Are you running out of gift ideas to buy for the special people in your life? Now is the best time to know where to buy a truly one-of-a-kind gift in London that will surely be treasured and cherished for life!
If you go for a stroll in Central London, you will surely cross paths with a variety of souvenir shops selling key chains, hats, and T-shirts emblazoned with “LONDON” and covered in the Union Jack.
Although you won’t be hard-pressed to find fun items in these stores, there are still lots of fabulous places in the capital where you can buy interesting gifts and keepsakes.
Here are some of the favorite gift stores in London where you can have fun moments as you browse and shop:
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Slide down the rabbit hole near Charing Cross Station in Cecil Court and step inside Alice Through the Looking Glass. It is the ultimate treasure trove of items bearing the theme of the famous Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This curious shop is worth your visit, where you can find early editions of Alice books, Victorian top hats, illustrated chess boards, and more.
Arthur Beale
The moment you enter the threshold of Arthur Beale, you will feel like you are sailing out in the sea with the wind blowing around you. It seems like time has forgotten the shop since it opened its doors in the 1800s.
Perched on Shaftesbury Avenue, the old-fashioned yacht chandler sells nautical items, from nautical books to lifejackets, ship’s bells, and reels of rope.
Blade Rubber Stamps
Blade Rubber Stamps, located across from the British Museum, is the best place to be if you are looking for unique gifts that will let the receiver of your present put a stamp on pretty much everything.
You can choose from a wide selection of stamps, from fun stamps for kids to beautiful art stamps and the more useful “Sold” and “Fragile” stamps. The shop also offers custom stamps to order if you want something more personalized.
Cyberdog
Be ready to rave at this ultimate shopping haven for club lovers located in Stables Market in Camden. Cyberdog has everything a club lover in your life could want, from futuristic fluorescent LED-covered clothes to massive selections of accessories fit for an all-night party. You can even hear the shop way before you lay your eyes on it thanks to the pumping sound system that attracts shoppers.
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market is part gallery, part retail shop where you can find proof that fashion is both clothing and art. Rei Kawakubo and her husband, Adrian Joffe, president of COMME des GARÇONS, developed this high fashion concept store that you wouldn’t want to miss visiting to experience and admire the exceptional installations from the most popular brands in the fashion world. The entire shop changes design two times a year, so you can always expect a new experience with every visit.
Duke of Uke
The Duke of Uke is a shop specially dedicated to and focused on the humble ukulele. While strumming away on the ukulele with your fingers, you can also admire the selection of harmonicas, banjos, and other accessories.
The store also features a recording studio and rehearsal room in the basement. This gem in east London is worth popping in not only to buy gifts but also to watch the impromptu ukulele solos and spontaneous concerts that customers enjoy regularly.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
Located in Shoreditch, Hoxton Street Monster Supplies has been supplying the “monsters” not only of east London but also other parts of the world with pretty much everything and anything they need since 1818, from cubes of ear wax to neck bolt tighteners and even tinned fear.
The products are also available to the common folk, who are welcome to browse the strange stock and buy some unique gifts.
James Smith & Sons
Don’t forget to drop by James Smith & Sons if you are looking for gifts that can keep the recipient protected from the ever-unpredictable weather in perfect style.
Located right by the theater district of London, the family-owned shop has been catering to customers since 1867 with walking sticks and handcrafted umbrellas.
The shop is housed in a Grade II-listed building and is the epitome of a work of art in itself that you should definitely visit, whatever the weather might be.
Japan House London
Browse through the wide selection of Japanese-designed items at Japan House London, an entire building dedicated to the unique Japanese culture. Look for authentic tableware, stylish stationery, quirky accessories, and cutting-edge technology, as well as information on current and historical Japanese literature.
Not Just a Shop
Not Just a Shop is an up-and-coming talent in the London scene where you have the chance to become the proud owner of a prized original piece from one of the world’s most popular designers. The store offers homeware and art pieces exclusively designed by the University of the Arts London’s students to help support the artists in the early years of their careers.
Persepolis
Persepolis is the best place to go if you want a taste of Persia. The Persian shop and delicatessen in Peckham, run by “Mr. and Mrs. Shopkeeper,” stocks a variety of handicrafts and foodstuffs. Don’t miss the chance to browse through the selection of specialties of Iran, including cheese, yogurts, tea, spices, sweets, and pastries. The shop also sells numerous homeware items, including rugs, china, cookbooks, and hookahs.
The Moomin Shop
If there is someone in your life who is a fan of the Moomins and everything Scandinavian, make sure you drop by the very own London stores of the Moomin family.
Head over to their Covent Garden branch for books, toys, and more showcased in blue Moomin houses. You can also visit their Camden Market branch for high-end homewares displayed in a clean Scandinavian design.
Serious Moomintroll fans will be spoiled for choice, with rare memorabilia such as prints of the original illustrations for sale.
You see, you don’t have to settle for plain old gifts when London is home to numerous selections where you can find one-of-a-kind items that anyone will surely love!
