London by area,
July 02 2024
London’s famous Soho and West End are the go-to shopping destinations for many Londoners and visitors. Flagship brands and historic department stores line Oxford Street and Regent Street In the West End. In Soho, you have boutique shops and fashionable Carnaby Street. You can cover both areas in one day, but you may run out of arms for your shopping bags! This is your guide to spending the day shopping in London’s Soho stores and West End shops.
A luxury shopping emporium since 1875, Liberty London is a must-visit Soho London store and the ideal first stop on your shopping trip. The Tudor-inspired exterior is iconic, and inside is a magical eclectic treasure trove of luxury gifts and fashion. Start at the Great Marlborough Street entrance and walk through the pretty florist department to discover a store filled with wood-panelled atriums.
Liberty’s signature floral fabrics are in the historic haberdashery section. You could try on high-end British and international fashion or pick out luxury homeware gifts and stunning oriental rugs.
For Liberty-patterned gifts that fit in a suitcase, head to the stationery department for cute diaries and journals or pick up a box or artisan chocolates.
Liberty’s is at the top of colourful Carnaby Street, where you should head next for your pick of cool clothes shops in Soho, London. Made famous as a trendsetting fashion hotspot in the 1960s, Carnaby Street has kept the connection to fashion in the decades since.
Visit RS No 9 for 60s-inspired British fashion, explore the cobbled streets of Newburgh Quarter for independent brands, like Annie’s Ibiza, and stop off for at the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs for an iced latte. The streets are fizzing with young fashionistas and art-loving Londoners stocking up their wardrobes with the next new thing.
This is British heritage footwear at its finest. Church’s has a long history, dating to 1617 when Anthony Church handcrafted shoes in Northampton. Two centuries later, Thomas Church made Church’s a well-known shoe brand, thanks to increased production and innovations like left and right shoes, half-sizes and adaptable fit. With a royal seal of approval, today, the company’s distinctive and distinguished shoe style is now part of Prada and has boots alongside the classic formal shoe.
The store is welcoming, and the staff will ensure you leave with the perfect fit. You’re also in good company on Regent Street, with plenty more high-end shops and boutiques in the West End to visit, like the high-tech Burberry store and Penhaligon’s, the home of fragrances.
If you have little ones in tow, you absolutely have to visit Hamleys – the oldest toy store in the world. The excitement starts at the window displays – mini theatres filled with toys and moving props. Inside, look for the classic Hamleys teddy bear souvenir. There’ll be plenty of excited arm tugs and wows as your kids take in the floors of toys and see all live toy demonstrations. This place is huge.
This famous toy shop in the West End is a wonderland of play and fun that has all the latest gadgets and plenty of nostalgia for the grown-ups. Video gamers will love the huge basement and its classic arcade machines. From baby toys, dolls and crafts to teenage board games, remote control vehicles and plenty of Lego, Hamleys has it all.
After all that walking around, combine your West End shopping with afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason? The Diamond Jubilee Tea Room is the ultimate destination for crustless sandwiches, delicate cakes and a piping pot of tea. Plus, you can buy a signature tea blend or create your own tea to take home.
Fortnum & Mason is a delightful department store that feels like a giant gift shop in the West End, filled with treats all under one roof. Buy a famous wicker food hamper, take home prettily wrapped biscuit treats and pick out a box of handmade chocolates. There are also plenty of fashion and beauty products to tempt you. This is the perfect end to a shopping day around West End and Soho London stores.
Shop till you drop and make a final pit stop at one of our Central London Thistle Hotels. Thistle Marble Arch, Thistle Trafalgar Square and Thistle Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are just some of our hotels that put you close to the best shops in Soho and London’s West End. Also, if you're looking to grab a bite to eat or a drink in between your shopping trip then head to the Sound Cafe and Bar where you can enjoy quality food as well plenty of live entertainment.
