Best Places For Cheap Shopping In London - Where To Shop On A Budget - London Kensington Guide (2023)

FAQs

What is the best area in London for shopping? ›

Oxford Street is considered the centre of London's shopping world. Holding well over 300 shops, 4 underground stations, as well as flagship stores for numerous companies, Oxford Street is not only the busiest shopping location in London it's the largest shopping district in existence.

London may not be known for being the most affordable city in the world. In fact, it's one of the most expensive. But shopping for fashion in London doesn't have to break the bank. From high street store to designer outlet, there are more than one bargain to be had in the capital.

Joining Chelsea to its north is the neighborhood of Kensington, which is also part of the same borough. A lot like Chelsea, Kensington is one of the richest neighborhoods in London yet has a slightly more cosmopolitan feel to it.

Kensington High Street is among London's most famous shopping districts with a rich mix of stores and residents.

Kensington High Street is one of western London's most popular shopping streets, with upmarket shops serving a wealthy area.

SoHo is one of the City's most eclectic shopping enclaves, holding everything from designer boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops to bargain emporiums and kids stores.

Is Notting Hill good for shopping? ›

Notting Hill has been a fashion force to be reckoned with since its Bohemian era in the 1980s, when Portobello Road became the place to find one-off pieces in both the small boutiques and famous market.

We sell a lot of items. This means we're able to create savings by buying in bulk for all our stores. We do very little advertising. We design clothes that offer the latest trend, but we don't use expensive hangers, tags or labels.

The Short Answer is Luxury Brands are cheaper in Paris compared to London! If you are traveling to both London and Paris and you are unsure where to purchase your luxury bags, accessories or clothes from, the answer is Paris!

Belgravia

Located in Central London, within both Westminster, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, this district is one of the most exclusive in London. It is such a luxurious neighbourhood that it is even known throughout the world to be the best area in London to live.

A single person living in London would need about £50,000 a year; A couple should be able to get by with £60,000 a year; A family of four would need an average income of £70,000 to cover the cost of living in London.

Sheffield is the UK's most affordable city as per the NatWest 2021 research with 60% green space in the city. The city is known to offer the most affordable education and leisure experience to their students. The city also has some of the most affordable universities where you can study.

Typically, North London is more expensive to live in than south of the river. If you can afford it, the most expensive areas of all in the north of the capital are currently Islington and Lambeth, the least expensive being Enfield and Croydon, both within easy commuting distance of the city centre.

But even with so much tourism in this fantastic city, it still has the reputation of being an incredibly expensive place to visit. So how much will a London trip cost? While London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, it is still possible to visit on a budget.

As a rule it's cheaper to live in East London than west, great news when you're on a budget. There's more great news, this time if you love to get out and about after dark. East London has a better nightclub scene, with a wider choice of places to paint the town red. It also makes for a cheaper night out.

Which is posher Kensington or Chelsea? ›

Kensington is one of the most affluent, posh and sophisticated areas of central London. It is a district of West London, within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is an elegant, but densely populated area which is home to the well-known museum district of South Kensington.

South Kensington attracts millions of visitors and tourists per year. Its many cultural attractions include the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.

What Are the Traditionally Posh Areas in London? Knightsbridge, the City of Westminster, and Chelsea are traditionally posh areas of London.

Located in the heart of the city, the famous Oxford Street is home to more than 300 shops, which offer the most exquisite London shopping experience which means Oxford Street shopping is amongst the best things to do in London on your trip.

Kensington is, in general, an extremely affluent area, a trait that it shares with Chelsea, its neighbour to the south. The area has some of London's most expensive streets and garden squares, and at about the turn of the 21st century the Holland Park neighbourhood became particularly high-status.

Oxford Street: Probably the most famous shopping street in London.

This Kensington and Chelsea neighborhood is one of the wealthiest in the city, and is home to various celebrities and their families.

Sir Richard Branson

As the owner of the world-renowned Virgin Media Group, Richard Branson is known to spend time in his Kensington home between visits to his luxurious private island in the Caribbean.

Then Kensington & Chelsea is the perfect choice for your stay in London. This royal borough in the west end is filled with quintessentially British architecture, colorful streets, and lovely storefronts. Be sure to check out Sloane Square, a famous shopping street filled with cute cafes and fancy restaurants.

Zara, Europe's biggest clothing retailer, has some of the biggest percentage price differentials between the UK and the rest of Europe. A British shopper pays £49.99 for a linen blend tunic dress at one of Zara's stores in the UK, equal to €58.70 at current exchange rates.

