Looking for American shop equivalents in the UK, like the UK equivalent of Target? Or perhaps simply trying to understand UK store brands and what they are comparable to in the USA? Here’s a comprehensive list of what you need to know for comparable American shops in the UK.
These popular American store equivalents in the UK are my opinion and not fact. My recommendations below are to help you find what you need to get settled in the UK.
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The UK equivalent of Target takes a village.
There’s simply no UK equivalent of Target.
For women, this is a big deal. In fact, it’s so sensitive for some American expats, there’s an unspoken rule to not even mention the American brand. See how I avoided it there?
For some American women who’ve moved to the UK, I’d dare say they miss Target more than anything else – another testament that there isn’t a comparable shop in the UK.
The alternative to shopping Target where you can buy everything on your shopping list – from milk to shoes to sheets to an iPhone 14 – while sipping on a Starbucks skinny vanilla latte requires multiple stores in the UK. There isn’t one place that can do it all quite like Target does.
For this reason, it’s the one American shop that’s the hardest to simply say go “shop at this UK store instead”. Target really does need a village to fill the gap and experience all that it offers in the USA.
UK Equivalent of Target Stores Breakdown
And while there really isn’t a good answer to a comparable shop in the UK, these are recommendations that possibly come the closest to filling the all-American Target gap.
UK equivalent of Target includes:
- John Lewis – Covers all the departments Target has to offer but at Nordstrom prices.
- Marks & Spencer – Offers high-end food (particularly for entertaining) at higher prices and high-quality clothes at reasonable prices. See my favorite items in Top 12: What To Buy At Marks & Spencer.
- Next – Target alternative for kids’ clothes and housewares.
- Dunelm – Lacks clothes and electrical departments, but heavy in-home and bedding departments.
- Wilko – Sells practical home necessities at low prices, but no clothing or electrical departments.
- B&M – Widely covers most departments, but their online presence is a catalog.
- Matalan – Sells clothes and light housewares at low prices but on a much smaller scale.
- The Range – Find home furnishings, garden and outdoor, DIY crafting, pet supplies, clothing, electrical, and even holiday decor but is underwhelming compared to Target.
Other American Shop Equivalents In The UK
Beyond the Target brand, here are popular American brands and what stores they compare to in the UK to fulfill the majority of your shopping needs abroad. The shops are organized alphabetically to help you quickly find a shop equivalent.
- Ann Taylor – Hobbs, Phase Eight
- Ann Taylor Loft – Boden, &Other Stories (but more whimsical)
- Bed, Bath & Beyond – Wilko, HomeSense, The Range, Dunelm
- Best Buy – Argos, John Lewis, B&M (small appliances & electronics), Currys PC World
- Crate & Barrel – West Elm
- CVS, Walgreens, or Rite Aid – Boots
- Dick’s Sporting Goods or Academy Sports & Outdoors – Sports Direct (sporting goods only; ie, not fishing or hunting), Halfords (bicycles, camping, car accessories), Decathlon
- Dollar Store – Poundland
- EMS – Mountain Warehouse
- Express – River Island, Topshop
- Forever 21 – H&M, Boohoo
- Home Depot or Lowe’s – B&Q, Wickes
- HomeGoods – HomeSense (also part of TJX Companies parent organization). For a broader assortment go to TK Maxx, The Range, or Dunelm.
- Janie & Jack – JoJo Maman Bebe (with maternity clothes, too)
- Kohl’s – Debenhams
- Macy’s – John Lewis (but nicer). House of Fraser is another comparable store to Macy’s but was acquired by Sports Direct in 2019.
- Nordstrom – Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Peter Jones, Fenwick
- Old Navy – Gap, Primark, Forever 21
- Pottery Barn – Similar to Crate & Barrel, the Pottery Barn UK equivalent is West Elm. Although West Elm is an American store, it’s by far the most comparable shop in the UK. For a list of popular American stores in the UK, read American Shops & Brands In The UK.
- The Container Store – aplaceforeverything.co.uk, The Holding Company
- TJ Maxx – TK Maxx (part of the TJX Companies parent organization). Find loads of American products here.
- Toys R Us – Albeit bankrupt with no stores in the USA, the best comparable toy store is Smyths Toys. The Entertainer is a toy only shop, and Argos covers toys too.
- Walmart – ASDA (Walmart owns ASDA in the UK). More Walmart alternatives include Tesco Extra, Primark, and Shein.
Shopping at Hobbs has an Ann Taylor feel
Fast Fashion Breakdown For Newcomers In The UK
With so many new brands and storefronts to learn in the UK not in the USA, shopping for everyday women’s clothing can be overwhelming – so frustrating to the point of actually avoiding it altogether.
But when the season changes (or stays the same for months on end) or your heels are no longer practical for getting to work every day (read here for best shoes for cobblestones), you need to know where to go.
Now that you have British comparable shops to your favorite ones in the USA, here’s my fast fashion UK breakdown to help you further decide where to go shopping when old faithful is thousands of miles away.
