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Products to get in London
- Thread starter GfPQqmcRKUvP
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No! Don't go to Harrod's - it's an awful shop, tacky, expensive and strictly for tourists. No Londoner would shop there.
Instead, go to Martin-Stone or Discount Shoes and get some real hand-made English shoes. You'll get shoes which will cost a lot but last a long time and which could be the smartest, most comfortable shoes you'll own.
I'd also suggest going to Neal's Yard Dairy and getting some cheese. They have the best cheeses from all over Britain - after tasting something from Neal's Yard, supermarket cheese just isn't the same. You won't be able to take cheese back to the US though.
- HB
Ok, fair enough. It definitely reminds me of England once I think about them.
Can't say the same thing about Doc Martens. They're not ultra-popular anymore across the Atlantic, so even if you bring a pair home, nobody is going to be particularly impressed. You'd be better off buying an umbrella, Paul Smith stuff, a decent pair of trousers (that aren't as baggy as American things can be), and a pair of shoes from.....I don't know.
Ted Baker isn't all that widely available in the US. You'd think it would be well known, but it's in line with Paul Smith in the popularity department outside the UK, I reckon.
Paul Smith is really British though although there are a couple of international shops, he still has "Nottingham" as the founding branch cause that's where he's from, which I rather like.
Dr. Martens are along similar lines, I think, even though they are available internationally, they're a really iconic British brand. Topshop I don't think is recognisable as a UK brand it's no different to H&M and is just like a cheaper Urban Outfitters or something, there's nothing uniquely British about the clothes you get there, or the shops themselves.
I'd agree about the big names, but Neal Street has changed loads in the last few years and there's a couple of really interesting little shoe shops and more second hand clothes shops and new but interesting clothes shops. I'm sure the OP will know to avoid Footlocker.Definitely explore the streets around it as well, though, Badandy. Magma books is really nice on Earlham Street, and a couple of doors down they've opened a design "bits and pieces" type shop which will almost definitely have something interesting to take home there.
Just thought as well, Badandy what about the London Transport Museum shop at Covent Garden as well? There's some really interesting and good quality designery souvenir stuff there.
No, not really.
Just searched the interwebs. Their NY store was announced, designed, and built, but hasn't opened yet.
They're really more of a UK phenomenon right now than anything else. They have stores in Europe, but they're not as internationally known as you believe. People know them from their flagship store during their visit to London. That's usually it.
As long as she brings the money home, who cares where she stands?
Where it's made is irrelevant, no? "British" things don't need to be made in the UK for it to be seen as really really British.
Well, I googled and wiki says:
"Several branches of Topshop can be found outside the United Kingdom, most notably in the Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. The chain also includes stores in Iceland, Sweden, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia, Austria, Turkey, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates."
That's hardly a "UK phenomenon". That's spanning two continents (including the middle east) with an upcoming presence in North America. Sounds pretty ubiquitous to me. Lau was spot on: it's like visiting bloody H&M in Sweden.
"Several branches of Topshop can be found outside the United Kingdom, most notably in the Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. The chain also includes stores in Iceland, Sweden, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Russia, Austria, Turkey, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates."
That's hardly a "UK phenomenon". That's spanning two continents (including the middle east) with an upcoming presence in North America. Sounds pretty ubiquitous to me. Lau was spot on: it's like visiting bloody H&M in Sweden.
Buy some Burberry combined with Adidas.
The world is a pretty big place, and yet there are around 40 shops outside the UK, and the majority of those are located in Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. The rest of the countries they're in, mostly in Europe, have 1-3 shops. That's not ubiquitous.
Badandy is American, the biggest retail market in the world, and there are no Topshops in America at the moment. Not being in the biggest market in the world doesn't make Topshop ubiquitous. Not being in the biggest Asian markets, where most of the clued-in consumers are in the continent, doesn't make it ubiquitous. They have a small booth in a single branch of a Tokyo department store, and if you've ever been to Japan (or a Mitsukoshi or something in Singapore), are small spaces that offer only a small taste of what's on offer at a real store. That's ubiquitous? Even the Wiki article you quoted says "a few branches outside the UK".
