You would need to walk over 3 miles to visitall the shops on both sides of Oxford Street,from Marble Arch at the western end toTottenham Court Road at the eastern end.

There is a huge amount of redevelopment atthe eastern end which makes the street herelook even tattier than usual.

Many of the multinational stores haveseveral outlets, so if the item you want has soldout in one you might still find it in another.

The famous Christmas lights are put up inNovember and they remain lit until 6 January.

Only London busses, taxis and bikes areallowed to drive along Oxford Street (excepton Sunday)

John LewisContinues to offer their refund-the-difference scheme to meet the claim thatthey are ‘never knowingly undersold’. As a co-operative, the staff in the JohnLewis Partnership (also Waitrose) determine how the company is to be runthrough a system of democratically elected committees, and they also getto enjoy a share of the profits in bonus payments when times are good. Thefirst choice for wealthier middle-class shoppers, John Lewis has a reputationfor high ethical standards and good customer care.

His Master's VoiceStill surviving as a music outlet, against all the odds, HMV wasestablished over 100 years ago, commemorated by the roundplaque on the wall outside, to the left of the entrance. Firstrecording classical music, HMV grew quickly to sign the RCA starsof the 1950’s, including Elvis, and then the Beatles in the 1960s.The trade-mark of the dog (Nipper) was inspired by a Victorianpainting called ‘His master’s voice’ which shows the animallistening to a recording on a cylinder phonograph.

PrimarkAt both ends of Oxford Street; two huge stores selling ‘fastfashions’ at what seem like impossibly low prices, and thecompany is looking likely to rival Marks and Spencer as thenation’s number one clothing retailer in the near future. On busyafternoons long queues can build up at the checkouts andchanging rooms but they do move quickly along. Like all the bighigh street stores, Primark claims that their merchandise isethically produced and doesn’t involve sweatshops or underageworkers. Beware of the eco-friendly paper bags that can split inthe rain.

OXFORDSTREET

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SelfridgesLondon's second largest department store (after Harrods)with 5 floors of products, from furniture, fashion and food,to art, cosmetics and sports. Themed in-store promotionscan mean free arts and entertainment for the customers.Crowd-pleasing spectacles go back a long way, includingthe first ever demonstration of television; the display ofthe aeroplane that made the first flight across the EnglishChannel to France; and on one occasion, a millionpounds worth of jewellery was used to decorate thestore’s windows. Go into the store by the main Art Decoentrance (under the clock is a popular meeting place) andstraight ahead you will see the help desk and information.

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NOTES:

Marks and SpencerTwo outlets on Oxford Street with this one at Marble Arch being thebusiest of all the stores worldwide. The stores are usually referred toas 'Marks' or 'M&S' and the clothing on offer is all Marks and Spencerown-label. Being such a familiar face on the high street, thecompany’s trading figures have come to be read as a barometer ofthe economic health of the whole country.

TopShopThe world’s largest fashion store at Oxford Circus. Fourbuzzing floors of clothes for women (and men at TopMan)plus a cafe, hairdressing, a tailoring service and a nail bar.Clothes from TopShop have been advertised usingextremely skinny models which has led to concerns thatsuch images may encourage young girls to becomeanorexic. The American ‘size zero’ is the equivalent of size4 in the UK. The dress size for the average woman has, inrecent years, increased from 12 to 14.

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SwatchColourful and inexpensive Swiss watches. Over2000 models have now been produced, all

completely machine-assembled. Collectors’ favourites andlimited editions can reach high prices at auction.

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AdidasSportswear manufacturer named after the Germanfounder Adolf Dassler, with the brand's three

stripes being one of the world’s most instantly recognisedtrademarks. Sports lovers will also enjoy the huge Nikestoreat Oxford Circus with its dedicated zones for each activity.

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House of FraserWell-established department store attracting thesame class of shopper as Selfridges and John Lewis.

Amongst the clothing concessions there is a large choice of thebetter-known designer labels.

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MARBLE ARCH BOND STREET

OXFORD CIRCUS

S T R E E TO X F O R D

16 9 2 4 3

3 8 5 7 6REGENT STREET

(1) Selfridges(2) John Lewis(3) Primark(4) Topshop(5) HMV(6) Marks and Spencer(7) Swatch(8) Adidas(9) House of Fraser

TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD