Last Updated on October 14, 2026 by Tavernier’s Travels
London has no shortage of department stores and shopping centres to keep even the most dedicated shopaholic entertained for days.
But some of the city’s grandest stores offer far more than a day of retail therapy: they are steeped in British history, and as synonymous with the country as Big Ben or the Tower of London. As a history nerd (and lover of pretty things!), it’s always a nice opportunity to wander through these heritage department stores and admire everything they have to offer.
Whether you’re visiting London at Christmas and looking for uniquely British gifts to delight your family, or spending a summer in the city and searching for special souvenirs to take home to friends, these iconic stores should be added to your London itinerary.
Liberty
Liberty is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of my favourite department stores in London. A visit at any time of year is a treat, but I particularly love wandering through the haberdashery and admiring the endless array of beautiful fabrics and prints. I probably spend far too much of each visit sifting through the designs and imagining which Liberty print I’d choose to use in my home – budget permitting, of course. And then there’s the inevitable struggle to resist buying yet another tote bag.
But Liberty is about so much more than the shopping. The building itself is wonderfully distinctive, with its mock-Tudor exterior, wooden panelling, low ceilings and wonderfully creaky floorboards. Even taking the lifts somehow feels like part of the experience, adding to the wonderfully old-fashioned atmosphere.
The individual rooms can feel surprisingly small, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the store is small. Liberty stretches across multiple floors and around central atriums, often home to an impressive feature or installation to be admired across the floors. During the Christmas season in particular, the displays can be spectacular.
Liberty is one of our favourite places to browse, particularly in the run-up to Christmas. Over the years, we’ve picked up decorations for our tree and vintage-style stockings that would look absolutely picture-perfect hanging above a fireplace (if only we had one!). It’s rare for us to leave empty-handed, even when we arrive determined that we’re only going to window-shop.
That’s also what makes Liberty such a lovely place to visit if you’re looking for a special souvenir from London. From its iconic fabrics and homeware to its Christmas decorations and beautifully designed gifts, there’s plenty to tempt you into taking a little piece of the Liberty experience home with you.
Fortnum and Mason
When it comes to Christmas window displays, Fortnum & Mason is one of my favourites in London. Its festive windows are an attraction in their own right, drawing plenty of passers-by to stop and take a few snaps even without ever stepping inside. But the department store is well worth a visit at any time of year, particularly for a wander through its food halls (I’m especially partial to their stem ginger biscuits – and their beautifully designed biscuit tins make lovely souvenirs in their own right).
Founded in 1707 and now occupying its iconic Piccadilly address, Fortnum & Mason has a long association with British food, gifting and high society. Charles Dickens was among the famous admirers of its hampers, and the store’s enduring reputation for beautifully presented provisions has helped make it a London institution.
While Fortnum & Mason may have begun as a relatively modest grocery business, today you’ll find an expansive selection of food, drink, homewares, beauty products and gifts. For anyone with an appreciation for heritage brands and quintessentially British style, it’s a particularly enjoyable place to browse – even if you’re only popping in to admire the architecture and displays.
Harrods
It’s probably fair to say Harrods is famous worldwide. I still remember our biannual trips to the store throughout my childhood during their massive sales, way back in the days when they still sold puppies, with them on display so that a). they would be sold, but also b). children like me could delight in their cuteness (however unethical it probably was).
Upstairs, there was the bookshop and, of course, the toys, not to mention our visit to see the model of Grosvenor House – the enormous, incredibly lifelike dolls’ house of my childhood dreams. These days, our visits look a little different. We’ve enjoyed an elegant afternoon tea here (the salt beef finger sandwiches still live in my dreams) and, perhaps more importantly, discovered what may be some of the best department-store loos in London – believe me when I say that we do not hand out high ratings for London loos easily, so this is quite the accolade!
While Harrods isn’t a department store I visit particularly often these days – largely because of its distance from us and its ever-growing popularity with visitors – a trip here is still a must if you want to experience one of London’s most iconic department stores. Even if you don’t intend to shop, there’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about wandering through its grand interiors and seeing what makes Harrods such an enduring London institution.
Selfridges
Selfridges is the perfect stop for anyone traipsing around central London, particularly if you find yourself exploring Oxford Street. If you’re unfamiliar with the store itself, you may know the story from the period drama Mr Selfridge, which depicts the life of Selfridges’ founder, Harry Gordon Selfridge.
The store has been named the ‘Best Department Store in the World’ not once or twice but four times, and stepping inside Selfridges can certainly feel as though almost everything you could possibly want or need is waiting to be discovered.
Founded in 1909, Selfridges has also been woven into some fascinating moments in British history. The store was notably supportive of the Suffragette movement, and it was ahead of its time in creating spaces where women could socialise and dine without needing a chaperone – a particularly significant offering at the time.
These days, there’s plenty to tempt you inside, whether you fancy catching a film, browsing the Christmas shop, indulging in a little retail therapy or simply having a wander through the store. If you can’t be bothered to browse it all yourself, you can even book an appointment with one of their personal shoppers. Just be warned: there’s a very good chance you’ll be walking back out onto Oxford Street with one of those iconic yellow shopping bags in hand.
Planning a visit to London this year? Which of these heritage department stores would you visit first?
