Central Oxford

The main shopping centre is The Clarendon Centre in Cornmarket Street featuring popular high street chains including Office, Zara and H&M.

The former Westgate Centre in Queen Street has been demolished to make way for a £440 million three-storey John Lewis store, five screen cinema, 70 new shops, 25 cafes and a range of restaurants.

The High Street specialises in high-end boutiques and antiques shops. The Victorian labyrinth that is the Covered Market, accessed via High Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street, is full of delicious cafes, traditional butchers, grocers and independent shops.

Nearby Broad Street is home to the famous Blackwell’s, the first ever Oxfam shop, art supply stores and Boswell’s, the city’s oldest independent department stores.

North Oxford

For something a bit more unusual head north to Summertown where you’ll find gorgeous high-end boutique Vanilla, health food shop and bakery Modern Baker and brand new bread and café chain Gail’s, as well as plenty of charity shops for bargain hunters.

For artisan pottery at the Oxford Ceramics Gallery and Illyria Pottery (watch out for the shop cat which likes to sleep in the biggest pot in the window) or a slim volume of Ginsberg head to the Albion Beatnik bookshop Jericho.

There you’ll also find Little Clarendon Street, off Walton Street, which as well as boutique shops and restaurants, it has one of the best ice-cream parlours in the city George & Davis – treat yourself after a hard day’s shopping!

East Oxford

Cowley Road isn’t just great for bars and restaurants – the busy street is great for unusual and unique clothing shops, as well as Fairtrade companies and Oxford’s first skate shop SS20.

Outside Oxford

Designer lovers won’t want to miss a visit to Bicester Village to pick up a bargain during their visit.

The Oracle in Reading is also just a 20 minute train ride away. There you will find all your usual chain stores as well as a cinema and restaurants.