Independent Shopping
Hotspots of London
London is full of well-known retailers, but there’s nothing like visiting a local independent shop, boutique or market. Shopping local allows you to pick up handmade and unique items whilst supporting local family businesses. You also get a sense of community which you wouldn’t from a big retail chain.
To give some love to local shops and highlight local businesses, we’re exploring which London borough has the most independent shops. We’ll also be investigating which shops you find the most in each borough - food, gifts, or clothing?
Continue reading to find out which London boroughs have the best independent offerings.
Which London boroughs have the most independent shops?
Camden is officially the top London borough with the most independent retailers, boasting 273 local shops and businesses. The colourful postcode is known for its wide variety of eccentric shops, alternative culture, live music, street food and world-famous markets.
Some of our favourite shops in Camden are Gay’s The Word, Sounds That Swing, Sugar + Style, and Call Me Daisy. In Camden market, honourable mentions go to Sonita’s Kitchen, The Mac Factory, Kolkati and Roti House.
Camden is officially the top London borough with the most independent retailers, boasting 273 local shops and businesses. The colourful postcode is known for its wide variety of eccentric shops, alternative culture, live music, street food and world-famous markets.
Some of our favourite shops in Camden are Gay’s The Word, Sounds That Swing, Sugar + Style, and Call Me Daisy. In Camden market, honourable mentions go to Sonita’s Kitchen, The Mac Factory, Kolkati and Roti House.
Gay’s The Word is the UK’s oldest LGBT bookshop. The store was founded in 1979 by a group of gay socialists who wanted a community space, with all profits going back into the business. The shop is still open today and is used for literary and community events.
Sounds That Swing opened in 1995, taking the place of iconic record shop Rock on Records when it ceased trading. Rock on Records was beloved by the Sounds That Swing founders - Barney, Charlene, and Neil. Due to the closure of their favourite shop, they based their new venture on the same model. The shop is filled with records ranging from 1920s country blues to 1970s punk rock, encompassing the owners’ favourite artists and genres.
Sugar + Style is a female-owned independent womenswear boutique. The shop sells trendy clothing and accessories. The founder, Nhuc, started trading her collection at London markets and pop-up shops until finally opening her first store in 2013. She now has three London shops in Camden Market, Boxpark Shoreditch and Gabriel’s Wharf.
Call Me Daisy was established in 2016 and is a female-owned business. The shop specialises in creating unique phone cases and accessories with real dried flowers and fruits. Every piece is handmade, so you are getting a truly unique design.
Westminster takes second place, with 261 independent shops and local businesses. As well as being home to giant chains and tourist shops, the area boasts an impressive selection of independent retailers. A couple of gems from Westminster are I Camisa & Son, Gosh! Comics and Brompton bike shop.
Westminster takes second place, with 261 independent shops and local businesses. As well as being home to giant chains and tourist shops, the area boasts an impressive selection of independent retailers. A couple of gems from Westminster are I Camisa & Son, Gosh! Comics and Brompton bike shop.
I Camisa & Son is an Italian food store with a rich history. The store was London’s first authentic Italian food shop, founded in 1929 by two brothers - Ennio and Isidoro Camisa. Many Italian specialist items found here are difficult to find anywhere else in the UK, making the shop a must-visit for Italian food lovers.
Gosh! Comics have a 34-year history and offer a wide selection of graphic novels, children’s books, prints and gifts. It’s the perfect place to visit and immerse yourself in another world.
Sugar + Style is a female-owned independent womenswear boutique. The shop sells trendy clothing and accessories. The founder, Nhuc, started trading her collection at London markets and pop-up shops until finally opening her first store in 2013. She now has three London shops in Camden Market, Boxpark Shoreditch and Gabriel’s Wharf.
If you’re passing by Covent Garden Market, pay a visit to Crystal Heart, Forks to Jewellery, Lesley Martin Ceramics, and Doolittles florist. If antique markets are more your thing – Alfie’s Antique market on Church Street is a must-visit!
Hackney follows in third place with 227 independent retailers. Some of our favourites include homeware shop A New Tribe and clothing stores Aida and Array.
Hackney follows in third place with 227 independent retailers. Some of our favourites include homeware shop A New Tribe and clothing stores Aida and Array.
A new tribe was founded in 2016 by Ella Jones, who wanted to offer original homewares sourced exclusively from global independent designers and artisans. The shop specialises in rare and one-of-a-kind items.
Aida has a wide selection of womenswear, menswear and homeware items. The carefully curated store also has a coffee shop inside, making it the ideal pit stop for shoppers to refuel.
Array is a clothing shop that also sells a selection of gifts and homeware, aiming to champion diversity and inclusivity. Although many of their brand’s items are classed as menswear – they welcome every gender to explore the ranges, supporting the idea that clothing isn’t gendered.