Is LV cheap in London? ›

A Louis Vuitton handbag is now cheaper to buy in London than anywhere else. London is now the cheapest place to buy a Louis Vuitton handbag. According to research from Deloitte, many luxury goods now cost less in dollar terms in Britain than in any other country.

If you shorten “South of Houston (Street)” to the first two letters of “South” followed by the first two letters of “Houston”, you get the acronym “SoHo”. This was common at the time – just look at Tribeca (originally TriBeCa), which is formed when you shorten “Triangle Below Canal Street” in the same way.

The best streets to shopping in SoHo are Spring Street, Broome Street and Prince Street as well as Broadway!

Short for South of Houston (pronounced HOUSE-tin) Street, the neighborhood of SoHo got its name from the catchy naming acronyms that keep popping up. It is also a play on the London neighborhood of the same name. Other New York City acronyms are DUMBO and TriBeCa.

Portobello Road Market is the famous antique market in London that you need to visit. Filled with everything from vintage trinkets and pre-loved games, to fresh fruit and flowers, it's no wonder that this market is adored by locals and tourists alike.

Bring plenty of cash - most vendors don't take credit cards. This is a wonderful street market only open on Saturdays. It is filled with vintage items--silver, jewellery, clothes, everything you can imagine. There are also vintage shops along the street that are open during the week.

The Portobello Road Market is open every day of the week, so you can visit just about anytime you wish. However, it should be noted that some shops such as the antiques and bric-a-brac stalls are only open on Saturdays. This is arguably the best day of the week to visit as the market is in full swing.

Zara was slightly more expensive, and it didn't offer everything H&M did in terms of basics, beauty products, and accessories. Even though Zara was less cluttered and is performing well sales-wise, I found that H&M had more to offer overall.

Why is Zara affordable? ›

These fast-fashion brands have cheap labor, cheap materials and fast production schedules. These factors enable Zara to adopt low pricing strategy. ZARA was recognized as its first-class image, second-class production and third-rate price. It doesn't have expensive design, advertising and raw material costs.

Prices in Primark stores may be similar to what you find in Walmart (WMT). But the store atmosphere is very different. It strives to be young and edgy -- similar to H&M or Forever 21.

Primark on Twitter: "@RooJSmith Hi, we don't charge for bags in England." / Twitter.

Is Burberry cheaper in London? As Burberry is a British brand, it's cheaper to buy direct from Burberry stores in the UK than in the US or other countries where import and sales taxes are added.

It is substantially cheaper to buy luxury products from brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, or Gucci in Paris, their prices being on average between 30% and 40% cheaper in France than in other countries, especially those outside the European Union.

For first time visitors, we recommend spending at least four or five days in London, which will give you enough time to get a feel for the city and see many of its main sites. With so much to do and see in London, we've come up with some bucket-list suggestions on how you can make the most of your time in London!

Mayfair is the best area to stay in London for first time visitors to the city because of its proximity to Hyde Park, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. The architecture and tiny side streets also make Mayfair one of the most instagrammable spots in London.

Oxford Street

This is perhaps one of the most iconic street names in the country, especially amongst shoppers and fashion enthusiasts. Oxford Street is the centre of London's retail scene and is home to a huge list of high-end brands and luxury boutiques.

Trafalgar Square is the geographic center of London from which all road distances are measured.

Soho is the centre of all nightlife in London both spiritually and geographically. Placed slap-bang in the centre of the city, this world-renowned party place is known for some of the craziest dance nights in town.

Where should I stay in London to walk everywhere? ›

Mayfair, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Chelsea – all these are largely safe to walk around any time of day. Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia are also very safe, but standard precautions apply at night. Covent Garden is generally fine but things can get lively late on weekend nights.

The most affordable time to visit London will almost always be the winter months of January and February, as the holiday season is over and there's not a whole lot going on. Hotels in London are almost always busy, so there usually isn't a season in which you can expect much better prices on your hotel room.

For many, The West End is London – buzzing, packed and always lively. The West End – which generally refers to Covent Garden, Piccadilly and Leicester Square – is undoubtedly the best area to stay in London for sightseeing and shopping.

Covering most of the central area of Greater London and West end and located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, the City of Westminster is located directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Where is Soho? Soho is located in London's West End in the borough of the City of Westminster. It's a small geographical area in the heart of London, covering just over one square mile – so it's perfect to explore on foot.

One of the most commonly cited divides between areas of London is East London vs West London – and it's easy to see why. West London is typically seen as the more posh side of the city, while East London is known for being a bit more gritty.