Napoleon sa en gang at "England er en nasjon av kremmere". Når man ser på London i dag så er det vanskelig å si seg uenig med ham. Byens samling av berømte butikker og magasiner, små spesialbutikker og markedenes beskjedne boder kan ta pusten fra en både i antall og utvalg. Kanskje det er noe i ordtaket "hvis du ikke kan kjøpe det i London er det antagelig ikke verdt å ha." 

Så, hvor begynner man for å finne ut hva London har å tilby?  Et godt utgangspunkt er  Piccadilly området. Her finner du verdens berømte bastioner som Burberrys, Aquascutum og Fortnum and Mason. Utforsk området i og rundt gatene bak Piccadilly, så finner du enda flere betydningsfulle Engelske shopping opplevelser. Både Jermyn Street og Saville Row har en strøm av butikker som selger utstyr til den engelske gentleman. Disse butikkene er eksklusive og svært dyre. Ligger det over budsjettet kan det være moro og vindus shoppe for opplevelsen sin skyld. Skomakere som Lobb, og skreddere som Gieves og  Hawkes har vært der i mer enn 200 år. Å gå inn i butikkene deres er som å gå inn i fortiden. 

Hvis du er motebevisst så vil du bli bortskjemt av utvalget. For topp mote gå til  Knightsbridge eller Bond street. Det er ikke en eneste større motedesigner som ikke eier en   "flagship shop" i et av disse områdene; Gucci, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood, Versace - de er alle der. Hvis du foretrekker "street fashion" så prøv Covent Garden eller Foubetts Place (bak Carnaby street), der du finner etablerte britiske designere som Paul Smith  samt dusinvis av hippe "unge butikker" som 

the Duffer of St. George eller Fletcher.

London har mange områder son har spesialisert seg innen en genre. Soho for eksempel har en mengde bitte små butikker som selger mat og delikatesser fra hele verden. Charing Cross Road er kjent for alle sine bokbutikker som enorme Foyles.

Ikke glem London's mange markeder når du ser etter noe uvanlig. eller vil prøve å gjøre et kupp.

Hvis ikke noe av det overnevnte appellerer kan du alltid prøve Harrods - de fleste havner der før eller siden.

Department Stores

Army & Navy
101 Victoria Street
London SW1E 6QX
Tel: 0171 834 1234

Fenwick of Bond Street
63 New Bond Street
London W1Y
Tel: 0171 629 9161

Conran Shop

81 Fulham Road
London SW3
Tel: 0171 589 7401
and

55 Marlybone High Street
W1
Tel: 0171 376 2448

Regent Street

Dickins and Jones
0171 734 7070
224 Regent Street
Mega-shop devoted to fashion and beauty.

Liberty
0171 734 1234
This faux-tudor store has successfully over-the-top character in its worn oak and starkly modern interiors as well as its goods. Famous for its textiles and fabrics - a mix of exotic imports and its own rather twee designs - the store now also has a reputation for stocking the funkiest classiest fashions and accessories in London.

Picadilly

Sogo
0171 839 8571
7th Floor, Haymarket House, 28 Haymarket SW1.
Japanese haven for luxurious brands - men's and women's wear, gifts and china.

Fortnum and Mason
0171 734 8040
181 Piccadilly

Stately old store to purr around and buy excellent foodie gifts and life's little essentials like imported teas, chocolates, wines and tinned grouse. Table and clothes collections too.

Knightsbridge

Peter Jones

0171 730 3434
Sloan Square
Part of the excellent John Lewis department store chain.

Harrods

0171 730 1234
87 Brompton Road, SW1
This department superstore, certainly the most famous in Britain, maybe the Universe, is breathtakingly extravagant in its flash cash décor and departments stocked with every conceivable luxury. The famous food halls are worth a whirl.

Harvey Nichols

0171 235 5000
109 Knightsbridge SW1
Harvey Nicks has evolved from being the store where Sloanes went to have their tiaras polished or to buy a kilt to the most leading edge contemporary fashion store in Britain for men and women. It is now synonymous with style; its directional and it's sexy. The fifth floor combines posh nosh bar and restaurants with a food hall.

Fashion

Muji
157 Kensington High Street
London W8
Tel: 0171 376 2484

Hermes
173-176 Sloane Street
London SW1x
Tel: 0171 259 5091

Red or Dead

41-43 Neal Street
Covent Garden
London WC12H
Tel: 0171 397 7571

Sally Parsons
15 Bute Street
London SW7 3EY
020 7584 8866
and
610 Fulham Road SW6 5RP
Tel: 020 7471 4848

A la Mode
36 Hans Crescent
London SW1
Tel: 020 7584 2133

MaxMara
153 New Bond Street
London
Tel: 0171 491 4748
and
32 Sloane Street

St. Christopher Place

Whistles
0171 487 4484
Contemporary womenswear.

