Beautiful department store on Princes St, with a super unique layout due to the historical building…read moreit's in. If you are from Canada, this store is just like Hudson's Bay. If you are from the USA, it's just like Macy's. Ran out of Clarins cream and stopped here to stock back up. Had AMAZING service by the rep!

I had purchased a cashmere overcoat back in the mid 1980's. Most likely when the store was owned…read more& operated by the original owning family. I'm in the USA. This coat is as good as new almost 40 years later. It was well made. If there was a way to contact the original owning family I would like to thank them for such a well made garment.

The store layout seemed a little dated compared to other M&S stores I've been to, but the food hall…read morewas really well stocked and the bathrooms were clean. They had some different clothing items that I hadn't seen before. Definitely worth popping in if you're in town.

Marks and Spencer is a big and well known British retailer.  As we were walking around New Town, we…read moreputzed around in this store located in a prime stretch of Princes St and right across the street from the landmark Scott Monument.  It was a very busy store on a Saturday afternoon.  It was a good opportunity though for the wife to pick up some items like shortbreads, crackers, and cookies, and such as gift boxes and at reasonable prices.  Self check-out was popular and worked well here.

I've recently been checking out and reviewing some of Edinburgh's many gift shops. I came across…read morethis one today, situated at the top of the High Street, and popped in. If there was a scale of gift shops, this would be at the upmarket end. There is a wealth of cashmere items along with a great deal of tartan, amongst a small range of other clothes. I would imagine the prices would reflect the high quality of the offered product. Thankfully, this shop is not full of any of the mass-produced tourist rubbish that you find in so many gift shops. This shop is for the more discerning shopper, looking for that high-quality memento of their visit to Edinburgh. If you love cashmere, and let's face it, even the name sounds comfortable, then this place may well be one of your first ports of call. Prime location for prime merchandise. Definitely worth a look.

Fan shop in the st James center. It has a number of floors for clothing, homeware, appliances and…read morekitchens, bedding and soft furnishings, furniture.

John Lewis is the anchor tenant of the St James Quarter shopping centre, it's my favourite…read moredepartment store in Edinburgh city centre, down to its' location, as well as being a large, modern department store with a good range of products in all categories, other than food, which is quite minimal. It's over six floors, which extends past the mall, however, it does have multiple entrances on the mall level, do be warned that you won't be able to use the same lift for all floors, for some reason to get to the higher floors, you need to change lifts, or use the escalator, not a big deal, but this isn't well signposted, and it's easy to get lost. I did like the look and feel of the store, the technology section was huge and had everything from phones to laptops and TVs, while also having an Apple section, the area overall was much nicer and more modern than other technology sections in other John Lewis stores, so a big plus. The upper level has nice views of the Edinburgh Old Town. Other facilities inside the store include a Cafe as well as a selection of men's and women's clothes, fragrances and accessories, there's even an Optician's. A very big and very good department store to serve the Scottish capital.

Harvey Nichols or Harvey Nicks as it is often referred to, is a large department store, just…read moreoutside St James Quarter in Edinburgh city centre, a large department store in a grand building, this is a nice place to shop if you're looking for something a little more premium with a selection from food to fragrance. The store feels high-end so is fancy and well laid out, and the staff are friendly, with many creams and products on hand to test out before purchase. The store closes at 6 pm between Sunday and Wednesday, opening an hour later between Thursday and Saturday, regardless I feel this is far too early for a large department store in a big city, the shopping hours are not well catered to workers, and those who prefer to head out in the afternoons. There are places to sit and take a break while shopping in the store, which I appreciate, and the vibes inside the store are very nice, overall, with some nice products, so it is well worth a look in if you have time while shopping in Edinburgh. The store has five floors, including a Brasserie and Bar on the Fourth Floor, with impressive views of the city, including the Old Town. 4*

At the very top of this mall there is a terrace overlooking St-Andrews monument. It's really cool!…read moreMy friend and I got some drinks and some chips and had a great time. I got a margarita frozen and they were very generous with the alcohol! The chips came with this really delicious dipping sauce (and only cost 4 pounds). Would really recommend grabbing a drink here.

Found myself in need of a hoodie while on vacation and knew I could find it here! Prices are crazy…read morelow and they have a huge selection for everyone. I just wish they would find their way across the pond....

Love Primark, especially and specifically their international locations. This one in Edinburgh…read morereminded me a lot of the Amsterdam store. It's spacious and bustling with multiple floors (women/men/children). There's a plethora of options to shop from clothes and shoes to accessories and fragrances. It was difficult to find an employee to ask questions as they easily blended in with shoppers. There was also a self check-out section, which I appreciated being able to bypass the long lines for time's sake and only a few items to purchase. I would stop in again without hesitation whenever I visit the area again.

Order Number APPHOF40000071407266. Worst experience ever,…read moreplaced order on line 31st may, paid nearly £300 for next day delivery, no delivery or communication so made contact on the 3rd June, no direct talk contact only chat, said i had to wait 3 to 5 working days for a response as they was busy, i have had to chase everyday for a response and every time a different reply, nobody knows what's going on, i am nearly £300 down, my Fathers birthday was on the 8th June no present or money to purchase something else, 14th June today last response, saying delivery was lost and refund 3 to 5 working days, so this will go over a weekend so doubt i will receive anything in my account at best 22nd June. A month of hell, being told anything but the truth. I have been using HOF for years but this is the end for me. This could happen to you so be aware.

