Layovers are big business at Heathrow Airport and the facility is well equipped to cater for the 22 million passengers of the ‘just passing through’ variety that travel through its doors annually. With five terminals seemingly dedicated to wrenching the last penny from your pocket, Heathrow is a ‘shop until you dropper’s’ dream-come-true.
Terminal 1 is dedicated to local flights and travellers to other major European cities. As a result, you will find some of the Northern Hemisphere’s favourite retail outlets here stocking fashion, technology, duty-free goods, books and gifts. The majority are located in the departure areas for those last-minute purchases, but there are some in arrivals before the security check. Some of the shops you will find here are:
- Harrods
- Boots
- Chocolate Box
- Excess Baggage Company
- Hamleys
- Cocoon
- Burberry
- Dixon’s Tax Free
Visitors from Africa, Asia and other long-haul destinations will find themselves surrounded by the consumer delights of Terminal 3 and 4. Here, high-end shops are located alongside upmarket eateries, cafés and coffee houses. Some of the stores in this terminal are:
- Glorious Britain
- Chanel
- Dior
- Gucci
- Versace
- Burberry
- Mulberry
- Paul Smith
- Smythson of Bond Street
- TGI Friday’s
- Chez Gerard
- YO! Sushi
- Starbucks
- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
- Pret A Manger.
Here you can also enjoy the services of a Sofitel Hotel with a day pass to their Steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and gym.
Terminal 5 is for the exclusive use of British Airways commuters, and features a glut of big name stores such as:
- Mont Blanc
- Gucci
- Prada
- Bvlgari
- Tiffany and Co
- Cartier
- Sony
- Vodafone
- Nokia
Heathrow has come under fire from critics for being nothing more than a mall with aeroplanes, but officials maintain that passengers are not held captive in the terminals and are free to spend their time on other pursuits such as sight-seeing. This may be true, but there are not many of us who can resist the urge to indulge in a bit of glamour and excess, especially when it’s tax-free, easily accessible and ever so tempting.
