Another good trip to this location. They have so many festive items, including; homeware, clothing…read moreand decorations. Great place for stocking stuffers and their bath bombs selection is one of the best! So many to choose from, including Disney and Christmas designs, all either £1 or £1.50! Staff on the floor are a bit useless and unwilling to help but the register staff were pleasant. As always - come early to avoid the crowds!

Your enjoyment or appreciation of this place is going to be entirely dependent on who you are, and…read morewhat your lifestyle is. I am not local (American) but I have lived in London as a young poor 20 something. Primark was a Godsend for me. It's also really interesting now that they have expanded into the states (although not where I live) to come back and see how it has changed. When I lived here and had no money this was my go to for anything trendy, or needed. When I moved back to America quite unexpectedly I went there to stock up on inexpensive suitcases to pack up my life and carry back across the world. Any fast fashion or trendy items, this was my go to. Needed something for my home that didn't need to be high quality, Primark. I got a job at AllSaints a few blocks away and we were supposed to wear their clothes exclusively, but we only got a 60% discount (that's a big discount but still not inexpensive for a college kid) so I got a lot of my work shoes here and they never noticed. Now that I visit as a tourist, it's my go to for things like I need an umbrella that I can leave behind when I go home, or it's raining and I didn't bring my raincoat with me today...or it's colder than what I planned for on this trip so let me stop by and grab a few pieces of layering clothes or a coat. The Disney selection makes me wonder why there isn't a Primark in Orlando (because they get very unique Disney licensed items). If you don't have a big budget or are in need of souvenirs, I also recommend Primark. But if you're looking for a luxury experience, this isn't for you. If you're anti fast fashion, please just skip this. It's busy and loud and sort of a cattle call at the till, but it's great novelty spot. The layout has shed over the years bit it's still a great spot for cheep gifts, replacing broken or lost items and getting an unexpected suitcase for any souvenirs if you are a tourist (my favorite suitcase going on 11 years was £25 from here & yes we got another this most recent trip) 3 stars because I've definitely had some weird experience here over the years but generally if you go in knowing what it is and what to expect, it won't disappoint you.

I always want to carry everything home from Carry Me Home- one of the cutest kids stores in London…read more The shop stocks some great childrewear designers like Oh baby and Beauty and the Bib. If you don't have children but your friend has just had a baby then you HAVE to head to Carry Me Home for a cool present. The 'Been Inside For 9 Months' sleepsuits are so gorgeous that I am planning on buying one for a friend who is due any day now. The fruit shaped bibs make meal times a little less messier and are so stylish! If you cannot get to the West End store the owner also has a stall at Spitalfields market on a Sunday. The website is excellent but a little dangerous to my bank account because I always see something I want to get for my son or friends' babies! Carry Me Home will also personalise vests and bibs which make perfect presents. custom

Took me a few minutes to find (on the 2nd floor), but once there all was good…read more I'm not a baby clothes aficionado, but this store made my life easy. Their selection is really well procured: cute, unique and a thoughtful array that felt the opposite of generic. I wanted a unique gift that had some character and I felt like the store owner had a bunch of options that fit the bill. The owner (don't recall her name) was very helpful, not pushy, and pleasant. Also, I don't know what baby clothes are supposed to cost but I thought the prices were quite reasonable for the quality.

From the outside the shop already looks cheerful but when you go inside it even makes you happier!…read moreThe shop is made out of very bright clothes and accessories! They all have cute/funny prints on it. Often food/animals/monsters ate portrayed on it! The prices are very good and affordable for something as fun and cute as this! The shop is mainly for girls but downstairs they also have a small collection for men!

I'm a huge fan of David & Goliath clothing and accessories - their T-shirts are adorable…read more My favourite things are the luggage tags and keychains - they feature very clever designs and my friends always ask me where I got them. My favourite lines are "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them." "Come to the dark side - we have cookies!" and "Spooning leads to forking." The graphics are so cute and the taglines are so funny. I don't fit into most of the clothes here, so it's a bit hit and miss - the "L" pants are made to fit a size 8 (US) and even the XL sized T-shirts are tricky because they shrink down a size when they are washed. If you use your dryer to dry your laundry (i.e. North American tourist), definitely buy a size up because all of their cotton shirts and PJ pants will shrink. If you're a UK-er who uses a laundry rack to dry most things, then that isn't necessary. There are lots of cute t-shirts (usually on sale) in the basement. If you're in Soho, check this store out.

As an American, I loved seeing T.K. Maxx in person!…read more I knew that T.J. Maxx in the UK is called T.K. Maxx, and I was so excited to finally see it with my own eyes. The assortment of inventory is very different compared to the US, and honestly, it's not as good LOL. Also, if anyone knows the "No tag" rule at all TJX Company stores in the US. Whenever you would like to purchase something that doesn't have a tag, they try to give you the best possible price for an item that's comparable to the item. The same thing happened to me with a bracelet, and they tried to charge me 15 pounds for a bracelet that's worth 4. There were many cheaper ones all around, but of course they picked the most expensive one. . . I had to drop a star for that, but otherwise it was a cool touristy experience.

