Shops and Shopping

The High Street.

In the centre of most towns and villages there is a main street with lots of different shops. This street is usually called the High Street. The high streets in Britain are beginning to look more and more the same. This is because they are full of branches of big chair-stores.

One of the best known chain –stores is Marks & Spencer, which sells clothes and food. The company has over 700 stores word-wide and has a reputation for good quality. If you buy something you that you decide you don’t like, you can take it back and get your money back.

In most high streets there is a charity shop. All the profits from the things sold go to charity. Oxfam is the best known chain of charity shops and it sells second-hand clothes and books.

The corner shop.

Eighty-seven per cent of British people live less than a mile from their local corner shop. A corner shop is a small shop on, or near, a street corner. Many are run by Indian or Pakistani families. Most corner shops sell food and newspapers. They are open until late in the evening, as well as on Sundays.

Harrods.

Department stores are found in all big cities. They are big shops where you can find almost everything you want and which offer a wide choice of things. The most famous British department store, Harrods, started as small shop in 1849.

The present store has more than 300 departments and a staff of over 4000 people. The display in the food hall is amazing. For example, there is a choice of over 500 types of cheese. Harrods is owned by the Egyptian, Mohammed Al Fayed.

Street markets.

Street markets are both fun and cheap. Most markets sell fruit and vegetables, clothes, things for the house, records and jewelers. In London there are about 40 or 50 markets. Some specialize in flowers, pets or second –hand books.

Some towns are called market towns: a market is held there, usually once a week. People come from the surrounding villages to do their shopping.

Camden Lock Market is in London. Traditionally it was a second – hand clothes and antique- furniture market.

Out-off-town shopping.

Many small high street and corner shops are closing because people prefer to drive to a shopping complex outside town. There they can park their cars without any problems and do all their shopping in one place.

In a British shopping complex, you usually find a supermarket, a branch of most of the chain- stores, some smaller shops, a few cafes and sometimes a multi-screen cinema.

Most of new shopping complexes are built near big roads, outside town. Here you can also find “superstores”. These enormous shops sell their products more cheaply than in the high street shops. Many of the superstores are branches of chain-stores from countries outside Britain, such as IKEA or Aldi.

II. Work “in pairs’’ asking and answering the following questions:

1. What is your favorite shop?

2. Where is your favorite shop?

3. Is your favorite shop a chain-store?

4. Do you do your shopping on the way home?

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