However, decent availability (6-7 stores) in Singapore, your home, doesn't make Topshop ubiquitous. It makes Topshop ubiquitous in Singapore.
The world is a pretty big place, and yet there are around 40 shops outside the UK, and the majority of those are located in Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. The rest of the countries they're in, mostly in Europe, have 1-3 shops. That's not ubiquitous.
Badandy is American, the biggest retail market in the world, and there are no Topshops in America at the moment. Not being in the biggest market in the world doesn't make Topshop ubiquitous. Not being in the biggest Asian markets, where most of the clued-in consumers are in the continent, doesn't make it ubiquitous. They have a small booth in a single branch of a Tokyo department store, and if you've ever been to Japan (or a Mitsukoshi or something in Singapore), are small spaces that offer only a small taste of what's on offer at a real store. That's ubiquitous? Even the Wiki article you quoted says "a few branches outside the UK".
However, decent availability (6-7 stores) in Singapore, your home, doesn't make Topshop ubiquitous. It makes Topshop ubiquitous in Singapore.
. . . and thus not a "UK phenomenon", and therefore, not primarily local.
You can quibble that a widespread presence in two continents is not ubiquitous, but I'm not interested in nitpicking over my choice of words. The point is that Topshop is not primarily a UK phenomenon, and not local enough to be of "local" interest.
It says no such thing.
L
Lau
Guest
Before this descends into a huge argument to the detriment of Badandy's thread, I think you're both at cross purposes here a little bit. Topshop is a UK brand, and most of its shops are in the UK Abstract's right about that. But I think ohforfckssake! is right (and what I was also trying to get across) is that there isn't anything interesting or particularly British about Topshop stuff not only can you buy it (in limited places) worldwide, but mainly because it's just fairly generic international-style cheap clothing and not something I'd suggest as a interesting or particularly British thing for someone to buy, particularly if they're looking for something 'special' or unusual.
Portobello market is a good suggestion. Is that market near Shoreditch (if you're walking from Liverpool Street) still going? There were some nice independent clothing bits there, and loads of old books and photos and retro things for sale. I have a feeling it moved from its previous location though, or closed down for good. If not, that's a great place to find second-hand stuff.
Portobello market is a good suggestion. Is that market near Shoreditch (if you're walking from Liverpool Street) still going? There were some nice independent clothing bits there, and loads of old books and photos and retro things for sale. I have a feeling it moved from its previous location though, or closed down for good. If not, that's a great place to find second-hand stuff.
Wow! What a response!
I will get something and let you know. I'm drooling over these.
My only concern is they are black, and I usually like brown shoes with jeans. Someone convince me otherwise, these shoes are awesome.
Well I love chocolate and confectionery. Consider it done.
I just looked them up and they have some awesome apparel and such. Even better, they're in Covent Garden, which is super close to where I'm staying. Great suggestion.
Alright.
I will find something better. Same company though
I will get something and let you know. I'm drooling over these.
My only concern is they are black, and I usually like brown shoes with jeans. Someone convince me otherwise, these shoes are awesome.
Well I love chocolate and confectionery. Consider it done.
I just looked them up and they have some awesome apparel and such. Even better, they're in Covent Garden, which is super close to where I'm staying. Great suggestion.
Alright.
I will find something better. Same company though
All this thread does for me is reenforce how small the world has gotten.
Nearly everything suggested here can be purchased in any large metro in North America or Europe, and most of what can't can still be mail ordered.
It used to be - even just 10 years ago - that there were really unique things you could get on trips that you simply couldn't ever hope to buy if you weren't lucky enough to visit. Now, between the internet, eBay, corporate consolidation, etc, etc, it's all gone
Nearly everything suggested here can be purchased in any large metro in North America or Europe, and most of what can't can still be mail ordered.
It used to be - even just 10 years ago - that there were really unique things you could get on trips that you simply couldn't ever hope to buy if you weren't lucky enough to visit. Now, between the internet, eBay, corporate consolidation, etc, etc, it's all gone