Retail in the UK
The independent that stocks the thing the chains stopped selling, a butcher and a greengrocer on the same street, a gift shop for the present you forgot, the retail park with the parking and the big sheds, a market on Saturday, a shop open on Sunday evening, or the bookshop that orders anything by Tuesday: find the shops and retailers near you.
You R Yogawww.you-r-yoga.co.uk › yoga › nidra
Courses run all year - join anytime. Suitable for complete beginners. 8-week live Zoom course in Yoga Nidra meditation. No experience needed.
07903 121668Retail by city
Pick a city to see local retail ranked by rating — each links to that town's dedicated page.
Browse all 36 cities with a retailer
Highly rated UK retail
Get your business found — free.
Join 38 retail already picking up local work through The Business Listing.
Other services people search for near retail
Guides & advice for retail
Huddersfield’s Temporary Market Opens to Keep Traders Going
Huddersfield's temporary market has opened on Brook Street with 36 indoor and 30 outdoor stalls, keeping traders going while the town's historic market hall is redeveloped ahead of a January 2028 reopening.
Tamworth’s Town Hall Place Welcomes Diverse Independent Businesses
Tamworth's new Town Hall Place retail hub confirmed its first four independent tenants back in January — and by March they'd all opened, with the town marking it with a public celebration on the high street.
Finding the shops in a UK town
Retail in a town is its high street, its independents, its markets, its retail parks and its convenience stores: the chain stores and department stores of the centre, the independent shops that give a town its character in food, gifts, clothing, books, homewares, hobbies and hardware, the market on its day, the retail park with the supermarket, DIY, furniture, electrical and discount sheds and the parking, the shopping centre, the convenience stores and newsagents on every estate, and the specialists from bridal shops to bike shops that people travel for. Each kind of shop has its own page here, from bakers to toy shops; this page is the town's retail as a whole and where to start.
What shops offer that a screen does not is the thing in your hand, the person who knows the stock, the fitting, the repair, the order in by Tuesday and the money staying in the town; what makes a town's retail work is parking, opening hours that suit people who work, click and collect, markets and events that bring people in, and independents that are worth the trip. Use the listings to check what is open and when before setting out, to find the independent that stocks what the chains do not, and to see who offers click and collect, delivery, repairs, alterations and the services around the sale; and support the shops you want to still be there.
The listings here show each shop's type and what it sells, opening hours, address and parking, click and collect and delivery, services and contact details, so you can see what is nearby, what is open, and where people in your town shop for what.
The retail in a town
High street and centre: chain and department stores, banks and building societies, pharmacies, opticians and phone shops, cafés and the independents in between, with the shopping centre and the pedestrianised streets at the heart.
Independents: food shops such as butchers, bakers, greengrocers, delis and farm shops, gift, card and homeware shops, clothing boutiques, bookshops, hobby, craft and music shops, hardware and DIY, jewellers, and the specialists people travel for.
Retail parks and superstores: supermarkets, DIY and garden, furniture and beds, electrical, sports, pets, discount stores and fast food with free parking on the edge of town, and the outlet centres and shopping villages further out.
Markets and pop-ups: weekly and monthly markets, farmers' and craft markets, indoor market halls, Christmas markets and the pop-up shops in empty units.
Convenience and services: convenience stores, newsagents, post offices, off-licences and petrol station shops on every estate, plus the dry cleaners, repairers, key cutters and alteration shops that keep things going.
Getting the most from local shops
- Check opening hours before setting out; independents often close early one day and open Sunday differently.
- Ask the shop to order it in; most independents get stock in days and price-match where they can.
- Use click and collect and local delivery; many small shops now offer both.
- Park where the town wants you to; free retail-park parking and the town's short-stay bays are usually on the listing.
- Look for the market day and the late-night events; they are when the independents put their best out.
- Keep receipts and ask about returns; small shops are flexible but the law gives online buyers more.
What shopping locally costs
Independent shops are often assumed to be dearer and often are not: food from butchers, bakers and greengrocers is usually level with or cheaper than supermarkets for the same quality, hardware shops sell the single screw the sheds sell in a bag of fifty, and bookshops match online prices on many titles; clothing, gifts and homewares from independents cost more than fast fashion and discount stores and less than department stores for the same brands, and the service, fitting and repair are in the price. Town centre parking runs 50p to £2 an hour and retail parks are free for two or three hours; market stalls undercut shops on fruit, veg and household goods. Roughly 60p of every pound spent in an independent stays in the local economy against 40p in a chain.
The £4 loaf from the baker and the £3.50 one from the supermarket are not the same loaf, and the baker is why the street has a bakery.
How do I find shops near me?+
Look at the shops and retailers listed for your town, which show each one's type and what it sells, opening hours, address and parking, click and collect and delivery, services and reviews, and use the category pages for a particular kind of shop, from bakers to toy shops; check hours before setting out and ask independents to order in what they do not stock.
What shops are open on Sunday?+
Large shops in England and Wales may open for six hours between 10am and 6pm on Sunday, so supermarkets and retail parks trade 10 to 4 or 11 to 5, while small shops under 280 square metres can open when they like, so convenience stores, many independents and garden centres open longer; Scotland has no Sunday trading restrictions. The listings show each shop's Sunday hours, which change with the season.
Is it cheaper to shop at independent shops or chains?+
It depends on the goods: independent food shops, hardware and repairs are often cheaper or better value than the chains for the same quality, while clothing, gifts and homewares from independents cost more than discount and fast-fashion stores and about the same as department stores for the same brands; what you buy with an independent is choice, knowledge, service and a town that still has shops, and a growing number match online prices.
Do local shops offer click and collect and delivery?+
Many now do: independents take orders by phone, message, website or social media for collection the same day or local delivery, chains offer click and collect in store, and food shops run delivery rounds; the listings show which offer what. Ordering from the local shop for collection is often faster than online delivery and keeps the sale in the town.
Where can I park to shop in town?+
Town centre car parks and short-stay bays charge 50p to £2 an hour with free periods in many towns to help the shops, retail parks and supermarkets give two or three hours free, and market days and events sometimes bring free parking; the listings show parking near each shop and the council's site lists the car parks, prices and free-after times. Check the terms in private car parks, where fines are the business model.
Why shop local?+
Because independent shops keep more money in the town, roughly 60p in the pound against 40p for a chain, employ local people, stock what the chains do not, know their customers and their products, offer the service, fitting, repair and ordering-in that online cannot, and make a high street worth visiting; the shops that close are the ones people stopped using, and the ones that thrive are the ones people chose.
How do I get my business listed?+
It is free. Add your business in about two minutes to appear on this page and your local town directory. Upgrade to Featured for £2.99 a month to sit above the free listings.