Luxury Retail in London: The Best Places to Shop
The Best Places For Luxury Retail in London
London’s luxury products are a draw for both locals and tourists. Its renowned department stores, including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, sell designer clothing and accessories for men and women. The area is also home to trendy boutiques.
The city’s upscale ‘villages,’ such as Connaught Village and Marylebone Village, offer hyper-localisation and trend-led retail experiences. A survey conducted by Walpole revealed that 81 percent of respondents feel positive about the future of luxury London.
Bond Street
The world famous shopping street, Bond Street, is home to some of the most luxurious department stores and boutiques in London. It is the perfect place to spend a day of luxury and indulgence. It is also known as one of the most exclusive shopping areas in Europe.
Technically, there is no single Bond Street; it actually consists of two streets, Old and New Bond Street. The older street was laid out at the end of the 17th century, while New Bond Street was developed 14 years later.
The shops of Bond Street are filled with a variety of luxury items, from designer fashion to vintage jewelry. The area is also home to several high-end art galleries and auction houses. Among them is the Royal Academy of Arts, where visitors can enjoy free art exhibits and events. The street is also home to many prestigious brands, including Rigby and Peller (the official provider of queenly underpants), the Hermès store, and Tiffany’s & Co.
Sloane Street
Known around the world for its stately straight line of luxury flagship boutiques, Sloane Street has been given an elegant glow-up. The kilometre-long road, owned by majority long-term landowner Cadogan Estates, has been transformed into a beautiful green boulevard from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square.
A series of public realm enhancements, including wider pavements, a spectacular planting scheme and enhanced lighting will make it a greener and more elegant neighbourhood. There are also plans to create a pedestrianised mews filled with restaurants and artisan food shops, as well as a new home for bees in a tres chic ‘pocket forest’ on Pont Street.
The most significant investment in the street since it was commissioned by the 1st Earl Cadogan in the 18th Century, will reinforce its position as a global leader in luxury retail and vibrant residential neighbourhood. The program will see luxury fashion brands such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta and Valentino upgrading their stores or moving to larger premises on the prestigious shopping street.
Knightsbridge
When it comes to luxury retail, Knightsbridge is hard to beat. The swanky enclave is home to Harrods and Harvey Nichols, which both offer high-end fashion brands in opulent surroundings. There are also plenty of designer boutiques and hotels like the Mandarin Oriental, which offers afternoon tea, or the The Berkeley with its beautiful interior courtyard.
The area straddles the boundaries of Kensington and Chelsea and is bordered by Hyde Park to the north. Its USP is high octane glamour and serious wealth, which is reflected in its department stores – temples to modern consumerism complete with giant size walk-in dolls houses, working mini Ferrari style cars and more.
A new luxury destination has recently been launched in Knightsbridge called The Collection. It is a new modern mixed-use scheme with 12 retail units behind a Grade II listed facade that also offers high quality office and residential space. The scheme has been developed by Colliers, on behalf of APML Estate.
Westfield London
Westfield London is the UK’s largest shopping center and a multi-use venue to shop, eat, meet and work. The architecturally stunning mall in Shepherd’s Bush hosts a full calendar of arts and educational events beneath a spectacular glass roof.
The center has a huge selection of high street and luxury shops such as M&S, Next, House of Fraser and Waitrose. It is also home to a range of independent stores such as Charles Tyrwhitt, Bravissimo and TM Lewin. A small boutique area in The Village at Westfield has luxury brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and Hugo Boss.
Both the main shopping centre and its extension are within easy reach of central London by tube – Wood Lane station (Hammersmith and City line) on the western side and Shepherd’s Bush Market on the east. There are also several buses that stop right outside the complex. Both centres have free WiFi and offer a left luggage office, 14 screen cinema, library, gym and spa.