Top 5 Shopping Stores in the UK
If you are new to the UK and want to know where the best shopping stores are, read this article. Here are some recommendations on where to find the best clothes and electrical stores. Also, if you’re looking for bargains, visit Debenhams’ online stores. This department store chain offers many household names including Regatta, Hobbs, and Birkenstock. Debenhams also has a great sale section and offers online-exclusive deals. Shoppers will also find high-quality cosmetics and clothes.
Harrods
If you are planning to travel to London, it is a good idea to check out the famous department store called Harrods. This luxury department store is located on Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London. It is owned by the state of Qatar and the Qatar Investment Authority. The store offers world-class luxury products, including a prestigious selection of jewelry, watches, and other accessories. It has been in operation for more than 100 years, and its history dates back to 1790.
Its 330 departments offer a wide variety of products and services. There are several floors for different products, including menswear, electronics, jewelry, sports gear, bridal trousseau, and children’s clothing. Food and drinks are also available, and the stores even have a Moroccan spa. However, the store isn’t perfect for everyone. It’s best to go with a group of no more than four people and shop individually.
Selfridges
For centuries, shoppers have flocked to Selfridges for a wide range of clothing, home furnishings, and more. Founded in 1859, Selfridges has been a staple of the UK shopping scene. In 1910, it opened its Roof-Garden Restaurant where customers could dine in a serene setting away from the city’s bustling streets. The department store has stayed innovative and forward-looking ever since and continues to thrive today as one of the largest and most iconic department stores in London. It also has stores in Manchester and Birmingham, and it is a part of the fabric of shopping in the United Kingdom.
In 1913, Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of the company, bought the company from Charles J. Norman. The sale was a huge success, and the store expanded its operations to new locations. Selfridges’s flagship store in London expanded and gained new stores outside of the city. The 1920s were a boom time for the retail industry and the store continued to expand and promote special events to draw shoppers in. In 1925, a man named John Logie Baird demonstrated the world’s first television to the store’s customers. In addition, the BBC broadcast live music from the Selfridges roof. By 1929, Selfridges was the largest retail group in Europe.
Next
The Next brand has influenced British high streets for years. They offer coordinated collections of women’s, men’s, and kids’ clothes. Women will find a huge selection of bras, including maternity and plunge bras. Men can find dashing suits, shirts, and contrasting ties. Men can get all of their clothing needs at Next UK. It has been operating in the UK for over 35 years and has over 500 stores.
Founded in Leeds in 1864, Next is an FTSE 100 listed company that trades in over 500 stores throughout the UK and in more than 200 cities worldwide. Its stores are accessible and fun, and they strive to make the shopping experience as pleasant as possible. Whether you’re shopping for the latest fashions or just a great pair of shoes, Next is a brand that has something for everyone. With over 500 locations in the UK and a global reach of over 200 stores, Next is a staple for fashion lovers and a great choice for fashionistas.
Intu Merry Hill in the West Midlands is another store opening later this year. Next has converted a former Sainsbury’s unit into a 75,680 square foot store. The retail outlet has a 2,000-square-foot restaurant and a bakery, so customers can enjoy a meal in the restaurant while shopping. The store offers an extensive collection of brands including Ralph Lauren, Levis, Jigsaw, and EOS.
IKEA
The opening of IKEA’s first city-center store in the UK has been welcomed with great fanfare. The boss of the Swedish furniture giant hopes the new store in Hammersmith will encourage more people to buy their products. The store will stock everything from home accessories to entire room sets. Customers can also purchase and arrange home delivery of furniture and other items. For more information on IKEA’s new stores, click here.
As of 2021, there were 36 IKEA stores in the UK. The company operates in nineteen countries and employs over 225,000 people in total. Their stores include ready-to-assemble furniture, home appliances, accessories, and even hot food such as Swedish meatballs. As of 2021, IKEA was ranked the eighth-most valuable retailer in the world and the most valuable brand in the furniture industry, worth PS14billion. Recently, IKEA was forced to temporarily close all its stores in Russia. The closure affected some 15,000 workers.
