Discover our local and designer shops
Find designer brands, unique locally-made items, vintage finds and much more
Portsmouth and Southsea are great places for shopping.
If you like to buy from local, independent shops, you'll find lots of choice in our thriving small business community. We also have a designer shopping outlet by the waterfront where you'll find big brands at discounted prices, and a central shopping district for high street names.
Jump to:
- Independent shops
- Portsmouth clothing brands
- Grocers and butchers
- Street markets
- Furniture shops
- Gunwharf Quays
- High street shopping
Independent shops
Southsea is an independent shopper's paradise. You'll find everything from vintage clothes, to records, homeware, flowers and craft supplies. These are some of our favourite independent shops in Southsea.
Budd's Herbal Apothecary
A beautiful retro-looking apothecary, selling all manner of herbal remedies > buddsherbalmedicine.co.uk
Seeded
A haberdashery and workspace selling wool and vintage buttons. They also run craft workshops and a weekly crafting meet up > seeded.com
Hotwalls Studios
A collection of artists' studios where you can see the artists at work and buy artwork and gifts > hotwallsstudios.co.uk
Dress Code
Portsmouth and Southsea's vintage vinyl records, clothing and quirky gifts boutique > dress-code.co.uk
Nothing Ventured Vinyl
Electronic music specialists selling rare and vintage vinyl – you'll often find in-store DJs there too > nothingventuredvinyl.co.uk
Rose Clover
A super-friendly florists stocking plants, flowers and ultra-stylish pots to keep them in > roseclover.co.uk
Portsmouth Distillery
Hand-crafted, multiple award-winning spirits distilled in an eighteenth century fort. They also run tasting tours > theportsmouthdistillery.com
Portsmouth clothing brands
We're home to lots of independent clothing brands, these are our faves.
Strong Island Clothing Co
Portsmouth's homegrown clothing brand, inspired by the sea and the city > strongislandclothingco.com
Love Southsea
Jumpers, t-shirts, artwork, homeware and gifts – all celebrating Southsea > lovesouthsea.co.uk
Bored of Southsea
An independent skate shop (and Southsea institution) selling skating clothing and equipment > boredofsouthsea.co.uk
Island Feather
A boutique sport and fitness brand for women, inspired by the sea on our doorstep > islandfeather.com
Grocers and butchers
If you want to avoid big supermarkets and buy fruit, vegetables and meat from small shops, Portsmouth and Southsea has independent groceries and butchers including:
Southsea Deli
The only independent classic delicatessen in Southsea
Astles of Portsmouth
Award-winning family butchers
Mediterranean Super Market
Selling fruit, vegetables, Halal meat and Mediterranean goods
Portsmouth International Food Centre
Selling fruit, vegetables, spices and Halal meat
Street markets
Whether you're looking for gifts, clothing or food, you'll find street markets that meet your needs across Portsmouth.
Love Southsea Market
Held on the first weekend of every month, you'll find gifts, homeware and clothing from local makers and independent businesses at this market on Palmerston Road.
Hampshire Farmers' Market
Held every third Sunday of the month on Palmerston Road, you can buy fresh produce from local producers including local meats, cheeses, baked goods, pickles, fruits and vegetables
Commercial Road Market
All day every Thursday, Friday and Saturday selling fruit, vegetables and flowers
Furniture shops
At some point while at uni you'll need furniture, even if it's just a reading lamp. You'll find affordable furniture shops across the city, and bigger outlets nearby.
- DEBRA – A great charity shop on Elm Grove that stocks second hand sofas, beds, wardrobes, fridges, kitchenware and clothes
- The Furniture Factory – A useful place for furniture in the north of the city on London Road in North End
- Fawcett Road in Southsea has many furniture shops such as Mack & Sons and Harbour Furniture
Gunwharf Quays outlet
Gunwharf Quays (pictured above) is the biggest shopping outlet for designer brands in Portsmouth. You'll find outlet stores from major international names such as Nike, Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren, All Saints, Jack Wills, Michael Kors, Vans, Adidas, The North Face, Molton Brown, Bose and many more.
Gunwharf is also home to a 14-screen Vue cinema, a bowling alley, Aspex contemporary art gallery, and a host of restaurants – including Nando's, Pizza Express, Five Guys, Wagamama, and Loch Fyne. There are plenty of bars and a casino to discover as well.
And it's where you'll find a centrepiece of the Portsmouth skyline – the iconic Spinnaker Tower – which offers panoramic views of the city and the Solent from it's viewing platform.
Getting to Gunwharf from campus is quick and easy – it's a 10 minute walk from University House to Gunwharf, and if you're travelling by bus or train from further afield, Gunwharf is situated right next to the Portsmouth bus terminal and Portsmouth Harbour railway station.
High street shopping
Commercial Road is the main high street in Portsmouth, where you'll find Primark, Debenhams, Topshop and H&M. Southsea and North End also have smaller high streets.
Find out more about life in Portsmouth
Take a closer look at more of the exciting things on offer in our amazing city.
Places to eat in Portsmouth
Hungry for adventure? Here's a taster of the great food and drink you can savour in the city.
Beaches, piers and parks
Portsmouth is a bustling city with the sea on our doorstep and green spaces all around.
Portsmouth's music scene
Want to get involved in Portsmouth's music scene? Here's all you need to start.
Virtual Experience
Get a feel for life on campus without leaving home. Discover panoramic views of the campus, watch course webinars, look at accommodation, browse facilities like labs, workshops and studios, explore our leisure facilities and more.
Explore Southsea Bathing Hut
Reviving Portsmouth’s lost soap industry
Hear from shop owner, Samantha Worsey, and local students on why they love Portsmouth and the coastal inspired skincare and treatments at Southsea Bathing Hut.
I started Southsea Bathing Hut in 2016 with a mission to revive Portsmouth's lost soap industry.
So I wanted to create natural, vegan, cruelty-freeskincare products and our products are for everyone, every age, every nationality, every background, every interest.
So it's really something for everyone here.
As a marine biologist, I'm really into using marine products.
A lot of these products contain things like seaweed and locally sourced vegetation.
We know exactly where all of our ingredients come from.
Nothing is tested on animals and, yeah, we're a really happy, happy space.
When the sun is shining, there is nowhere better than Portsmouth.
It's got such a really friendly atmosphere, even though it's a city it's quite a small city, so it feels really welcoming and homely.
You just have to go down to the beach or the common on a sunny day and everyone's having picnics.
It's just beautiful.
Discover Package Free Larder
Portsmouth's first and only plastic free supermarket
Learn how Package Free Larder supports the environment, sustainability and plastic free shopping in Portsmouth.
We are Portsmouth's first and only plastic-free supermarket.
As a community project, our main aim isn't profit it's to make plastic-free shopping normal for everybody.
There's a lot of support within the community of Portsmouth for projects such as this.
What I love about the Package Free Larder is that obviously, it supports environment and sustainability.
It's all part of our duty to look after this city and our planet in general.
What we wanted really was for people to feel a sense of community when they come in the shop, and that's definitely the case with our group of volunteers.
We are only here because of everybody's shared effort, and I couldn't be more proud.
I think we've all done a really great job.