Shopping in Leeds Guide

Come buckets of rain or sweltering shine, you can’t go wrong if you’re shopping in Leeds, because there’s an abundance of places to shop indoors, from the spacious modern elegance of The Light, to the quaint and beautiful Victorian arcades. There are numerous shopping centres such as the St Johns Centre, the Headrow Centre, and the Merrion Centre, and also the fascinating indoor market.

Knightsbridge of the North

The corner of Briggate and the Headrow is a good place to start. Here you have the wonderful Japanese shop MUJI, with its wide range of household goods, stationery and clothing that all share a clean minimalism, with an emphasis on recycling and green values. At the top of Briggate you also have Envy, with its range of branded clothing, and opposite is Schuh for cool branded shoes ranging from impossibly-high heels, through to skate shoes and Docs. Just off Briggate is the grandeur of the Victoria Quarter with its mosaic floors, fabulous shop fronts, bubbling fountains and chic indoor pavement cafes.

Relax and shop in the Victoria Quarter

If Vivienne Westwood tickles your fancy then you’ll find a branch here, as well as plenty of other shops specialising in haute couture and fine accessories, high class chocolatiers and top name brands, all in the most beautiful surroundings. You don’t need to go all the way to Knightsbridge to find Harvey Nichols, because it’s right here on Briggate next to the Victoria Quarter, and this branch has the accolade of being the first Harvey Nicks to open outside London.

Take a look at the five fabulous floors of clothing, food and wine, perfumes and jewellery, with a cafe at the very top from where you can look out over the Leeds skyline while you tuck into seared salmon and spinach.

On Briggate further down you have M&S, with a food hall that goes on forever, and several floors of clothing and household goods, including a huge lingerie department with row upon delightful row of pastels, lace, polka dots and stripes. Marks and Spencer actually started as a single market stall in Leeds, which is marked with a green and gold clock in Leeds Kirkgate Market.

Big brands in the high street

In Leeds you’ll find all the other retail staples such as Body Shop, TK Maxx, Burtons, Kookai, Currys, Principles, Debenhams, Gap, House of Fraser, Topshop, Next, Dorothy Perkins, Laura Ashley, River Island, WHSmith, HMV and many more big names, as well as shops that are unique to Leeds. For example, if looking round proper posh kitchen stuff is your thing, then feast your eyes at Peter Maturi on Vicar Lane, where you will find all things cuisine from ice cream makers to silicone gizmos that help you to poach that perfect egg.

Shop and socialise in the Light

But let’s move on to The Light, which you’ll find just off the Headrow – now, calling this place a shopping centre is like calling the QE2 a boat. With with its marble flooring, its elevated walkways, its high ceilings and air of serenity, The Light never ever feels crowded. Here you will find up-to-the-minute shops, such as Joy, with its edgy clothing, Exit and its eclectic streetwear, the casual chic of Superdry.

Ark with its branded fashion, self-confessed purveyors of sixties cool Lambretta, and loads more very noughties stores. In The Light there are plenty of places to eat outdoors indoors, if you see what I mean, and particularly recommended is Cafe Rouge for its wines, continental beers, and French inspired menu, including steak frites and confit de canard.

Europe’s largest market

Finally, don’t forget Leeds Kirkgate Market, the largest covered market in Europe with over 800 stalls, housed in a Grade I listed building, which is just a stone’s throw from the Victoria Quarter. Here you’ll find florists, haberdashery, toys, household goods, clothes, a huge variety of textiles, and all different kinds of food from fresh meat to Caribbean vegetables. Next to it is the outdoor market, where you can get fruit and veg, clothes, and second hand stuff from antique cutlery to old photos and magazines.

So whether you are just after a bit of window shopping, or in need of some heavy duty retail therapy, you’ll find it in Leeds.

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