Winchester in Hampshire stands head and shoulders above other small cities for shopping.
In our annual survey almost all small cities had low star ratings for shopping. 18 of the 19 had two stars or fewer. They can’t compete with the sheer variety of shops you find in bigger cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.
However, the exception was Winchester, which got four stars.
More than 3,000 Which? members rated recent stays in more than 50 UK cities and, while none received the full five out of five stars for shopping, many locations around the UK scored four stars.
We’ve picked some of the cities that are best, not just to do your last minute shopping – but also for a great break overall.
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England’s medieval capital might not have as many shops as London but it’s a much more pleasant place to wander around in the weeks before Christmas. You’ll also have a better chance of quickly finding something special and different. Its narrow streets are pedestrian friendly and lined with independent shops selling clothes, crafts or food that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.
It also has one of the country’s greatest cathedrals and any number of great cafes and restaurants.
On top of all that it gets four stars for lack of crowds and four stars for value for money.
There’s not much to choose between the top rated cities in our annual city breaks survey. Liverpool, Edinburgh and York all got high customer scores and four stars for shopping. We’ll give the highest accolade to Liverpool, though, because – unlike the other cities mentioned – it also gets four stars for lack of crowds.
You’ll find most of the big name, high street shops compacted inside the Liverpool One open-air centre. It’s a time-efficient way to shop for Christmas gifts.
Away from the central shopping hub, make a beeline for Bold Street. Here there’s an eclectic array of stores on its cobbles for family members who prefer something more unique to unwrap.
When your shopping is all done, there’s no shortage of restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat. The city scored four out of five stars for food and drink options in our survey. Find restaurants on Albert Dock, just a short walk from Liverpool One, or throw in some history during your visit and trundle over to Mathew Street for a drink at the famous Cavern Club, where the Beatles first performed in February 1961.
York, with its cultural sights, spectacular Gothic Minster cathedral and decent options for dining, is another favourite with Which? members. It’s also got a good reputation for its shopping scene.
Spend time pottering around the Shambles – a medieval street lined with independent shops and restaurants – or find little treasures in the boutiques of Stonegate and Petergate.
Elsewhere, browse well-known brands in Coppergate Shopping Centre.
For Christmas cheer, head for Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, where you will find 75 alpine chalets selling festive knick-knacks, street food and drinks at the York Christmas market.
Discover how York performed in all categories from peace and quiet, food and drink and value for money in our UK cities survey.
Glasgow didn’t get as high a visitor score as Edinburgh but it scored just as highly for shopping – and also, crucially, got four stars for lack of crowds, which make it an easier place to shop this Christmas.
Most of Glasgow’s shops are situated on the ‘style mile’. In the Buchanan Galleries, you’ll find more than 80 big name stores, useful for ticking off Christmas list requests.
Head to the West End for streets of independents such as Voltaire & Rousseau and Caledonia Books. Both stock second-hand and antiquarian books.
Glasgow was also awarded four stars for food in our UK cities survey, so finding a decent lunch or dinner spot shouldn’t be tricky when you’re all shopped out.
Find out how your nearest city performed in our city breaks survey
Newcastle is a shoppers’ paradise with the choice of three major shopping centres, including Eldon Square and the Metro centre. The latter is one of the UK’s largest malls and the indoor complex is home to big high street names so you should breeze through your Christmas shopping list.
For a more characterful shopping experience, browse the Central Arcade, where high street brands and independents are housed in an Edwardian shopping centre built in 1906. Or head to the Christmas market on Grey Street, Grainger Street and Old Eldon Square to find stalls selling food, decorations and seasonal gifts.
Each year it’s also a family tradition for many locals to visit the much-loved festive window displays of department store Fenwick on Northumberland Street. This year the theme is the 12 Days of Christmas.
Newcastle is also the best UK city for food and drink.
Which? members not only voted Cardiff one of the top 10 UK cities generally, but it’s also excellent for shopping. St David’s shopping centre is a one-stop mall for high-street fashion.
For a more charming spree, head to the Victorian and Edwardian arcades just a five-minute walk away. The area is filled with boutiques and cafés. Alternatively, stop by the Pontcanna Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10am to 1.30pm. Stalls sell everything from Welsh-farmed cheese, meats and honey to wine and spirits from further afield.
London’s shopping scene is famous worldwide, with a corresponding number of visitors – but also some spectacular attractions, not least the lights around the West End.
However, the sheer size of the capital means that transferring from one shopping district to another may involve hopping onto a bus or tube.
London’s most famous high street, Oxford Street, is where you’ll find major national and international brands, from The Disney Store to Nike. Nearby is the almost 150-year-old Liberty London department store, and just a few tube stops away is Harrods.
Covent Garden is another retail hotspot where you can stop for food, drinks or a West End show when you’re all shopped out. For more of an eclectic mix of independent fashion stores, head to Camden. Camden Lock pays homage to the area’s hippy roots, and it’s always buzzing with throngs of people.
Unsurprisingly, London is not a peaceful shopping spot at any time of year; members gave it just one out of five stars for lack of crowds, and it will be even busier at Christmas time.
The centre of Bath is a Unesco World Heritage Centre and one of the UK’s most impressive cities – for the Georgian splendour of the Royal Crescent and the Roman baths – among the best preserved in the world.
It’s also a great place to walk around, with a good selection of independent shops, such as Wylde Jewellers on Northumberland Place and drinks specialists Independent Spirit on Terrace Walk.
Just south of Liverpool, Cheshire’s cathedral city is also a pleasure to walk around. It gets four stars for lack of crowds, cultural sights and food and drink. In the cobbled centre, some of the most attractive, interesting shops are found in the half-timbered, double-decker arcades known as the Rows. Although most are Victorian, some 13th-century buildings remain.
Bath and Chester also both have among the best Christmas markets in the UK.
In April 2024, we asked 3,967 Which? members to rate UK cities and towns they’d visited for leisure purposes and stayed in for at least one night in the past two years (since April 2022). We received reports of 7,187 experiences. Above we’ve mentioned all those that got 75% or more in our survey and four stars for shopping.