This is based upon the quality, vibe, or online/in-store experiences I’ve personally experienced living in the UK.
Popular Fast Fashion Low-End Stores In The UK
This category is hot for trendsetters looking to buy fashion on the cheap.
- H&M
- New Look
- Primark
- TopShop
Fast Fashion Middle
It could be argued that there is no “middle” for fast fashion. However, between the higher end brands they might carry, store appearance, and even how these shops manage packaging warrants them a notch above the others.
- ASOS (online only)
- River Island
- ZARA
Besides, even Kate Middleton shops at Zara. See a few of Kate’s Zara favorites.
Higher End Fashion Brands In The UK
I don’t consider these brands fast fashion because they tend to carry classic timeless pieces and their associated prices prove it.
However, I do believe it’s important to include them for bookend comparison since they aren’t as brand familiar to Americans as Burberry, Hunter, or even Ted Baker.
- COS (owned by H&M)
- Hobbs
- Jigsaw
- LK Bennett
- Reiss
- Whistles
American Grocery Store Equivalents In The UK
We can’t forget about grocery store equivalents! If the idea of grocery shopping in the UK has you feeling a bit “deer in headlights”, I get it. It’s one thing I absolutely loathe doing.
Luckily, the UK is much further ahead with online delivery than grocery stores in the UK. It’s how I survived the first several months after moving to the UK.
Here is how British supermarkets stack up compared to the USA.
Ocado.com is an online-only grocery store in the UK, but there is a slew of brick-and-mortar others to consider as compared to your preferred American one.
- Kroger – Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco
- Publix – Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco
- Trader Joe’s – Is there a Trader Joe’s in the UK? Sadly no. Aldi is the closest. Although no grocery store in the UK quite stacks up, Aldi is the one most comparable. This is because brothers own the two stores, and therefore you’re most likely to find some similarities between the two brands.
- Walmart – ASDA
- Whole Foods – There are Whole Food stores in London. Waitrose is the most comparable to Whole Foods in the UK.
There are many more UK grocery stores and here is how I rank them in order of high to low prices and experience.
- Waitrose
- M&S
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco (Tesco Metro is the small chain, where Tesco Extra is a massive supermarket that also carries home, toys, electrical, and some fashion categories)
- Morrisons
- Iceland (primarily frozen food)
- ASDA
- ALDI/LIDL
For further step-by-step help on what grocery shopping is like in the UK, watch my grocery shop tutorial at Waitrose.
American Shop Equivalents In The UK
If not having Target, Pottery Barn or even Trader Joe’s has you in a panic, you can ship most items internationally. In fact, Target offers international shipping. Alternatively, wait for a return visit to the USA. (Check out how I coped without Target after moving to the UK. )
For now, refer to these UK store equivalents to get settled after moving from the USA. If there is an American store you’re curious about but don’t see on this list, it could be because there is a store in the UK. You can find American brands in the UK in this post: Popular American Shops and Brands In The UK.
Any favorite American brand you’re curious about that I missed or should it be paired with a different UK store? Please share in the comments.
Looking for more expat guides to living in the UK? Try these.
- Popular American Shops and Brands In The UK
- Dress Shopping In The UK: An Expat’s Guide To Where To Buy (Race Day)
- American Cleaning Products Not In the UK & What To Use Instead
27 comments
Argos/ Sainsbury’s/ Habitat is now all one group. For example, the one next to Tottenham Hotspurs stadium has all 3 in one building, so you can buy groceries, potted plants, clothes and shoes (Tu brand is much like Target), home goods like blankets and vases and cutlery and argos has a decent amount of home goods in stock in their warehouse on site as well. It’s awesome! The Argos in Dalston is just an Argos, but they have most things that Target has, except for fresh food.
This is so helpful! Love that all 3 are together now and an option for one-stop shopping. Thank you for adding more shop equivalents for fellow expats!! xx
p.s. Haven’t been to Tottenham yet but would love to go!
The range is most like target
Thanks Gj!
Really? I need to move to your area! We’ve just spent 5 weeks in Texas for the summer holidays and I can’t see how the range matches target at all. Well at least our one that’s for sure. Ours is full of odds and ends. Nothing relevant but it’s cheap so you’ll buy it 🤣
Totally Natasha! Truthfully there isn’t any 1 store in UK that does it like Target does – it takes several different places to meet a 1 trolley stop at Target. xx
Yes, I think as an English person on the opposite – I find target is like a Tesco also – you can do everything the same plus the clothes are nice. I think also americans forget we don’t have to drive different parts of a highway to get to 3 different stores, most of our shops are all in the town centre so isn’t particularly a problem going from shop to shop.
Fast fashion is very popular in England, they follow the new trends as soon as they’re out. Designer is a lot cheaper in USA and I’ve purchased many for topshop prices which is essentially double h and m prices. I think a good take away is while we don’t have a target we also don’t have to drive far to find what we need.
