive guide to the capital’s food, fashion and furniture markets. Most open very early in the morning and close early or late afternoon.

Types of Shops and Stores

Department Stores

Department stores are large retail stores. They sell a variety of good and services.

• Marks & Spencer (for clothes and food)

• Debenhams and John Lewis and British Home Stores (for clothes and household items),

• House of Fraser

• Argos

• Liberty's department store

• Harrods in London - the famous department store that every tourist wants to visit. You can find anything from the cheapest to the most expensive things.

General Stores sell a variety of good for the home

-Shopping Centre / Mall

Shopping centres have a variety of shops under one roof. They will have an eating area with fast foods and sit down menus, parking area and often a cinema (movie house).

-Bluewater Shopping Centre

Bluewater is the largest out of town shopping development in Europe, located in a disused chalk pit at Dartford in Kent. With more than 300 shops and parking for 13,000 cars, it attracts around 30 million visitors each year.

-Corner Shop

A corner shop is a small shop near houses. It has a limited variety of food but often has long opening hours.

Some important streets in London

-Oxford Street and Regents Street 

(Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus )

Both streets are London's busiest shopping areas. Many of their smaller shops sell touristsouvenirs, but there are may other shops too. They have lots of departments stores and clothes shops and there are big music shops, bookshops too.

Oxford Street and Regents Street are decorated with Christmas lights each year. The lights are turned on with a special ceremony in mid-November.

-Carnaby Street

Off the eastern side of Regent Street, close to Liberty department store, you will find Carnaby Street, one of the icons of the 'swinging sixties'. 

-Knightsbridge 

(Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge)

Fashion / Designer boutiques 

The Knightsbridge area of London is home to the biggest department store not only in the city but in the whole of Britain. This is Harrods, which has about 330 departments. Its domed, terracotta building is lit up spectacularly at night.

-Covent Garden

 (Nearest Tube: Covent Garden ) 

Overflowing with street markets, curbside entertainment, trendy cafes, English pubs, and small boutiques. A must visit for all tourists to London.

-Charing Cross Road

Charing Cross Road is where book worms go. Mainstream bookshops, such as Foyles, Borders and Blackwells, line the street but perhaps the most unique feature about this road are its rare, second-hand and specialist shops. Foyles is famous for five floors containing thousands of titles.

-Tottenham Court Road

The best place for electronics shops and furniture stores.

Luxury Shops

-Liberty is famous for selling beautiful fabrics. The shop looks like a Tudor house and has an elaborate clock outside. 

-Selfridges 

This store has an extensive designer section for both men, women and children, constantly updated by the arrival of international labels.

-Hamleys 

Hamleys, in Regent Street, is London's largest toy shop. It has six floors filled with all kinds of toys, from dolls and teddy bears to models, electronic toys and robots.

Markets        

London markets sell all kinds of things, from fruit and vegetables to antiques, crafts and clothes.

-Greenwich Market is the place to buy new and second hand clothes, gifts, crafts and jewellery.

Opening Hours: Weekend from around 09:00-17:00. 

Nearest Tube: Cutty Shark

-Leadenhall Market is a Victorian covered market. It sells traditional game, poultry, fish and meat. The best time to visit is early lunchtime. 

Opening Hours: Monday-Friday from 07:00-16:00 

Nearest Tube: Bank / Monument

-Berwick Street Market is a lively market in the heart of Soho. It is central London's only surviving fruit and vegetable market. The market has the freshest and cheapest produce for miles around.  There are fish, bread, cheese, herbs and spices stalls, and also sells fabrics and cheap household goods. 

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 09:00-17:00

-Petticoat Lane Market is a great place for bargain clothes and shoes.

Opening Hours: Sundays 09:00-14:00 

Nearest Tube: Liverpool Street

-Spitalfields Market has everything from arts and crafts, clothes, furniture to organic foods. 

Opening Hours: Wednesday to Friday, Sunday 9am to 5pm

Nearest Tube: Liverpool Street

-Portobello Market a place to buy antiques, clothes, shoes, bric-a-brac and organic fruit and vegetables all in one place. Takes place every Saturday from 08:00-18:00 although there are stalls from Monday-Friday, too. On Saturday, it's huge, with over 2,000 stalls.

Opening Hours: Monday to Wednesday 8am to 6pm, Thursday 9am to 1pm, Friday - Sat 8am to 7pm

Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate / Ladbroke Grove

-Camden Market has become one of London's top attractions. You can find hippie cloths, traditional craft stalls, 70's nostalgia and vegetarian food. 

Opening Hours: Open every day from 10am and very busy on Sundays

Nearest Tube: Camden Town / Chalk Farm

-Borough Market is London’s favourite food market, offering imported and organic products such as cheese, wines, fish and meat. 

Opening Hours: Thurs, Fri 12 to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 4pm

Nearest Tube: London Bridge  

Wholesale markets

These markets have ancient origins and connections with the City of London. Some have moved from their original locations within the city boundaries but most continue to be operated by the City of London Corporation. Their previous sites have : 

· New Covent Garden Market is the largest fruit, vegetable and flower market in the UK. 

· Borough Market is located in The Borough, just south of London Bridge. The market was established on London Bridge and is first recorded in 1014. It has been in several locations, but moved to its present site in 1870. 

· Old Billingsgate Market, a fish market, relocated in 198 to Billingsgate Market, Poplar. The original elegant building facing the river is now used as a hospitality and events venue.

· Leadenhall Market, a food-centred market, continues to operate with many of the market spaces converted to retail outlets. 

· Smithfield Market is a meat market that was originally a live cattle market. 

· Spitalfields Market, a food market which relocated in 1991to New Spitalfields Market, Leyton.  The original market site is still used as a market selling fashion, art and design, food and vintage goods and is part of a revival of the surrounding area.

Notable markets

These are other wholesale markets and those popular with tourists, mainly in Central London:

· Bermondsey Market is located on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, South London, and deals primarily with antiques, originally sold under the rules of market overt. Hours: 4am - 12 noon Friday.

· Brick Lane Market, at the northern end of Brick Lane and along Cheshire Street in East London. The market developed in the 17th century for fruit and vegetables. With the arrival of Jewish immigrants, it began to operate on Sundays.[11] Today, it sells food and general bric-a-brac, on Sundays.

· Broadway Market, Hackney, modern revival of ancient market (Saturdays).

· Brook Green Market and Kitchen, based at Addison Primary School in Brook Green, Kensington and Olympia, the market founded in 2014 is like a traditional Farmers Market but with certain innovative additions including Interactive Cookery Masterclasses, Live Music and craft alcohols.

· Camden Lock Market and several others comprise a complex often referred to simply as "Camden Market". Camden Lock Market is close to Camden Town Tube station, and gets its name from its location at Camden Lock on Regent's Canal in Camden Town, northwest London. All the markets sell general goods, music, collectables, military-surplus, jewellery, incense, clothing and a wide variety of fast-food.[1]

· Camden Passage Market, on Islington High Street and Camden Passage, has its origins in the 1960s when small shop and stall holders banded together to form the market.[12]Two markets deal in antiques and collectables. Wednesdays and Saturdays are good to visit for the antiques, Thursday is the book market, more recently fashion/accessories stalls come on Fridays and mixed craft/fashion/antiques on Sundays.

· Columbia Road market originated in the 19th century. It became a flower market to sell produce on Sunday - leftover from nearby Spitalfields. It is between Bethnal Greenand Shoreditch in East London. Hours: 9am - 12noon Sunday.

Bibliography

-https://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/london-markets

-http://projectbritain.com/london/shopping/shops.htm

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_markets_in_London