Shopping

For those of you that love indulging in a bit of retail therapy, you’ll find shops of every size and genre across the UK that are perfect for exercising your credit card. From quiet hours to wheelchair suitable aisles and personal shoppers on hand, Britain's shops are working to be as accessible as possible.

There are a whole host of shopping malls, small independent shops, friendly high streets and markets in all corners of Britain so whether you’re after locally made crafts or designer goods, you’ll find it at one of the shopping areas in the UK.

Huge shopping districts

If you want to do some serious shopping, be sure to head to one of the big cities, places like London, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham have a whole host of shopping opportunities including multiple malls full of designer clothes, high street names and brands offering everything from shoes to televisions. Shopping centres and malls have several accessible facilities, they are wide enough to be wheelchair friendly and have lifts and escalators to access the different levels.

Every city and town in the UK has a high street where you can find a whole host of big name shops and restaurants, as well as cafes, pubs and bars to make it a real experience. Many city and town centres have their shopping districts close to local landmarks and popular attractions or sight-seeing venues, meaning that you can sip a coffee in the shadow of a famous building or break up your shopping trip by visiting a museum or monument that is just off the high street. Some shopping areas are famous landmarks in their own right, like London’s Camden Market or Brighton’s Lanes. There are places all across the UK that offer a little slice of history and culture while you are queuing for the latest technology or the next big thing in fashion.

It isn’t just the big cities that offer great shopping opportunities, going to the smaller towns and regions  will often mean finding unique items that are made in the local area. Arts and crafts are an important part of regions such as the South West, Totnes in Devon is renowned for its quirky atmosphere and independent retailers offering goods made and sold onsite. Anywhere you visit where there are small market towns, you will find local retailers who have a whole host of interesting and unique pieces to show you, from glasswork to paintings, to jewellery and that’s the just the tip of the iceberg.

Independent shops are a good way to get your shopping fix whilst having a change from the traditional high street. You’ll often find gifts that you won’t get anywhere else and many of the items on sale are one of a kind.

Local produce

It isn’t just goods you’ll find in abundance in the UK, it is a nation of people proud of local produce and everywhere you look you’ll find independent stores and markets showcasing the food and drink created in the region. The majority of places regularly hold farmers’ markets where you can pick up everything from locally reared meat, organically grown vegetables and even cakes, sweets, ciders and more made from ingredients that are found locally.  As well as farmers’ markets, the more rural areas will have Farm Shops, which have onsite cafes and other attractions all together. These shops will allow you to browse butcher’s counters, bakers’, green grocers and more all in one place. The beauty of visiting shops like this is that you know exactly where the food has come from and how it has been cared for.

High streets and shopping centres are accessible with everything from ramps, to automatic doors and hearing loops. There are also opportunities to hire mobility aids at many of the larger malls and shopping centres.