Top 10 Boroughs with Independent Shops
For more of the best independent shopping hotspots, check out the top 10 boroughs in the table below.
| Borough | Population of Borough | Number of Independent Shops |
Number of People Per Independent Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | 210,100 | 273 | 770 |
| City of Westminster | 204,300 | 261 | 783 |
| Hackney | 259,200 | 227 | 1,142 |
| Greenwich | 289,100 | 224 | 1,291 |
| Lambeth | 317,600 | 217 | 1,464 |
| Southwark | 307,700 | 186 | 1,654 |
| Tower Hamlets | 310,300 | 134 | 2,316 |
| Waltham Forest | 278,400 | 48 | 5,800 |
| Wandsworth | 327,500 | 39 | 8,397 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 143,400 | 38 | 3,774 |
London's Independents Shops
Which boroughs have the most female-owned businesses?
For female-owned businesses, Westminster comes out on top with 52 shops. Many of these shops can be found in Alfie’s Antique Market and Covent Garden Market. Some of the best female-owned shops in Alfie’s Antique Market are Alienor, April Antiques, June Victor and Linda Bee, whilst Covent Garden Market is home to Bedford Bears, Float and Yogi’s Owl.
Lambeth comes in second place with 41 female-owned shops, including Bon Velo Norwood, Nyborg’s Kitchen and The Jewellery Tea Party Company in Herne Hill Market.
Hackney takes third place with 38 female-owned shops, mostly located in Broadway Market. Check out Retrouvé for vintage clothing, Holistic Health, and I Am Nut OK for vegan snacks.
Which boroughs have the most ethnic minority-owned businesses?
Southwark boasts the most ethnic minority-owned businesses in London, with 42 overall. All of these are food and drink shops – many are in Borough Market or Maltby Street Market. If you’re visiting Borough Market, stop at Beadles of Borough for wine, Comptoir Gourmand for French cakes and pastries, or Joli for Malaysian street food. La Pepia serves delicious Venezuelan street food in Maltby Street Market.
Lambeth follows in second place with 20 ethnic minority-owned businesses. Most of these are in Southbank Centre Food Market, Herne Hill Market, Brixton Village or Market Row. Southbank Centre Food Market is home to Pochi (Japanese rice bowls) and Horn OK Please (vegetarian Indian street food). If you’re shopping in Lambeth, check out Salim Patel jewellery and Barbara Patel antiques in Herne Hill Market. Visiting Brixton Village or Market Row? Stop for some Columbian food at Rancho Del Lalo, or visit Rama’s Hair & Beauty salon.
Hackney comes in third place with 15 ethnic minority-owned shops, all on Broadway Market. Some noteworthy locations are Aequill for perfume and gifts, Hanoi Kitchen for Vietnamese street food and La Tua Pasta for fresh handmade pasta.
Top 10 Types of Independent Shops
We investigated the most popular types of shops across all 32 boroughs, to find out which sector is dominating London’s independent space the most.
With a population of 8.7 million, it’s no surprise that the food and drink sector takes the top spot, with 695 independent shops across all London boroughs. This equates to a staggering 12,662 people per shop. The top boroughs for food and drink are Southwark (149 shops), Lambeth (119 shops) and Hackney (112 shops).
The creative sector comes in second place with 228 independent shops across all boroughs, equating to 38,596 people per shop. For the creative sector, we counted shops selling everything from pottery and art to handmade gifts. The boroughs which have the highest count for creative stores are Greenwich (76 shops), Westminster (67 shops), and Lambeth (21 shops).
Clothing takes third place, with 185 independent shops in all boroughs, equating to 47,566 people per shop. The top boroughs for clothing are Camden (47 shops), /a> (32 shops) and Hackney (25 shops).
Markets were also included in the total count.
