Shopping in Leicester

The Maker’s Market has developed countrywide, with markets popping up in cities across the UK, showcasing fine local producers. Making its debut in Leicester in 2017, Maker’s Market has grown quickly due to its popularity, with people flocking to buy quality goods and gifts that are a little different to what you’d usually find on the high street. Held on the first Sunday of the month in new Market Square, the market is seasonal, so be sure to check its website for the dates of your visit.

Spread over 60,000ft, Kibworth Antiques Centre has become synonymous with top-drawer curios and sought-after antiques. A wander around the centre – just five miles from our Leicester South (Oadby) hotel – will have you lusting over eclectic homewares you never knew you needed, and with over 60 independent traders, you’ll have plenty to choose from.

Right in the heart of the city centre is Leicester’s one-stop shopping destination, Highcross Leicester. First opened in 1991, the shopping centre has undergone waves of expansion before its latest and most extensive redevelopment, bringing to the city a shopping centre it can be proud of; the largest in the East Midlands. There are over 150 stores, including department stores House of Fraser, Debenhams and a huge John Lewis set over four floors, with a throng of high street favourites. Highcross Leicester also packs in over 40 restaurants, cafés, and a Showcase De Lux cinema.

Haymarket Shopping Centre is the oldest shopping mall in Britain. Right on the doorstep of the bus station, Haymarket has over 60 shops and restaurant outlets spread out over two floors, including Primark, H&M and TK Maxx, and a great many smaller stores to pick up everyday essentials.

Away from the shopping centres, Leicester has an alluring collection of independent shops. St. Martin’s Square and The Lanes are two notable areas, capitalising on charming Victorian architectural accents to give a fitting home to a swathe of eclectic stores, selling everything from additions to your walls to new items for your wardrobes. You’ll also find quirky shops, artisanal eateries and cafés, such as St. Martin’s Coffee; an exceptional establishment that freshly roasts its coffee beans at its roastery just 10 minutes away.

Owing to Leicester’s reputation as one of the most multicultural cities in the UK, Belgrave Road is a hub of Indian culture. Dubbed The Golden Mile, just down the road from our Fosse Park hotel, the road has become renowned for authentic Indian restaurants and food stores, sari shops and jewellers. The area itself is famed for its Winter festivities and seasonal lights, when its streets are awash with colour for Diwali celebrations.