Anywhere but Oxford Street: Shopping in East London

“If you’re looking for suitable alternatives to Oxford Street, Covent Garden or Camden Market, try some retail therapy in East London instead. With a varied selection of market stalls and shops, from independent creatives selling one-off vintage finds to huge malls with all your favourite high street and designer brands, there are retail opportunities aplenty. Here are our top tips for East London shopping, most of which are within walking distance from your East London hotel.

_Photo by Malcolm Lightbody on Unsplash_

Brick Lane Market
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Join the cool kids and head to Brick Lane Market on Sundays to find the trendiest selection of second-hand furniture, vintage clothing and retro collectables.

While you’re shopping at the second-hand stalls, popping in and out of the permanent shops and picking up some of Brick Lane’s finest food at an eclectic collection of food stalls, from bagels to curries, you’ll also be entertained by street performers and be able to spot some of London’s coolest graffiti.

The joy of this market is in just how diverse and quirky the selection of shopping on offer is – you could buy anything from homemade arts and crafts to vintage typewriters and broken guitars.

Brick Lane Tea Rooms
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To buy all the vintage trinkets you never knew you wanted, head to The Tea Rooms in The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. The indoor store has plenty of stalls selling all things retro, from antique maps and taxidermy from around the world to vintage costume jewellery and collectors’ items.

It even has London’s largest selection of vintage typewriters, and, if you’re hungry, you can also pick up vegan cupcakes and pastries, as well as snacks inspired by Filipino flavours.

_Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash_

Old Spitalfields Market
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The achingly cool Old Spitalfields Market was once the best place to snap up fresh fruit and vegetables, but nowadays it’s an energetic and hip place to find independent shops selling everything from one-off fashion designs to quirky homeware products.

The enormous roofed market is open seven days a week and, as well as browsing one-off finds from independent retailers, creatives and artisans, you can snap up items from well-known brands such as Mac or Chanel and grab lunch from a selection of street vendors.

Do some research in advance to find out what day to go. You might like to visit on Thursdays to browse the weekly antiques market, or on certain Fridays for the vinyl market.

Westfield Stratford City
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If you want to tick off lots of shopping needs in one visit, make sure to check out Westfield Stratford City. The enormous mall is Europe’s largest urban shopping and leisure destination, and has over 250 shops, over 80 restaurants, bars and cafes, and even three hotels with over 600 rooms.

As well as being home to a vast range of shops, from fashion brands to technology giants, the mega mall is also home to a 17-screen cinema, a gym, a casino and a bowling alley – great if you want to get in some entertainment too.

_Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash_

Columbia Road Flower Market
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You might not particularly consider yourself to be a horticultural enthusiast, but this will all change once you visit Columbia Road Flower Market. Every Sunday, this East London street explodes with colour, noise and activity as traders line the street to sell everything from gigantic houseplants to dainty flowers.

As well as picking up excellent deals for all the plants you never knew you needed, make sure you check out the 60 independent shops, galleries and restaurants that line the streets. You’ll find unexpected antiques, vintage clothes, organic sweet treats and, of course, plenty of plant-related purchases for the new blooms in your life.

Rough Trade East
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If you love records, you’ve probably already checked out Rough Trade East. Set in the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, the enormous store – one of Europe’s largest record stores – is not just the place to pick up every record, CD, book and even cassette imaginable.

It also has a cafe and a purpose-built stage where you can see sets from a diverse range of bands. Best of all, these gigs are often free, making it a must-visit for any music fan on your next holiday to London.

_Photo by Charles ?? on Unsplash_

Atika
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If you’re a vintage enthusiast, get yourself down to the biggest vintage store in London: Atika. The Shoreditch department store is set in a historic Victorian warehouse which has been home to everything from a cobbler’s to a furniture manufacturers.

The beautifully renovated vintage paradise has over 20,000 pieces of clothing to browse, but if fashion isn’t your thing, you can also snap up vintage games, comics, accessories, art, books, records and furniture. As well as little-known designers, you’ll also find vintage pieces from well-known brands such as Burberry, Armani, Nike and Levi.

There’s also an upcycled range that reworks vintage clothing to create unique pieces that won’t end up in a landfill. Unlike so many vintage stores, each piece is painstakingly restored and presented to make this a seamless and classy shopping experience.”