Shopping
Milton Keynes is rightly famous for its shopping opportunities and has one of the most visited shopping centres in the UK. The city's excellent transport links, smooth-flowing traffic system and easy-to-follow roads laid out in a grid pattern enable easy access for visitors from all over the country. And they find an amazing range of shops, from global names and chain stores to traditional family-run businesses; from superstores to market stalls. There's very little that can't be sourced in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas!
Midsummer Place and thecentre:mk alone attract over 52 million visitors annually and the retail parks around the city, adjacent to the main grid roads, are home to some of the very biggest names in retail including the impressive Ikea store.
Central Milton Keynes
Shopping in Central Milton Keynes is focused on three shopping centres; thecentre:mk, Midsummer Place and Xscape. Between them they offer over 300 stores, all under cover. You'll also find, immediately adjacent to the shopping complexes, thousands of parking spaces. Central Milton Keynes is also served by a network of frequent bus services from all parts of the city and Central Milton Keynes Railway Station is just a 10 minute walk, or a short bus or taxi ride from thecentre:mk.
- thecentre:mk attracts shoppers to its mix of favourite High Street retailers and department stores including John Lewis, House of Fraser and Marks & Spencer.
- Midsummer Place lives up to its title of 'the fashionable quarter' with a range of designer clothing and state-of-the-art home entertainment stores, together with a flagship Debenhams store.
- Xscape gives you specialist lifestyle and sports clothing stores together with a wide range of restaurants.
- Milton Keynes open-air market is held five times a week with a mix of clothing, food and gift stalls.
High Street Shopping in our more rural market towns
Shopping in Milton Keynes isn't all about large retailers and chain stores. Plenty of independent, traditional, often family-run shops can be found in the original market towns that help make up modern-day Milton Keynes.
- The traditional market towns of Stony Stratford, Newport Pagnell, Bletchley, Wolverton, Winslow, Woburn Sands and Olney all have busy high streets
- There are plenty of farm shops in the open countryside around Milton Keynes
- Many monthly farmers' markets are held in all the market towns
Retail Parks
In Milton Keynes you can shop 'out-of-town', right in the heart of the city, with large retail parks conveniently located just off the major grid roads. Here you'll find electrical goods, furniture, sports shops - everything for the home and family. The district centres at Kingston and Westcroft are also home to 'hypermarket style' supermarkets.
For more information on shopping in Milton Keynes contact Destination Milton Keynes, the official provider of tourism services for Milton Keynes and the surrounding area.
Last updated January 2010