Standing on the same street as Edinburgh's staple department store Jenners, this House of Fraser is…read morea bit of a wallflower in comparison. It doesn't boast the ornate fronting of Fraser's in Glasgow, or the glorious facade of Jenners through here. But you don't go to a shop to look at the front of it for hours - you are presumably there to spend money. Inside, Fraser's is very easy to get lost in. When you emerge from the fragrance and beauty section blasted in perfume (not quite, but you can ask for a sample), you can wander up to the designer clothing sections. It's lovely and the staff are great. It's a bit too pricey for me at the moment since I am rooted in my poor pauper postgrad student status, but one day I aspire to be able to buy some pretty frocks from here. And to be overly indulgent on perfume, and not feel shy to get one of those make-up makeovers that they offer in store because I will be able to afford the products by then. Their products are of great quality, hence the price, but for folks like me, we'll just have to make do with the immense 70% reductions in the mid-season sales.

This particularly large Primark opened last December and honestly, I can't get enough of it! Every…read moretime I go to Fort Kinnaird, this place is usually my first stop so that I can avoid the afternoon chaos later on. The layout is much better than its sister store on Princes Street and since it is all on one level, getting around is pretty easy as you can see everything from when you enter and you won't have to negotiate any of those dreaded escalators that make you go ALL the way round to the other side of the sales floor to get to the next one. The men's department is an adequate size and is conveniently located near the front of the store. The only downside to this, is that you will have to walk all the way to the back of the shop if you want to try something on as that is where the fitting rooms are located. Speaking of the fitting rooms, they are modern, bright and have never been subjected to horrific queues when I've visited. (Unlike the shambolic Princes Street store.) One thing that annoys me is the checkouts. They are also at the back, on either side (one set in lingerie and the other in homewares) and usually have slow moving long queues. This is not ideal when all you are buying is a t shirt, a pair of jeans and some sweets. Another thing that bugs me is the till staff. I know it must be horrible working 9-5 in Primark under the harsh fluorescent lighting and with demanding customers but a smile would be appreciated. It could be stocked a bit better and they should assign more workers to the checkouts to cut down queues but other than that, this store provides a less chaotic experience to the city centre store and is much better in many ways.

So this is a fairly small store with everything all on one level but stocks everything you need,…read morefrom clothes, homeware, lingerie, to kids and mens clothing too, the staff are lovely and helpful and all do a great job. There is only one complaint however in that you have to leave your basket if you want to try anything on which makes things a bit of a hassle. Apart from that well worth a look and with mcdonalds right next door what could be better.

Debenhams saved me! I was in need of a very specific electric kettle and they had it - correct…read morecolor and all. It was also nearly £30 cheaper than the same kettles (different colors) over at Fraser. Their women's collection looked decent, too. I briefly looked around for a new coat, and while I didn't find anything I really loved, the selection of dresses and tops had a lot going for it. Finally, the woman who checked me out could not have been friendlier. She enquired as to where I'm from, if I'm enjoying Edinburgh, and wished me well on my travels. Considering the selection and the service, I'd come back here in a heartbeat.

Officially the world's most confusing department store. And therefore the most annoying…read more For some reason, rather than being one whole shop this place is laid out as two individual shops back to back - a Princes Street side and a Rose Street side. Consequently, you spend 99% of your time inside trying to navigate to the floor where you want to get to as opposed to actually shopping. All I wanted was a dress and yet it took me a good fifteen minutes of wandering around in circles before I finally gave up and asked a sales assistant before I eventually found the womenswear bit. But this brings me to my next grumble: as far as Debenhams go, this one is really small and so there's really not much selection ot choose from.

PLEASE NOTE: This is the same Boots as this one (https://www.yelp.com/biz/boots-edinburgh-33 ),…read moreI've asked Yelp to merge them but they have not. Anything on Princes St is going to be busy, so expect this Boots to constantly have people coming and going regardless of the time of day. Fair enough, though, since it's in a great location for people getting off the tram or train! Beauty products, toiletries, medicine, random electronics (like phone chargers), quick snack options. LARGE selection and great prices. I think this is the biggest Boots in the city (spread across two floors), but I agree with others: it feels a bit dated and I personally find the lay-out confusing. It was hard to find what I was looking for because they weren't in the same category as similar products, if that makes sense. It felt like I was constantly going up and down the escalator looking for simple things like hand sanitizer, paracetamol, lotion, etc. Appreciate the quick self-check out! ***IMPORTANT*** This Boots closes at 7pm; the one at St James Quarter closes at 8pm.

Boots on Princes Street is the largest Boots location in Edinburgh city centre, although the store…read moreappears to be very dated, and much more visually unappealing compared to the newer yet smaller location in the St James Quarter, I do like this store nonetheless. It is over two floors and has good facilities that you'd expect from any large Boots store, including a Pharmacy and an Optician. The range in store is good for beauty products, and toiletries, as well as the meal deal offering, as with any Boots I do find them to be a little pricey, but you can get some good deals when combined with the Advantage Card, which is their loyalty scheme. The staff are friendly and the store is pretty easy to follow, I was able to get in and out of the store, sorting out an adjustment for my eyeglasses fairly quickly. The largest Boots in town with a good selection overall and friendly staff, but could definitely do with a refurb to bring them into the 2020s. 4*