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Napoleon famously described the British as a nation of shopkeepers. These days it would be equally true to describe them as a nation of shoppers. Either way, London is the UK’s shopping mecca; if you can’t find it here you probably can’t find it at all. Some London shops are more or less tourist attractions in their own right. Few visitors come away without popping into Harrods, even if only to gawp. This famous store is a real one-off. The toilets are fab, the food hall enough to make you swoon, and if they haven’t got what you want, it probably doesn’t exist. No other store has such a sense of sheer, outrageous abundance. Since Absolutely Fabulous brought Edina and Patsy steaming onto our screens, Harvey Nichols (’Harvey Nicks’) has become another must-see attraction. It boasts a great food hall, an extravagant perfume department and jewellery to save up for. But with all the big names from Miyake to Lauren, Hammett to Calvin Klein and a whole floor of up-to-the-minute menswear, it’s fashion that Harvey Nichols does better than the rest. The selection is unrivalled and the prices high, although the sales offer some great bargains, and the store’s own clothing line is reasonable.

Carnaby Street still reeks of the 60s although it’s had something of a revival since the ’Cool Britannia’ kick brought Union Jack dresses back into fashion. The last punks have long since slunk away from Chelsea’s King’s Rd but there are still plenty of interesting shops slotted in amid the high-street chains.

The shops and stalls inside the old Covent Garden market building tend to be pricey and tourist-oriented, while the streets running off it remain a happy hunting ground for shoppers, with Neal St and Neal’s Yard in particular offering a range of

interesting one-off shops.

Oxford St and classier Regent St come into their own in the six weeks running up to Christmas when they’re festooned with lights. At other times of the year Oxford St can be a great disappointment. Selfridge’s is up there with Harrods as a place to visit and the flagship Marks Tottenham Court R& for example, is one long electrical goods shop (watch out for tip-offs though), while Charing Cross Rd is still the place to come for offbeat books.

Many tourist attractions have excellent shops, selling good-quality souvenirs like mugs, pens, pencils, stationery and T-shirts, often with themes to match their content (war books and videos at the Imperial War Museum). By buying from these shops you help contribute towards the building’s maintenance, especially important in the cases of those without entry charges.