This store is middle age signed, sealed and delivered in one room. I don't even know what half the…read morestuff they sell is, but I found myself, literally minutes away from Christmas, neck deep in a credit crunch and scrabbling around trying to buy an £18 colander. They do sell lots of lovely house hold bits and bobs but until I have a house, Labrador and a child called Mimi Fifi Orchid Clooney (a girl can dream) I wont be buying anything from here. It's a personal thing, possibly connected to being a huge consumerist ass hole whilst having a huge problem with consumerism. For me, buying a £300 pair of shoes is wrong but necessary, where as buying two plain white enamel breakfast bowls for £16 seems ridiculous. I am aware that this statement is ridiculous in itself, in fact, I just don't want to talk about it anymore. I will say though, that this shop is lovely, but I prefer Ikea.

I've been meaning to visit Labour and Wait ever since I read an article sometime ago in The…read moreGuardian profiling couples who had started up new and innovative businesses in the East End, and the L&W concept really struck a cord. You can be assured the new shop in Redchurch Street sells the same functional products for the kitchen, home and garden as the existing shop on Cheshire St, however I believe L&W are moving from Cheshire St to Redchurch St in the not-too-distant future. For too long, consumers have been lulled into a false sense of security with large, "convenient" hardware stores such as Homebase and B&Q etc. who unfortunately have, over the years got away with cheap replicas of good quality homeware goods. L&W moves away from this methodolgy and focuses fully on sustainable goods made in enamel, stainless steel and wood, rather than plastic and throw-away alternatives. The shop is minimalist in style, but all the products are displayed in a creative and alternative way, which I'd liken a little to the layout of Muji stores. As most shoppers today, I am mindful of what I buy having an effect on our environment and planet, but love L&W's ethos. I especially love the enamel kitchen sets, glass jugs, butter dishes and stainless steel buckets and watering cans. True classics! Now, don't get me wrong, you can't get anywhere near the vast selection (though often poor and low quality) of hardware and homeware products from L&W that you get in chain hardware stores, but what you do get (as the blackboard outside the shop and web home page state!) is "high quality, traditional goods for the home", with the added bonus of browsing a low-tech shop and experiencing a low stress retail experience. Now that has to be worth a trip to Shoreditch any day of the week!

Finally found a vintage shop that doesn't charge you more than the entire inheritance your…read moregrandmother left you, for the fake fur coat she left your sister. Tucked away in Greenwich Market is this cute little two-shop vintage/second hand establishment. It's well laid out and un-cluttered. I loved this shop for all the army/military gear it has and if I was still into my Am-Dram I would be here every week to steal new stock for costume. Now I didn't purchase anything here on my visit, because I am poor, but I did see some great items at reasonable prices. Like most vintage shops its got your mock/real furs and granny jumpers and tweed jackets. However it has some great choice pieces and lovely little bits and bobs.

I was impressed with 360 Vintage, its a lovely and neat shop right in Greenwich Market…read more I liked the way they had put a tag on the rails of clothing with which decade it came from...believe me this is very helpful. They don't have a big range of clothing, and was nice to see that you don't have to rummage through stuff. The left side of the store was more elegant, more of the 1930s and 40s era. The clothes are pricey a dress could easily be £55 but the quality of the garment is well preserved. If I'm in Greenwich again, ill shall pop and who knows I might come away with something.

My family has been coming here for years! Well before I was born. We're not local-we're Americans,…read moreand on every visit this was a must stop. There are many antiques from Alfies in my home that we inherited from my mother and smaller special keepsakes from my time living in London in my 20s. My husband & I spent part of our honeymoon in London, and it was his first time in the city (September/October 2024) and this was a nonnegotiable stop for me. Plan to spend a few hours wandering around and exploring-it's humongous! Also, generally speaking not on the inexpensive side but you can always find some gem's. I can remember on one visit when I was 19, we stumbled on a vendor that didn't realize what he had, it was a 20 year old authentic bubblegum pink Kelly (Hermes) and he had it priced under $1000. I still to this day regret not buying it for resale alone (bubblegum pink is not for me lol)

It would be an understatement to say that I am besotted with antiques. I love them. Can't get…read moreenough of them. Know London's antique and vintage purveyors like the back of my proverbial hand. And Alfie's is one of my favourites, a veritable antique market located in trendy Marylebone. With dealers selling clothes, fine and costume jewellery, furniture, textiles and collectibles, Alfie's should satisfy the needs of even the most ardent collector. And with a surprisingly accessible atmosphere at odds with the sometimes rarefied world of antiques and vintage, Alfie's is perfect for a browse for the expert and neophyte alike. I visited Alfie's just before Christmas last year and spotted cute as a button Mark Owen from Take That looking incredibly dapper. This is the place for vintage/antique fans to find unique Christmas presents without recourse to the high street.

