London's Less Popular Shopping Areas (Review)

Interested in some of London’s less popular shopping centres? Wanting to escape some of the crowds for a few hours? Here’s what to expect at London’s Battersea Power Station and the Icon Outlet at the O2.

Battersea Power Station

Located on the south bank of the river Thames, Battersea power station began construction in 1929 and operated as a coal power station until 1983. Just last year, the station was converted and opened as a shopping centre.

Location

Battersea power station has its own underground station on the Northern line or can be reached by a short walk from Victoria Station. It is about a 20minute walk from the station with lovely views over the river Thames.

Shops

Jewellery and athletic wear seemed to dominate this shopping area with Nike, Adidas, Lululemon and SweatyBetty all under one roof. I personally didn’t feel the selection of shops here was very good but that is, of course, different for everyone. Some others to mention were: Levi’s, Uniqlo, The Body Shop and Curated Makers which is a shop of local business products. You can find a full list of Battersea’s shops and restaurants HERE. And with the centre still being fairly new hopefully they will get some good new additions.

Food

Most of the food options here are actually located on the street outside of the building. Within the station, there were only about 4 options when we visited. I tried out Where The Pancakes Are on my visit and loved them! They offer both sweet and savoury options and are definitely good at what they do.

Other Activities

As mentioned before, walking to the power station and enjoying the views of the impressive building and the river Thames is a great part of this place.
They also have lift 109 which allows for great views across London. One of the 4 towers has been turned into a lift that takes you 109 meters into the air. A clear viewing pod is located at the top. This is quite a pricey experience but as a one off I think this could be a fun addition to a day out.
There is also a bar called the control room and a cinema located within the building if you plan to spend more time here.

Overview

Overall I really liked seeing Battersea power station and the surrounding area but I personally wouldn’t pick this as a shopping spot. What do you think of the shop selection here?

Icon Outlet at the O2

The O2 is a concert and show arena in the south east of London. Surrounding the central arena is the Icon Outlet with shops and restaurants. The structure of the building called the Millennium dome was opened at the end of 1999 as an exhibition celebrating the turn of the third millennium. The internal arena was built later and opened in 2007.

Location

Located on the Greenwich peninsula in south east London. The easiest way to get to the O2 is via the underground. Take the Jubilee line to the North Greenwich station and you’ll be right outside.

Shops

I found this to be quite a good place for gift shopping. I visited just before Christmas and shops such as Hallmark, The cosmetic company, and Lindt were great for present ideas. But again everyone likes different shops so check out their full list HERE.

Food

With over 20 different food spots I felt spoilt for choice. The restaurants are all lined up on the ground floor so you can take a stroll along and wait for somewhere to catch your eye. They have some popular options such as Zizzi’s, Wasabi, and Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Other Activities

Of course, the best thing you could do at the O2 is to go to one of the concerts but on a more normal day, they have lots of other activities going on too. They have a cinema, bowling alley, trampoline park and are about to open an indoor skydiving experience if you are looking for something fun to do. Similar to Battersea power station you can also enjoy the views of London from the roof, but here you get to climb over it.