Like most towns, Oxford has the usual mix of high street shops and supermarkets. Oxford is, however, a major tourist centre. Souvenir and tourist shops selling everything from candy to sweatshirts have sprung along most routes that visitors venture out to.
I. Covered market
Covered market is where the locals and academics go to for high end local produce and other useful products. You can get everything from fresh seafood, wool clothing, gourmet sandwiches, chocolates, coffee, pies, meat and flowers. Till a while ago Covered Market used to be closed on Sundays. However, these days it is open on Sundays on a trial basis.
II. Souvenirs
If you stick to the tourist trail of High Street, Broad Street, Cornmarket Street (pedestrian street) and George Street you are sure to find most things a visitor might want to buy from Oxford. Some shops certainly worth mentioning just because of their history are Blackwell's book shop on Broad Street and Alice's shop on St Aldates. If you want to get something completely different, try Frank Cooper's Oxford Marmalade, which was originally based in Oxford. However, the name is now mainly used for marketing reasons. The building that housed the original factory is near the Oxford railway station and is now called the Jam Factory - a bar, restaurant and arts centre. See the
souvenirs section for some popular souvenir ideas.
III. High Steet shops
The usual High Street shops can be found along High Street, Queen Street and the pedestrian-only Cornmarket Street.
IV. Weekly markets
Weekly markets selling fresh produce, arts and handicrafts are normally found at Gloucester Green (near coach station), Town Hall and Oxford Castle.
V. Books and stationery
Blackwell's is Oxford's most famous bookstore. Over a 100 years old, the bookstore was expanded in 1966 to a below-ground room called Norrington Room featuring over 3+miles of book shelves covering an area of 10,000 square feet under the grounds of Trinity College. Waterstones bookstore is at the corner of Cornmarket Street and Broad Street. The Oxford University Press bookshop on High Street has a comprehensive collection of all their books.