IKEA has launched a shop-in-shop initiative to reduce its carbon footprint. The stores will focus on five key areas – using less energy, creating less waste, reducing single-use items, recycling, and reselling. The company plans to become 100% plastic-free by 2020. If you’re in London, visit IKEA Hammersmith! Just a quarter of the size of a conventional store, this store offers plenty of inspiration for a ‘life at home. The store is also expanding its textile recycling scheme.
Marks & Spencer
As one of the leading retailers of groceries, clothing, and homewares, Marks and Spencer have a global presence. The company operates a network of more than 1,037 retail stores in the UK and in 472 locations worldwide. Today, Marks & Spencer employs over 70 thousand people. In the UK, the flagship store is located in Westquay, Devon. In addition to offering an extensive assortment of goods, it also offers flower delivery.
In the past year, the company has seen sales decline, although it has managed to halt the decline of its clothing, home, and fashion business. However, its fashion sales are still 25% lower than they were four years ago. This is causing the company to consider closing down large stores and focusing on fewer, but better locations. Despite these challenges, the company has already begun implementing significant changes, including moving away from town center sites and criticizing the government and local authority policies that have failed to boost the UK retail sector.
Brexit has imposed numerous costs on the retailer. In the financial year that ended in March, M&S reported over PS16 million in costs. The company had to pay for a digital track-and-trace platform and veterinary certification of animals. Fortunately, the company has been able to reduce these costs by reducing its presence in France. Nevertheless, M&S is planning to close its stores in France in the coming years.
Ellesmere Port
The new mall in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire has opened and has many retail outlets. Located in the town, Cheshire Oaks is the largest designer outlet in the UK. You can find clothes, homeware, furniture, and more at bargain prices in this outlet. You can save up to 50% on designer goods here. The outlet has become a popular destination for designer bargain hunters. It has more than 140 stores and is open every day, from Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Getting to the Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is easy. Two bus services connect the city center with Cheshire Oaks. Stagecoach number 1 runs between Liverpool and Chester City Centre, stopping in Ellesmere Port, where you can board the no. 4 bus. Alternatively, take bus no. 1 or X1 to the Designer Outlet. Once there, it takes approximately 15 minutes to reach the outlet.
Trafford Centre
Located in Urmston, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, the Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping and leisure complex. The center is situated within the industrial estate of Trafford Park, five miles west of Manchester city center. Visitors can find many shops and restaurants in the complex. The shopping complex offers an excellent range of fashion and home goods, as well as a movie theatre. You can find many popular brands at this shopping center, and you can enjoy all of the latest trends in fashion, electronics, and more.
The shopping center features 230 stores spread over two floors. These stores cover all budgets, offering a diverse range of goods and services. Visitors can find clothes for the entire family and everything in between, from designer brands to budget-friendly brands. The Trafford Centre shopping center is one of Manchester’s premier shopping centers, with something for everyone. However, it’s important to note that the center is very popular, especially during Christmas.
Knightsbridge Estate
The latest addition to the Knightsbridge Estate shopping complex is an Italian leather goods brand, Furla. The Italian leather goods brand plans to build a flagship store of 436 sqm in the basement of its new Knightsbridge Estate building. Furla will also build a new shop front and a level ground floor. Despite its proximity to Knightsbridge Station, the new store will look very different from its previous designs.
The refurbished Estate is a PS160 million mixed-use development in London, which will include residential, office, and retail space. The new buildings will feature world-class retail space, 35 apartments, and a rooftop restaurant. The revamped Knightsbridge Estate also includes substantial upgrades to the nearby Knightsbridge Underground station and two new 17-person lifts. The property has an excellent reputation and will certainly attract a number of new tenants.
The redevelopment of Knightsbridge Estate is a huge project with numerous phases and amenities. The construction of the new shopping centers will include the renovation of the existing Knightsbridge Estate, which sits between two flagship stores and Harvey Nichols. In addition, the project will include an additional 67,000 square feet of office space and 33 apartments, as well as a rooftop restaurant. As of the moment, three of the seven flagship stores have been pre-let.