7. Reading. Shops in Britain

 

You can find plenty of department stores in all cities in the UK. They're large stores which sell a lot of different kinds of goods. For instant, Marks & Spencer sells clothing, food, furniture and gifts. There are more than \(1400\) stores and the company employs almost \(80\ 000\) people.

 

You can find cheaper things at street markets. One of the most famous ones in London is Camden market. You can find original gifts, books and unusual clothes there. Some of the street markets are pretty old, for instance, Portobello has existed for more than two hundred years. It's a market where you can buy antiques. Street markets are also called flea markets. Contrary to the common belief, they have nothing to do with fleas. This name means simply 'outdoor market' in French.

 

Chain stores are becoming more and more popular in Britain. The biggest one is Tesco. It sells everything you would possibly want to buy: food, clothes, accessories, books, gifts, cosmetics, etc. Tesco has over \(4000\) stores in the United Kingdom.

 

A lot of people prefer shopping in small local stores. It supports local businesses and provides jobs. Corner shops are popular in Britain too — it’s a kind of a small shop where the owner serves customers himself or herself. This type of shop is often a family business. Unfortunately, the popularity of big shopping malls put small local businesses under threat.