Oxford Street

London's Oxford Street

Oxford Street, which runs from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch through Oxford Circus, is a significant thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London. With about 500,000 daily visits, it is Europe's busiest shopping strip, and as of 2012, it has about 300 stores. Although it is not marked as such, it is recognised as a section of the A40, a busy road that connects London with Fishguard, and only buses and taxis are typically permitted.

From a brand promotion perspective, Oxford Street is one of London's hotspots for engaging with locals, tourist and students and serves as a vibrant, fast moving, consumer dense area.

About Oxford Street

The route originally connected Essex and Hampshire via London via the Via Trinovantian, a Roman road. Through the Middle Ages, when Tyburn Gallows was famous for public hangings of convicts, it was known as Tyburn Road. By the late 19th century, it had changed from residential to commercial and retail use, attracting street vendors, con artists, and prostitution. It was then known as Oxford Road, then Oxford Street.

Early in the 20th century, the first department stores in the UK, such as Selfridges, John Lewis & Partners, and HMV, debuted. It still has some downmarket commerce among more prestigious retail businesses, unlike neighbouring shopping districts like Bond Street. Several venerable shops, notably John Lewis & Partners, were destroyed by bombing on the street during World War II and had to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Oxford Street continues to be in high demand as a retail location despite competition from other shopping centres like Westfield Stratford City and the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, and it has several listed buildings. Several chains have their flagship stores on the street. Since 1959, it has become customary for a celebrity to turn on the Christmas lights. Oxford Street, a well-liked shopping district and major road for London's buses and taxis, has experienced traffic congestion, pedestrian congestion, a lack of safety, and pollution. Transport for London (TfL) has adopted several traffic management plans, such as a ban on private automobiles on weekdays and Saturdays during the day and enhanced pedestrian crossings.

Oxford Street is wholly contained within the City of Westminster and extends for around 1.2 miles (1.9 km). The street starts at St Giles Circus as an extension of New Oxford Street heading west, where it intersects with Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road (next to Tottenham Court Road station). To reach Oxford Circus, where Regent Street intersects, it travels by Rathbone Place, Wardour Street, and Great Portland Street. After passing New Bond Street, Bond Street Station, and Vere Street, it continues until it reaches Marble Arch. In the direction of Shepherd's Bush, the route continues as Bayswater Road and Holland Park Avenue.

The road is located in the congested area of London. It is a portion of the A40, which runs from London to Fishguard and is mostly a trunk road (via Oxford, Cheltenham, Brecon, and Haverfordwest). It is not marked with that number, just like many other Central London roads that are no longer through routes. Bus lines 55, 73, 94, 98, 159, and 390, as well as the night buses N8, N55, N73, N98, and N207, all travel along Oxford Street.

Want to read about another great promotional location in London? Check out Paddington.