London is the vibrant and historic capital city of the United Kingdom. With a rich history dating back to Roman times, it is a global hub for culture, finance, and politics. There is a list of international airports in London alone that provide the city with extensive reach connecting passengers to different countries abroad.

In this article, we will see the different international airports in London and how you can shop duty-free there.

London is served by 6 international airports, which include:

• Heathrow Airport (LHR)
• Gatwick Airport (LGW)
• London Stansted Airport (STN)
• London Luton Airport (LTN)
• London City Airport (LCY)
• Southend Airport (SEN)

You can find duty-free stores in all these international airports. 

London Airport Duty-Free Website

Given below is a list of duty-free websites for the different international airports in London:

• Duty-free at Heathrow Airport
• Duty-free at London Gatwick Airport
• Duty-free at London Stansted Airport
• Duty-free at London Luton Airport
• Duty-free at Southend Airport

You can experience world-class services and facilities. If you want to shop for duty-free products, you can do so by visiting their website or shopping duty-free offline.

What Can You Do on the London Duty-Free Website?

On the London duty-free website, you can:

• View a Variety of Luxury Products: You can easily find your product by filtering out on basis the product category, brand and price to shop online easily.
• Shop Exclusive Products: When you shop online, you also get access to site-exclusive products from world-class brands. You also have unmissable offers for your favourite products that you can’t miss.

Which Terminals have Duty-Free Shops at London's Airport?

Duty-free stores are commonly found in:

• Heathrow Airport: Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5.
• Gatwick Airport: North and South Terminals.
• Stansted Airport: Departure Lounge of the Main Terminal.
• Luton Airport: Main, single terminal near the arrivals section and after security
• Southend Airport: Departure lounge of the main terminal.

Below is a comprehensive list of items you can buy duty-free at the different airports:

• Alcoholic products like spirits, wine, champagne, liquor, etc.
• Tobacco products
• Perfumes and Fragrances
• Confectionaries, food and drink items
• Beauty products like makeup and skincare products
• Jewellery and clothing accessories like watches, bags, sunglasses, etc.
• Home and gift products
• Electronics
• Clothing and shoes
• Travel essentials
• Souvenirs
• Toys

You have many options to choose from when shopping duty-free at London's many international airports. With high-end brands like Burberry, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, Ray Ban, Prada, Gray Goose, Johnnie Walker, etc., passengers have a chance to buy products at a lower price.

Duty-Free Shops Timings at London Airport

Duty-free shop timings at international airports in London can vary, but they are typically open to coincide with flight schedules. However, it's advisable to check on the respective airport’s website in case you are keen on shopping offline before departure.

You have the option to pre-order world-class items and products online rather than physically shopping for duty-free items. You can easily do this by visiting the airport's duty-free website and placing your order.

The steps you need to follow when pre-ordering duty-free items online at London's International Airports are: 

• Visit the World Duty-Free website to shop across most international airports in London.
• You can reserve your product 24 hours to 30 days prior to your flight departure. 
• You will be required to log in or sign up to be a member and confirm that you are above 18 years of age to legally purchase alcoholic or tobacco products.
• Select your departure details- the country, airport, terminal and destination date to collect your items.
• Shop and add your products to the cart and proceed to check out. This will confirm and reserve the products you want.
• You will receive an email confirming your order and collection point.
• Once confirmed, you can visit the collection point in store to collect and pay for your order before you travel.

What are the Required Documents for Duty-Free Shopping Online?

After you have pre-ordered your products online, you will need to collect them at the airport. You will need to produce the following documents:

• Valid Passport
• International Boarding Pass
• Receipt of Purchase or a Confirmation Email

What Modes of Payment are Accepted when Shopping Duty-Free?

Since the World Duty-Free website is a common duty-free store present across international airports in London, when shopping, you can pay either through:

• Cash
• Card payment by Visa, Mastercard, American Express
• Other major UK Debit Cards
• AliPay and WeChat

You can also shop using currencies like the following at select stores:

• Norwegian Krone
• Swedish Krona
• Canadian Dollar
• US Dollar
• Swiss Franc

London International Airports mainly accept Euros as cash currency. There are currency exchange centres and ATMs located within the airports for you to convert your home currency to Euro or British Pounds to shop easily. 

Some duty-free shopping tips and etiquettes are:

• Know the Allowance Limits: Duty-free allowances vary from country to country so, ensure there is no complication when you land in your destination country. You should also be aware of the baggage allowance of countries you are travelling to. Items like alcohol and tobacco products also have age restrictions.
• Shop Before Travel: Shopping before you travel can save you time and offer additional discounts! You can shop duty-free from the official website, reserve your items and collect them on the date of departure.
• Do Your Research: If you want to buy a luxury item in a duty-free shop, you will need to do some prior research. While duty-free prices are often lower than regular retail prices, it's a good idea to compare prices to get better deals.
• Keep Track of Your Spending: It is important to monitor your spending to ensure you stay within your budget and duty-free allowance. It's easy to get carried away with the savings and deals offered when you shop duty-free internationally.