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There are many great places to shop in London, with some areas specializing in particular things. Covent Garden has the most up-to-the-minute clothes, shoes, jewellery and gifts; Oxford Street is best for large department stores, music, and cheaper fashion; Bond Street and Knightsbridge are where you will find all the most expensive designer labels and goods; Mayfair and St James’s have the best art and antiques dealers.

Shops generally open 9:30am–6pm Mon–Sat, with late-night shopping until 8pm in the West End on Thursdays, and in Kensington and Chelsea on Wednesdays. Sunday has limited trading hours.

Most shops accept major credit cards and personal cheques endorsed with guarantee cards. VAT (Value Added Tax) is charged at 17.5% and almost always included in the marked price. Stores offering tax-free shopping display a distinctive sign and (for non-EU residents) will provide you with a Global Refund form for customs to validate when you leave the country.

Shoppers have a right to expect that goods are not faulty or damaged (this isn’t always the case with sale items). Always keep receipts so you can return any unsatisfactory items.

Large stores and many fashion outlets usually have end-of-season sales in January and July when there are enormous savings on many items, from furniture to fashions.

Big-label fashion houses are in Bond Street, Knightsbridge and Sloane Street. Bespoke wear for men is in Savile Row and St James’s. Oxford Street is good for mid-range clothes. For street fashion, try the markets: Camden, Portobello, Petticoat Lane and Spitalfields.

London is one of the world’s music capitals, and its big music stores – HMV and Virgin – have huge selections of CDs and DVDs, including imports. Many specialist, second-hand and collectors’ shops deal in vinyl, which remains popular. The main opera and concert houses also have music outlets. For sound systems, visit Tottenham Court Road.

Covent Garden is great for gifts. The big stores (Selfridges, John Lewis, Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Harrods) have gift departments with bright ideas. Elsewhere around the city, there are shops selling designer jewellery, pottery, ceramics and household goods, many of which are designed in the UK. The main museums, galleries and tourist sites all have interesting gift stores.

The major commercial galleries are in the West End, around Bond Street and Cork Street.Bonhams and Sotheby’s auction houses are here, too. You can find inexpensive art and craft throughout London. All kinds of antiques can be sought out in Camden Passage (Islington), Portobello Road, Kensington Church Street and King’s Road (Chelsea).

If you want to do a lot of shopping under one roof and avoid the city centre, there are three huge out-of-town shopping malls. Brent Cross in north London, calls itself “London’s North West End”. Lakeside Shopping Centre is in Grays, Essex, and Bluewater, Europe’s largest shopping complex, is at Greenhithe, Kent. Shops are open until around 8pm, restaurants and entertainments stay open later.