I absolutely love 'In...'. If you're not careful you may miss it but if you work your way through…read moreall the stalls in Spitalfields you'll fihnd this gorgeous home furnishings shop. They have beautiful furniture (dinning room tabels, chairs, cabinets and shelving) all of which have great individual style. My favourite items in here are the trinkets and decor. They have beautiful bird cages for decor that you can put candles in as well as beautiful lighting and ornaments. It's a brilliant place if you're looking for gifts as they have stuff for men, women and children. The prices are reasonable and the staff are great.

I love this unique shop. They sell mainly quirky home decor items, as well as a small selection of…read morebooks (pop culture, fashion etc), jewellery, cards and gifts. It's a great place to head for an unusual gift or for someone hard to buy for. A lot of the stuff is a bit pricey but you can tell it's good quality. I'll definitely be popping in here when I move house to get some of the kitsch lighting and kitchenware they stock.

Hunky Dory is a thoughtfully outfitted retro shop on Brick Lane. It is a small shop with men's on…read moreone side and women's on the other. They have a wide range of quality items, including a good tie selection. The guy working in the shop when I went was nice and helpful. A shop to check regularly.

This place like many of the vintage of shops in Bricklane sells.... well very similar items…read more... However I did one difference, that set Hunky Dory mildly apart from the others - they had a large range of 70's Acrylic cycling tops in garish colours - should anyone want one, then this is the shop! When I walked in the man in the shop was having a tiff with a customer, and not allowing him a refund... my ear begged a little closer to find out it was because the customer had changed his mind on the product.. Worth thinking about maybe..

I really loved the Made showroom near Notting Hill Gate...I like that the staff are so friendly,…read morethey have a good selection of furniture ...and that you get beautiful views over west London! So I was happy to see this new branch pop up on Charring Cross Road last month... This is a showroom, rather than a shop, so you can look at the furniture, and then use their computers/ipads to buy them online. They have a tag on each piece that you can scan with the ipads to take you to the right online page to purchase it. Or you can take a postcard with the information about what you'd like to buy (or a colour patch to check if everything will go with the rest of your furniture) and buy it online later. The designs are lovely. The prices are pretty reasonable (similar to habitat...so more than ikea!) and the quality seems pretty good. I'm just surprised no other yelpers have added it already!

The company MADE have great furniture stuff for a really good price. But they should put some more…read moremoney into their Service in Germany ! Because they do not have a function Servicehotline here. You have to write them an email. It takes mostly 9 days getting an answer. On the other hand their furniture is awesome !! I have ordered several products. Really good quality. Thank you!

If you are style lover then hidden away behind the main street of Westow hill a Vintage boudoir…read moreembellish with 20s, 40s gowns and '60s Mayfair couture to '90s Marc Jacobs. Love! love! love..!

Lovely shop brilliant clothes worth a trip to Crystal Palace to meet the lovely Vivienne!read more

My nephew back in Germany is crazy about the miniature London double decker bus I gave him for this…read morepast Christmas. So when I walked by this store (on my way to Highgate Wood) this past weekend and I spotted a kid's T-shirt with the London bus featured on it, I knew that this would be the perfect gift for said nephew's upcoming birthday! Walking into the shop, the lady behind the counter greeted my with a warm smile and offered her help. I right away liked how she was very passionate about the T-shirts and other garments made my a local designer. As I didn't have any money on me, she put the T-shirt aside for me and when I came back later in the day, I also bought another T-shirt for my other nephew...they are just too cute! Aside from children's clothing, this shop offers plenty of other gifteable things...the perfect location for anyone who's in need of a present ;-)

My favourite go to in Highgate ! They have something for everyone! Wonderful customer service, they…read morewill even wrap for you !!