Oxford Street

Selfridges

Oxford street’s most famous shop is Selfridges, a vast department store near Bond Street tube station. The shop was built in 1909 by the American Gordon Selfridge, and was the biggest shop in Britain.
The shop is so large that a printed floor plan is available near the entrance to help you navigate around.

Top Shop/Top Man
0171 636 7700
214 Oxford Street
DJ's whip up the music blasts while the young-at-heart cruise packed rails of inexpensive, fashion-conscious clothes.

Designer Labels

Barrett Street

Jigsaw
0171 491 9169
Classic, contemporary women's clothing and accessories with a design-led appeal

Gees Court

Paddy Campbell
0171 493 5646
Original English womenswear with classic references.

Prohibito
0171 409 2769
Designer labels for men and women.

Changing Room
0171 408 1596
Ladies designer fashions, including Ally Capellino, Issey Miyake, and Workers for Freedom

Mulberry
0141 493 2546
English clothing and accessories.

James Street

T Burrows
0171 935 9275
Exclusive men's casual wear . Famous for bathing shorts!

Wigmore Street

Robert Clergorie
0171 935 3601
Much covered designer shoes for men and women. Shoes are hand-cut from the best French leather.

St. Christopher Place

Vicky Martin
0171 486 1102
Fab designs from this young British designer.

Droopy and Browns
0171 486 6458
Beautifully designed suits and special occasion wear, and a fantastic selection of hats.

Buckle my Shoe
0171 935 5589
Trendy shoes and clothes for kids.

Jane and Dada
0171 486 0977
Contemporary fashion labels including Fenn Wright and Mason

Nicole Farhi
0171 486 3418
Stylish womenswear from the famous designer.

Woodhouse
0171 486 1099
Large selection of menswear designer labels.

Regent Street

Aquascutum
0171 734 6090
Burberry's ancient rival in the raincoat stakes.

Burberry's
0171 734 4060
165 Regent Street.
There is a far greater range of clothes than the raincoats and scarves with that unmistakable check

Covent Garden

Duffer of St. George
0171 378 4884
London is famous for its street-style the world over. Duffer's has been at the forefront, supplying the city's fashion victims for over a decade.
Also at 18 Haymarket, SW1 0171 930 3343.

Paul Smith
0171 379 7133
41-44 Floral Street WC2E
Paul Smith is one of Britain's leading menswear designers. Loved by both young trendies and their dads. Clothes that are best described as classic with a twist.

Accessories

St. Christopher Place

Osprey
0171 935 2824
British Handbags to die for.

Toko
0171 486 8332
Silver Jewellery specialist.

Amber centre
0171 224 2953
Beautiful amber and silver jewellery

Hair & Beauty

Gees Court

Yves Rocher
0171 408 2975
Natural beauty products and salon offering full range of treatments at competitive prices.

James Street

JF Lazartique
0171 529 6487
Specialist hair and scalp treatments.

SK Hair Salon
0171 935 0096
Specialist hair salon also offering shiatsu massage.

Covent Garden

Penhaligons
0171 836 2150
41 Wellington Street, WC2
Classic British fragrances for both men and women. An Institution.

Shoes

Armando Pollini Design
35 Brook Street
London W1Y
Tel: 0171 629 7606

Bruno Magli
207 Sloane Street
London SW1X
Tel: 0171 235 7939

Audley Shoe Makers
96 Mount Street
London W1Y
Tel: 0171 491 3441

Bertie Shoes
36 South Molten Street
London SW1Y
Tel: 0171 499 7524

Clio of Bond Street
75 New Bond Street
London SW1X
Tel: 0171 499 7524

Jimmy Choo
20 Motcomb Street
London SW1X
Tel: 0171 235 0242

Kalliste
37 Brook Street
London W1Y
Tel: 0171 491 8562

Kurt Geiger
49 New Bond Street
London W1Y
Tel: 0171 491 8562

Manolo Blahnik
49 - 51 Old Church Street
London SW3
Tel: 0171 352 3863
Jimmy Moke
398 Kings Road
London W2
Tel: 0171 225 0663

Sergio Rossi
12 Beauchamp Place
London SW3
Tel: 0171 225 0663

Wannabe at Patrick Cox
124 Sloane Street
London SW1X
Tel: 0171 730 8888

Health & Beauty

Nicky Clarke
130 Mount Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7491 4700
A salon of renown, Beauty & grooming rooms

Martyn Maxey
Hairdressing
18 Grosvenor Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7629 6181
This beautiful salon in situated in Mayfair

Molton Brown
54 Rosslyn Hill
London NW3
Tel: 020 7794 2022
Pioneers and innovators in the world of hairdressing

John Frieda
4 Aldford Street
London W1Y 5PU
Tel 020 7491 0840
Very exclusive, high profile clientele

Crispin
10 Abingdon Road
London W8 6AF
Tel: 020 7938 9977
One of the longest established salons in the area
Aromatherapy treatments available.