\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx3255\tx6525\tx9780\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs22 London is one of the worldÆs great centres for shopping, offering an enormous choic
e of both specialised retail outlets and huge department stores where a good range of many commodities can be found under the same roof. Until the early 1900s, most Londoners did their shopping in little shops that specialised in one type of goods. In
fact LondonÆs major\b \b0 department stores are largely products of the early 1900s. During those same years, a number of the fashionable West End shops were also refurbished using excellent materials and solid craftsmanship in a staid design that has
come to be synonymous with the English style. \par
The London district with the greatest concentration of exclusive shops is certainly Knightsbridge, where you will find not only the world-famous Harrods and Harvey Nichols department stores but also a
whole range of smaller stores selling designer-wear. For those whole feel more at home in the hustle and bustle of a High Street, perennially crowded Oxford Street offers major branches of large national or international chains as well as smaller shops
selling clothes and tourist souvenirs. If this proves too much of a good thing, seek refuge in nearby Piccadilly and Bond Street, which are lined with specialised shops that are far more select and thus also more expensive. Charing Cross Road is a hav
en (albeit a noisy one) for book-lovers, including those interested in antiquarian books. During the 1960s and 1970s KingÆs Road was the centre for avant-garde fashion. It is still popular with West London shoppers, but the coolest part of London for t
