11 Best Places to Go Shopping in Milton Keynes

The Central Milton Keynes shopping area is home to 2 main malls that house a large variety of stores, brands, and chain restaurants. The complex began development in 1973 right in the heart of the new town and further extended to claim ‘The longest shopping mall in the world’ title 2 decades later.

Like most major shopping complexes, a big portion of the stores here are fashion-oriented. Highlights found in Milton Keynes shopping area include well-known brands and high street stores like Primark, Topshop, and Dr Martens, just to name a few. There’s also a Build-a-bear Workshop and Disney Store, making this area popular with families with tots in tow.

The Centre:mk is Milton Keynes’ flagship shopping mall. It's anchored by High Street goliaths John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, with outlets by just about all the big brands. Other popular retailers include Next, The White Company, Waterstones and Oliver Bonas.

You can find a selection of onsite eateries and cafés, including Costa Coffee and Nando’s. Outside the mall, you’ll find the Milton Keynes Market, an outdoor bazaar set up in 1979. Over 200 stalls offer the opportunity for savvy buyers to pick up a bargain.

intu Milton Keynes is an integral part of the Central Milton Keynes shopping area, boasting a balanced mix of high-end fashion and lifestyle boutiques and high-street shops. This modern indoor and outdoor shopping centre also hosts events like the Etsy and Artisan Market with vendors selling handcrafted products like gift cards, art and accessories.

Those looking for an upscale shopping experience can take a gander at the Apple store, Hugo Boss, Tesla, and Charles Clinkard. If you’re looking for unique personalised gifts, you’ll find them at The Dutch Hospital, a family-owned British giftware, wedding and homeware store. Besides these luxury stores, you can also shop at high street stores like H&M, GAP, Hollister, and Foot Locker.

MK1 Shopping & Leisure Park is a strip mall that houses well-known high-street fashion and sportswear retailers. You’ll find major brands like H&M, New Look, Primark, River Island, M&S and JD Sports among others here.

If you want to squeeze in a workout on your visit, you can head to DW Sports, a gym equipped with treadmills, cross trainers, resistance machines, loaded weights, benches and racks to help you tone up and burn those calories. You can also catch the latest blockbusters and indie flicks at the ODEON IMAX located inside the mall.

Open market. CMK is a modern sheltered market located right in the middle of The Centre:mk shopping mall. It consists of several stalls selling a wide array of fresh produce, clothing and electronic accessories at prices lower than what you’ll see in the supermarkets and malls.

Most shoppers come to this market for Indian, Chinese, Turkish, and Lebanese groceries, as well as snacks and spices from all over the world. Freshly baked bread and fresh meat from the butchers are also available here. Hungry? Grab a bite from the South Indian food van which dishes out authentic Indian idlis, dosas, curries, samosas, lamb cutlet, and smooth chai.

Woburn Market is a quaint little farmers market held every 3rd Sunday of the month in Woburn Village. There are a number of stalls in this market selling a variety of local produce ranging from meat and farm-fresh vegetables to homemade pastries, sweets, condiments, and pate.

You’ll also find stalls selling free-range poultry, eggs and game as well as pickles, stuffed olives, olive oil, handmade sheep milk products, homemade marinades and sourdough bread. There are also stalls selling ready-to-eat food and beverages like flatbreads, hotdogs and quintessentially British pies for a quick snack, along with a hot cup of coffee or a gin and tonic.

Frosts Garden Centre is a family-owned garden centre that was founded in Milton Keynes. While it’s mainly focused on plants and gardening tools, the garden centre also carries a selection of home decor and gifts to take home.

In its gift shop, you can purchase homeware and decorative pieces, diffusers, kitchenware as well as bath and beauty products, among a whole slew of other items that would make wonderful gifts for loved ones. A variety of plant seeds for home gardening are also sold here for hobbyist gardeners.

Routeco Retail Park in Milton Keynes comprises several big-box furniture, household goods and electronic stores and supermarkets that serve as one-stop shops for people looking to spruce up their homes.

Some of the stores here include Toys”R”Us, PC World, and B&M Home Store, just to name a few. As a visitor, you can take home small items like small potted plants, festive decorative pieces, toys for the kids or wine from Majestic Wine, and British snacks from M&S food hall, Lidl, and Morrisons.

Matalan is a large department store in Bletchley, an 8-minute drive from the city centre, offering formal and casual clothing, accessories and homeware at discount prices.

There’s a huge range of mass-produced clothing with plenty of sizes to choose from for all ages from babies to adults. Besides casual wear, formal wear and loungewear are also sold here. You can also buy shoes, kitchenware, cushions, bedding and toys. In case you need an extra suitcase to take everything home, you can also buy it here.

Xscape Milton Keynes is an activity and entertainment-oriented shopping centre that provides an escape from the usual fashion malls in Milton Keynes. The complex offers a range of attractions ranging from indoor skydiving to skiing to trampolining – all fun for families with kids.

Besides engaging in these thrilling indoor sports and adventure zones, you can browse stores in Extreme Central which bear some of the big names in sports and activewear. Among them are DC Shoes for skateboarding gear and footwear, Ellis Brigham for ski and snowboard hardware and clothing, and Evans Cycles for everything bike related.

National Bowl Car Boot Sale is held on a sprawling open-air grassland that serves as an entertainment venue and has been welcoming buyers and sellers for more than a decade. Every Sunday morning, hundreds of traders set up stalls in Furzton from their car boots at this quirky local market selling second-hand items at a bargain.

From vintage collectables to good-as-new toys for the kids, you’ll find a good mix of items costing between £0.50 to £1 here. Since it’ll take you a few hours to cover the grounds, there are plenty of vans selling food and drinks in case you get hungry or thirsty. Go early morning to grab the best bits and bobs, especially when the weather is warm.