| Type of Shop | Number of shops | Number of People Per Shop Type* |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Drink | 695 | 12,662 |
| Creative | 228 | 38,596 |
| Clothing | 185 | 47,566 |
| Cycles | 173 | 50,866 |
| Gift | 155 | 56,773 |
| Book | 135 | 65,184 |
| Jewellery | 92 | 95,650 |
| Antiques | 89 | 98,874 |
| Music | 45 | 195,551 |
| Home | 41 | 214,629 |
Type of Independent Shop in Each Borough
| Borough and Shop Type | Number of Shops |
|---|---|
|
Barking and Dagenham
Clothing
Cycles
Entertainment
Estate Agent
Florist
Pets
Auto
|
8
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
|
|
Barnet
Book
Creative
Cycles
Food & Drink
Music
Opticians
Software
|
13
1
3
4
2
1
1
1
|
|
Bexley
Book
Clothing
Cycles
Food & Drink
Music
|
11
1
1
5
3
1
|
|
Brent
Book
Clothing
Cycles
Food & Drink
Gift
Home
|
13
5
1
2
2
1
2
|
|
Bromley
Book
Creative
Cycles
Food & Drink
Home
|
16
1
3
7
4
1
|
|
Camden
Antiques
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Entertainment
Food & Drink
Gift
Health
Home
Jewellery
Music
|
273
3
22
47
11
13
1
100
41
2
2
22
9
|
|
City of London
Book
Creative
Cycles
|
10
4
1
5
|
|
City of Westminster
Antiques
Banking
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Education
Florist
Food & Drink
Garden
Gift
Home
Jewellery
Music
Watches
Workshop
|
261
67
1
1
14
15
67
6
1
1
18
1
37
1
22
5
1
3
|
|
Croydon
Book
Creative
Cycles
Food & Drink
|
11
1
4
5
1
|
|
Ealing
Book
Creative
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Home
|
19
3
1
3
1
9
1
1
|
|
Enfield
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Food & Drink
Gift
|
10
1
1
2
4
1
1
|
|
Greenwich
Antiques
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Entertainment
Fashion
Food & Drink
Jewellery
Music
Pets
Wellbeing
|
224
15
12
2
18
76
3
1
5
74
15
1
1
1
|
|
Hackney
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Entertainment
Estate Agent
Exercise
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hairdressers
Hardware
Health
Home
Interior Design
Jewellery
Music
Opticians
Pets
Pharmacy
Post Office
|
227
5
12
25
3
14
1
3
2
2
112
16
3
1
2
2
1
13
3
1
2
3
1
|
|
Hammersmith and Fulham
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Cycles
Home
|
10
1
1
2
5
1
|
|
Haringey
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Food & Drink
Music
|
14
4
1
1
3
2
3
|
|
Harrow
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Cycles
Food & Drink
Gift
|
11
2
1
1
2
4
1
|
|
Havering
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hairdressers
Home
Music
|
17
2
3
1
1
3
1
1
4
1
|
|
Hillingdon
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
|
14
1
2
3
6
1
1
|
|
Hounslow
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hardware
Home
Workshop
|
21
2
1
1
1
6
2
1
6
1
|
|
Islington
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Entertainment
Food & Drink
Gift
Home
Music
|
24
4
3
3
5
2
1
2
2
2
|
|
Kensington and Chelsea
Antiques
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Fashion
Food & Drink
Gift
Home
Jewellery
Lifestyle
Music
|
38
2
1
9
5
2
3
1
6
3
1
2
1
2
|
|
Kingston upon Thames
Book
Clothing
Cycles
Food & Drink
Gift
Music
|
14
2
1
4
3
2
2
|
|
Lambeth
Antiques
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hairdressers
Hardware
Home
Jewellery
Lifestyle
Music
News
Opticians
Property
Shoe Repair
|
217
2
1
11
13
21
9
2
119
13
2
1
2
11
1
5
1
1
1
1
|
|
Lewisham
Book
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Home
|
14
4
4
1
4
1
|
|
Merton
Book
Cycles
Education
|
4
1
2
1
|
|
Newham
Book
Clothing
Entertainment
Food & Drink
|
9
4
2
1
2
|
|
Redbridge
Creative
Cycles
Gift
Jewellery
News
|
8
1
4
1
1
1
|
|
Richmond upon Thames
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Food & Drink
Gift
Music
|
32
1
10
2
1
8
1
5
4
|
|
Southwark
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Education
Entertainment
Florist
Food & Drink
Hairdressers
Health
Home
Jewellery
Music
|
186
2
8
3
3
11
2
1
1
149
1
1
2
1
1
|
|
Sutton
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Home
Opticians
Pets
Shoe Repair
Auto
|
31
1
1
3
5
3
5
4
4
1
1
1
2
|
|
Tower Hamlets
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Entertainment
Fashion
Fitness
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hairdressers
Home
Jewellery
Music
|
134
3
32
3
9
1
5
2
7
48
12
2
4
3
3
|
|
Waltham Forest
Beauty and Grooming
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Education
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hairdressers
Health
Home
Jewellery
Pets
|
48
1
2
3
7
9
1
1
10
9
1
1
1
1
1
|
|
Wandsworth
Book
Clothing
Creative
Cycles
Florist
Food & Drink
Gift
Hardware
Health
Home
Jewellery
Music
Pets
|
39
1
2
6
10
2
5
3
1
1
4
1
2
1
|
Methodology
The list of shops were gathered through Indie Retail, Companies House and desk research. Desk research was undertaken to find articles which showcased independent shops and markets, and those which stated they were independent on their own websites. For the different types of shops, we grouped together any arts type (pottery for example) to a more general term such as creative.
Any shops on the Indie Retail that are no longer trading were deleted from the list. Information about the ethnicity and gender of the owner was only captured if stated on their website.
Any borough with a market will usually have one prominent type of shop as they tend to be grouped together. For example, Borough Market mainly has food stalls, leading to a higher count of those types of shops.
