London makes top 10 global destinations for luxury shopping

London has been placed seventh in a new listing of the world’s best luxury shopping destinations, beating the likes of Los Angeles and Milan. The listing, put together by premium hotel group Lartisien, ranks London highly for the abundance and choice of high-end places to splash your cash. 

The UK capital scores well for its iconic department stores, including Liberty and Harrods, which are desirable tourist attractions in their own right. Key addresses such as Bond Street, Savile Row, the Royal Exchange and Chelsea, which all feature highly on shoppers’ hotlists, add to its appeal. 

London also racks up points for the high-profile designers who started their careers here. They include Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, whose flagship stores are a big pull for high-spending fashion tourists. Sitting alongside Paris, Milan, and New York, as one of the world’s ‘big-four’ fashion capitals, London hosts its own fashion weeks each February and September.  

The Lartisien website quotes the State of London Luxury report, which predicts that luxury retail will contribute up to £30 billion to London’s economy in 2024. 

According to Lartisien: “The report also found that 82% of respondents believed the blend of well-known luxury brands and local British luxury icons are major contributors to London’s distinctiveness in the luxury landscape”. 

“Many influential fashion giants started in London, such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Sir Paul Smith and Stella McCartney. Of course, there’s no doubt that the Royal family also enhances London’s luxury status.” 

Tokyo is first on the Lartisien listing, followed by Hong Kong. Both Paris and New York sneak past London, taking fourth and fifth places respectively. 

Read more about this story on the TimeOut website.