The British currency: the pound. UK prices & shoppingOn this page go to:The British pound UK prices & shopping information The currency in Britain is the pound sterling (£), which is divided into 100 pence. The banknotes are worth £50, £20, £10 and £5; the coins £2, £1, 50p (50 pence), 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, 1p (1 penny). The exchange rate of the British pound in relation to other currencies is obviously always changing. You can change money in a bank, but some Bureaux de Change offer a better rate. You normally need an identity document to change money. An area of London where there are several bureaux offering a good deal is around Russell Square (tube station of the same name). If you visit the British Museum, take a look around, it's near there. Among the best deals are those provided by British Airways Travelex and Thomas Cook, and also by the larger stores of the Marks & Spencer chain. Remember that all money-changing offices must now display their exchange rates and any commission. Bureaux de Change can also be found in travel agents, major department stores and some post office, and many are open in the evenings. Banks are open from 9.30am until 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. The Barclays Bank branch of Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 at the Arrivals is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (tel. ++44 - 20 - 8250 6400). Lenlyn, in London's Victoria railway station, is open every day of the year, except 25-26 December, from 6am to 10pm (tel. ++44 - 20 - 7828 2012). It's possible to obtain cash from some automatic teller machines if your bank and the UK bank belong to the same system. Check with your bank before leaving. The Euro, the new common currency of the European Union, was introduced on 1 January 1999. So far only 11 countries of the EU have joined the euro, and (you guessed it) Britain is not one of them (although Ireland is). The Brits are still very much in doubt, with opinion polls giving a majority in favour of not joining, but the Blair government is still keen on it. Too early to worry about it. For more info, phone the European Commission in New York (tel. 212 - 271 3804) or Washington, DC (tel. 202 - 862 9500). Back to top
There is a consolation, though: there are several ways and places to save money, if you know them. To save money, find bargains and discounts the best thing is to buy online, via the internet. Check all these other resources on shopping and saving: Luxury shirts Designer clothes Designer underwear Kids designer clothes & women's fashion bargains Mobile phones best deals Internet service providers Computers best deals Home appliances TVs, Hifi, sound & vision Being vegetarian in the UK London markets Save money on phone bills
Kelkoo is a shopping search engine to compare prices from hundreds of shopping sites to find the best prices when shopping online.
Pricerunner is a very useful site to compare prices of many kinds of products and services in Britain.
Abcaz is a shopping service that helps web users find what they're looking for in real shops on their local high street, before they set out to buy.
DealTime is the UK part of the fourth largest online shopping network in the world.
Prices in Britain are high, but prices vary within the UK itself. Compared to London's prices, in the rest of the country there may a difference of 15 to 30 per cent less, according to the region. Generally, the further South one goes the more expensive products and services become (except in Wales, where prices are among the lowest). A substantial, continuous migration to the South-East of England (London and surrounding regions, which the
English call home counties) is responsible for raising the area's prices.
SALES Sales take place in two periods of the year: after Christmas and in July. Stores of all kinds and price ranges hold these sales, which may last up to a couple of months (for instance, from late December to late February) and may offer discounts of up to 66 per cent, although half price discounts are much more common. LOYALTY CARDS The so-called loyalty cards (or account cards) are another good method to save. Every major retail chain has one, with which it rewards "loyal" customers by giving them points for the money spent (for example, one point for each pound spent). These points can then be exchanged with products from the same store or different companies, or used in exchange for a discount on purchases. Some cards allow a 10 per cent discount on the first purchase. The best ones are Advantage Card of the chemist chain Boots, followed by the cards of Co-op supermarkets and WHSmith newsagents/booksellers. OUT-OF-TOWN SHOPPING CENTRES In the great out-of-town shopping centres or retail parks it's possible to find good bargains. In London, for instance, along ring roads like the North Circular Road one can find some of these consumeristic-dream villages, such as Brent Cross. Matalan is a clothing store chain with low prices, and Staples is very good for stationery and office products. Differences between urban areas are also present. Shopping South of the Thames, in the Old Kent Road, a traditionally working-class neighbourhood, is cheaper than elsewhere in the city. In factory outlets or shops you can find brand goods at discounted prices, on average at 30-60 per cent less than in high street stores. SECOND-HAND BOOKSHOPS Second-hand bookshops are another source of bargains. In London there are many of them, sometimes large and well-stocked, with various specialised sections. The majority is concentrated in the central Charing Cross Road (underground stations: Charing Cross, Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road). Second-hand book stalls are regularly lined on the South Bank of the Thames. Second-hand antiques' shops often have excellent books for sale at very low price: try the ones near Marylebone railway station (underground: Marylebone. Back to Top SHOPS IN THE UKShops in the UK are open without interruption from 9am to 5.30pm, from Monday to Saturday. In London many are open until late evening and even on Sundays, often run by Indians, especially food shops. In the Queensway area (tube of the same name or Bayswater), clothes shops are open until 9 or 10pm, Sundays included. In central London, the days of late opening hours are Thursadys until 8pm for the West End (including the street synonymous with shopping, Oxford Street, and the other great shopping thoroughfare, Regent Street), Wedsnesdays until 7pm for Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Kensington High Street. Post offices are open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5.30pm, and Saturday 9am-1pm. Major credit cards are generally accepted (with the exception of some small businesses), but there may be a minimum purchase requirement and shopkeepers may impose an extra charge.
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