New to the UK - help with home shopping please........

[YesNoMaybeSo]

Hi

I have just moved from the US and am settling into country life in the sticks. I am linked to the internet etc., and pop down to London once a month or so but I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on websites or catalogues that I could look up to purchase stuff for myself and my kids (Milly aged 4 and Matt aged 9). I need EVERYTHING from clothing, home products, toys, furniture, holiday ideas - you name it.

Thank you very much!

An appreciative yank

John Lewis might be a good place to start, it's a big department store and their website has a fairly wide selection of stuff. Generally good quality and good after sales service in my experience. Website here

My best advice is to buy everything in the US and have it sent over by a friendly family member. Clothes are so much cheaper over there due to the exchange rate etc.
If you want UK internet based stuff, then Boden do lovely clothes, for kids and adults, they have a lovely catogolue and online.
Pumpkin Patch also do a catalogue (although I think your son may be too big for them now).
Buy a copy of Junior magazine, as that lists loads of suppliers of all sorts of things.
I'm afraid I think that John Lewis' website is awful, although it's store on Oxford Street, London sells EVERYTHING from sewing cotton to washing machines.
Next time you come up to London, go to Tottenham Court Road and go to Heals, it's a modern furniture store and it's slightly cheaper sister store (next door) Habitat. That road has loads of furniture shops of all sorts/tastes/prices.
Hope these begin to help.
I really would suggest just buying some magazines and taking in the names of suppliers.
Good luck.

Thank you so much! I am already making a long list of stuff from home for my mom to bring over when she visits

Thanks for the heads up on the mags too, great idea.

I will check those stores out too.