Tuesday, 8 September 2015

Shopping on a Budget in London

London is well-known for its designer stores and luxury boutiques but amongst these pricey shops are many low cost retailers that allow you to buy great clothes, accessories and homewares while shopping on a budget.



If visiting the capital to experience the shopping centres in London then below are some shops to look out for on your travels where you can shop in style without breaking the bank. Most popular hotel the montcalm luxury hotels  accommodation in London is near to the city’s tube stations so the following shops are easily accessible via public transport throughout the city centre.

·         & Other Stories
This is a fashion brand, owned by H & M, that offers women a wide range of chic work wear, shoes, bags, accessories and beauty products to create their own personal style or story. & Other Stories started as a beauty line 3 years ago and quickly came onto the shopping scene as a fully-fledged fashion brand. Stocking looks for the urban industrial to the softer, feminine style there is something for every woman who is fashion savvy with prices kept as affordable as possible. This store is rated number 5 in ‘Time Outs’ list of the 100 best shops in London. The nearest tube station to & Other Stories is Oxford Circus.

·         Muji
Muji is a Japanese concept store that sells low cost practical items and neat storage solutions for the home office and wardrobe. They sell useful gadgets and stationary to bedroom furniture and furnishings. They have a particularly good quality kitchenware range and their clothing range, for men and women, is worth browsing if you are looking for a simple wardrobe. The main branch in London is near to Covent Garden tube station.

·         Tiger
Tiger is a new store near Tottenham Court Road tube station and is a Danish brand that sells brightly-coloured plastic accessories you never knew you needed. There is an exciting range of kitchen and home accessories as well as amazing and fun party bag fillers, kids’ toys and back to school equipment. Seen as a really posh pound shop, a trip to Tiger is definitely worth making.

·         Zara
This womenswear store is a Spanish high street store and is the main store women use to look for that catwalk inspired outfit for a fraction of the cost. The store, on the corner of Bond Street and Oxford Street, is Europe’s biggest Zara store and has been well established in the Capital for over a decade. Zara use high quality products and materials and low prices that won’t leave you feeling guilty for treating yourself to the latest style. Zara is an international brand with over 700 stores in 70 countries and is a very strong competitor for the higher priced designer brands.

·         Beyond Retro
This store has 12 years of experience in selling vintage clothing for both men and women with vibrant 20th century fashion. They have 9 stores between England and Sweden and each store has its own treasure trove with its own unique style. Beyond Retro is also part of a global movement and recycles upwards of 500,000 items of clothing each year to bring new purpose to excess clothing and accessories. If you are a festival teen or trendy twenty-something then you will be amazed at Beyond Retro’s selection.

·         Monki
Monki is a store that many say ‘puts a smile back into fashion’. The brand came about by 3 friends dreaming of a different world of fashion that by working together they made come true. With fabulous clothes at low prices, this new store in Soho is popular with young women looking for that high-fashioned budget wardrobe. Monki is number 51 in ‘Time Outs’ list of the 100 best shops in London.

·         H & M
H&M offers fashion and quality at the best price and is particularly popular with teens who want a huge choice of pure fashion to fill their wardrobes. With this Oxford Circus H&M having a complete makeover turning 3 floors into a massive 6 floor store containing a vast amount of changing rooms on each floor, modern music and a well-stocked shoe boutique, many shoppers have an enjoyable shopping experience in what is probably now the best fashion store on Oxford Street. 

·         Absolute Vintage
This store is located on Shoreditch High Street offering great vintage items of clothing shoes and accessories for both men and women. Starting as a market stall in Portobello, the company progressed to having concessions in many designer stores across the country which has led to them now owning 3 stores across London for those people looking for unique vintage gear that has been hand-picked from around the world due to its time lasting quality and era defining design. Clothes start for £1 in the bargain bin and a whole outfit can easily be purchased for under £100. Some items need to be inspected to ensure their quality although there is a huge selection to look through to find that perfect item.

·         Decathalon
This warehouse sized London store is best for bargain running gear and cycling equipment. You will also find reasonably priced equipment for mainstream ball sports as well as swimming, surfing, fishing, horse-riding and many other popular sports.  Decathalon is a French brand and this store in Rotherhithe holds London’s biggest collection of sports equipment.

·         Primark

This Primark store in Marble Arch opened in 2001 and is laid out over 3 floors. The clothing lines and footwear are on trend and well within budget for women, men and children and you can fill huge paper bags with clothes and still have change from £50. Being so cheap has its downside for this store though with queues always long and changing rooms always full resulting in a not so pleasant shopping experience but it’s a small price to pay for the bargains you will discover.