Hi Natasha! Such an excellent point. Being able to walk to do all the things (supermarket, shopping etc) is what I miss most being back in America now. It takes so much more effort to shop in the US! And great point about Tesco (Tesco Extra) – my favorite pjs are from there and I think I paid maybe £12? I’ll add to the list! Thank you! xx
I love reading all your comparisons between the USA and the UK shops! We moved from the UK to the USA 7 months back and I struggle the opposite way trying to find USA shops equivalent to UK shops! I really do miss Waitrose, M&S, Next, Sostrene Grene (although Danish) garden centres with all the coffee shops and gift shops attached to them to name a few! I also just miss the feeling of Village life in the UK! Xx
Awww, I totally understand Hekkie. I’m glad you love this post and hopefully it’s offering a bit of guidance. So true about the garden shops with coffee and gift shops attached!! I’m back in the USA too and terribly miss UK village life. Hugs! xx
West Elm is owned by Pottery Barn.
I feel somewhat irritated that the UK doesn’t do Halloween like the States!!! I am a Halloween/autumn person and hate that I can’t go on a shopping spree in At Home ,Bath & bodyworks, Joann’s, Home Goods 🙁 or Spirit Halloween. I love pumpkin everything too!!!
Hi Jo. I know, it’s definitely not close to what it’s like in the States but I do think every year Halloween catches on more and more in the UK. Check out Wilko (mostly scary/gory items) or the Range (they had fun Halloween photo props) this Halloween. I have a Halloween post if you need more ideas on where to find goods. Hobby Lobby is stocked in the US with Halloween already – which I think is way too soon! x
As a Brit who’s lived in America most of my adult life, I definitely missed Target the most when I moved back to England late last year.
The Range is the closest I’ve found! Worth adding to your list as a Target equivalent. I definitely get BBB vibes there, but the one in my town has a Lidl supermarket section, and felt more like a Target. Was pretty excited to see it.
I always used to tell my friends Argos was the closest equivalent but, well, it’s not quite the same is it 🙂
Hi Jen! The Range is a great addition to the list. And yes, none of them really cover it all, do they?! Welcome back to England! x
Cos is not cheap! It’s just as expensive as Whistles / & other stories. You’ve got that wrong.
Hi Alice! Thank you for the comment. I recall trying to decide which category to put it in because of the turnover factor but now I don’t know why I questioned it. I’ve updated it! x
Thank you!!! It’s been so hard for me to explain to people here about Target and to people back in the states how hard it is to find anything close to Target here, now I can just send them this to help them understand.
Hi Bridget! I would love for you to share. Most of my friends say that they’d never survive living in the UK without Target – you have to shop so many different places than just simply one. On the flip side not having the ease of a “target run” has done well for my wallet, if you know what I mean. So glad this helps! x
Thank you for this breakdown!! I just moved from the US to the UK last month, and it feels silly to say “shopping is hard” but it’s just one of those extra adjustments! and in this pandemic, I’m not hopping from store to store and strolling around and shopping for no reason. I knew I would miss Target and I’m glad I’m not the only one! I like their collaborations and modern aesthetic. I just found your blog bc I was looking for an equivalent for The Container Store to get my kitchen in order!
I have shopped online from Lakeland- I haven’t shopped in person, but it feels like a Bed Bath and Beyond, including the random candy and snacks. Crossed with the “small appliances and cleaning products” sections of Home Depot/Loewe’s.
Hi Claudia! Wow, that’s awesome. Thank you for sharing the another store option and I’m glad this post is able to help. I hope your move is going well. x
So, here’s one thing I would say in regards to clothing. Plus-sizes are all but almost IMPOSSIBLE to find in the UK. No Torrid, No Lane Bryant, none of the other familiar plus size brands. Some plus sizes can be found in department stores like Debenham’s. However, the departments are EXTREMELY small, and the selection is…terrible to say the least. Selfridge’s doesn’t offer plus sizes at all. In fact, many of the upscale stores don’t. If places DO have plus sizes, they usually stop at a 22. There might be a few 24s hanging around, but it’s probably not what you want. There are a few boutiques on high streets here and there, but they are so few and far between. That being said- brands you know like Old Navy do NOT carry plus sizes in their stores!! Same for Forever 21, and Gap (stops at a 12/14). You can still get plus sizes, but it will be online. I have seen a few things here or there in TK Maxx, but you can’t depend on it. If you’re plus size and need clothes, your best bet is to call a friend and have them FT you while shopping and then mail you the items. If you’re hoping to shop in person and try things on, best of luck!!Otherwise, stock up if you’re in the states!
Thanks Ginny! This is such helpful feedback and information. I really appreciate you sharing. x
Hi for plus size clothing, you want to try Yours, or Matalan, or supermarket clothing like ASDA they go up to a size 26. do bare in mind that UK clothing sizes are not the same as American sizing. ie i believe a USA size 12 is a UK size 16. most clothing stores go up to a 24 now in 2022. or a 30-in-plus size clothing store. failing that there is always online. i hope this helps.
This is super helpful. Thank you Amanda! x
This was really informative thank you.
So glad you found this helpful! x