Visiting London and to my surprise, I found TK Maxx! My favorite store to shop is TJ Maxx in the…read moreUS. TK Maxx is the exact same shopping outlet as TJ Maxx in the US. Lots of name brand products from clothing to home decor at a discount price. Really enjoy the search for treasures! Store is very busy and crowded. Fun to visit and look for bargains!

I have bought an almost brand new BabyBjorn bouncy chair the other day from this company. I…read morecollected it from Clapham and I got a huge bargain. I wanted to buy this chair for a few weeks now and have been shopping around for it, because online or in the shop it's almost £100. But from them I got it for less then £50. I am so pleased and when my little daughter has grown out of it I will definitely sell it with them to get some money back. Thank you Giant Beanstalk. Keep up the good work and keep getting me great bargains.

One expects a bit more when everything in the store is a good 40-50 percent marked up…read more I was after a new baby gift, and thankfully Igloo has this covered. I picked out a few pieces of clothing (Petit Bateau) and a book. Everything was sort of tossed in the bag without any regard for it (it's expensive stuff, too!) -- no gift wrapping offered, not even bags anywhere to be bought. Seems like an oversight. There is a shoe section in the back that was absolutely rammed with kids and parents. NO THANK YOU. I ordered online at Amazon after waiting forever to be helped and no one coming. They have a lot of toys, again -- all overpriced, but sometimes that's what you get for the convenience of shopping locally. I'm happy to support small local stores and pay the upcharge but do expect the experience to match. I tried to purchase a ball my son had taken a shine too but after 10 minutes of her trying to ring it up I just said "forget it" and she let me. Weird. This felt rushed and hurried and not overly friendly. It's a kids store, c'mon people!

Nice little boutique for little tots and all those fashionable yummy mummies of Islington.Cries of…read morethis will look so cute on Crystal oh Poppy looks so lovely in that bonnet are the order of the day.

This place is a veritable riot of colour, from as soon as you walk in to when you leave, feeling…read moreslightly nauseous. There are loads and loads of amusing clothing here, probably the most I've ever seen in one place. The name is definitely deceptive though - what does David & Goliath have to do with clothing merchandise? They obviously have some very young and 'hip' influences over at HQ, because these clothes are trendy. I recognise almost everything, having seen them sported on many a teenager. One popular one is 'Trendy Wendy' who I think is a little brat personally but girls love her sassy persona! The whole place seems very girly, but there are small pockets of male clothing to be seen if you're willing to look hard enough. There are three floors to this place, an upstairs and a downstairs. Upstairs is kind of the bedroom.. alot of indoor clothes and pyjamas to be seen. Downstairs is a basement and it looks really kind of morbid, selling punky/rockchick kind of clothes. I like this shop alot but I wouldn't shop here. If you're into it, by all means check it out. A very alternative style of clothes shop!

Exchange rate, or normal pricing... I'm not sure what kills this store or keeps me from buying…read morestuff here. but 20L, for a t-shirt, translated to $30US isn't gonna fly. I can't even imagine if the exchange rate was 2:1 and the shirt equating to $40. The shirts or pretty cool... funny... but for the time and mess, I'll bust out some puff-paints at home myself and write the same words.

THE quintessential aesthetic London department store…read more Harrods is for tourists with a lot of money. Liberty is for anybody with taste. An authentic London shopping experience that offers unique items you can't find elsewhere. A long history of beautiful design in a stunning Tudor-esqu building without a single escalator! (There are elevators) Gorgeous fabric from designers like William Morris. Come here for genuine London products, and for an authentic only-in-London shopping experience.

What a fun stop while shopping around central London! The front doors are lined with flowers for…read moresale. I absolutely love browsing their incredible selection of fabrics. I treated myself to a silk scarf with a stunning yellow/pink design this trip! The top floor is filled with festive Christmas items, looking so cute for the holidays, and there is something for everyone. Between the women's and men's clothing, bedding, home decor, holiday fun, and even a vintage clothing spot upstairs, it's easy to spend a happy hour exploring.

Made it a mission to go to every single one of M&S, this location has a great selection, and food…read morebar was very clean and kept.

The staff in the food department at this M&S are some of the best I've come across. I stopped by…read moretwice in the last couple of days and both times when I've asked for help the team members went out of their way to assist me and help me look for items or alternatives of what they were sold out of. Since I've been back in the UK most customer service has been terrible but they definitely do their jobs well in this department. Great selection of food and it's nice to try new meals knowing it'll always taste good!

Not the best-known "baby boutique" around London... but it just might be my favourite. I love…read moretheir take on kids clothes... it all just seems more contemporary and "styled" than other similar outlets - this is where you'd head if you wanted your kid to look like a little Audrey Hepburn or George Clooney... more adult, I guess you could say... which I know some people are ardently against - but what can I say? I don't have kids of my own yet - merely friends with them - so maybe I'm a little biased... I like the fact that even the *baby* stuff involves layering of fabrics and colours and luxurious detailing. They've got plenty of both dressy and casual fashions. Cute little coats and sweaters... plus gauzy dresses with plenty of glittering overlay - a fashion that never fails to appeal to a little girl. Also, a whole range of great accessories - sunglasses (sunglasses!) and blankets and pretty silver baby cups. A bit pricey, but well-made, and sure to please someone if you're giving a gift.