London City Airport Shops: The Complete 2026 Guide

Quick Answer: London City Airport’s terminal has a focused but well-curated selection of shops. Post-security in the departure lounge, you’ll find Aelia Duty Free, WHSmith, Boots, In-Motion, Traveller, and Glorious Britain. Food and drink options include Pret A Manger, The City Bar & Grill, Brick Lane Brews, and Cabin Bar. Marks & Spencer Simply Food sits within the main terminal. All shops open in line with the first and last flights of the day.

London City Airport (LCY) isn’t Heathrow. It doesn’t have six terminals and a mile-long duty-free mall.

Whether you’ve got 20 minutes before boarding or a full hour to spare, LCY offers just enough shopping to cover travel essentials, pick up a luxury gift, grab some duty-free, and sit down for a proper meal, all without the overwhelming crowds you’d get at larger London airports.

Unlike Heathrow or Gatwick, LCY is designed around convenience rather than retail volume. The terminal is compact, the shops are well-chosen, and you’re never more than a five-minute walk from your gate. If anything, that’s a feature, not a bug.

This guide covers every shop, every food and drink option, and a few practical observations that’ll help you make the most of your time airside.

What to Know Before You Shop at LCY

A few things worth knowing before we dive in:

• Nearly all shops are post-security. LCY is a single-terminal airport, and almost everything worth visiting is airside after the security checkpoint on the upper floor.
• Opening hours follow the flight schedule. Shops open with the first departure and close after the last. No fixed 9–5 here.
• Because LCY is compact, you rarely need more than 5 minutes to walk between shops. That means you can browse, grab a coffee, and still make it to your gate without rushing.
• Pre-order duty free online. LCY lets you pre-order duty-free items through the airport’s official shopping page and collect them at the terminal, with 10% off every pre-order.

Shops in the Departure Lounge (Post-Security)

This is where most of the action is. Once you’re through security, here’s what you’ll find

Aelia Duty Free

The main duty-free shop at LCY, and usually the first place passengers head once they’re airside.

Aelia stocks a broad range of fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, spirits, wines, chocolates, and travel exclusives. You’ll find counters from Chanel, Dior, Jo Malone, Lancôme, and other premium brands. For a compact airport, the selection is surprisingly well-stocked and because the terminal is quiet compared to bigger hubs, you tend to get proper attention from the staff rather than being left to browse alone.

Worth noting: duty-free rules changed after Brexit. UK passengers arriving from EU countries are now entitled to the same duty-free allowances as those arriving from non-EU destinations, so it’s worth knowing your limits before you buy. HMRC has a clear breakdown of current duty-free allowances if you want to check before you fly.

Best for: Perfume, whisky, a box of chocolates for someone you forgot to buy a gift for.

Pro tip: Pre-order online at londoncityairport.com for 10% off and skip any queue at the counter.

WHSmith

A familiar face, and a genuinely useful one at an airport.

WHSmith at LCY covers all the bases: books, magazines, newspapers, snacks, drinks, headphones, chargers, travel pillows, and general travel accessories. It’s not the most exciting shop in the terminal, but if you’ve forgotten your phone cable, need something to read on the plane, or want a bottle of water before boarding, this is your first stop.

Best for: Last-minute travel essentials, snacks, tech accessories.

Boots

A particularly useful addition to LCY’s airside lineup, especially given the airport’s CT security scanner which allows liquids up to 2 litres in your carry-on. That said, if you’ve still had to ditch anything, Boots stocks travel-size toiletries, skincare, medicines, sunscreen, and a solid range of beauty products at reasonable prices.

Best for: Travel-sized toiletries, medicines, skincare top-ups.

In-Motion

LCY’s dedicated tech and electronics shop. Think noise-cancelling headphones, portable chargers, phone cases, earbuds, and other travel gadgets. Given how many business travellers pass through LCY, In-Motion tends to stock practical kit rather than novelty items which is exactly what you want when your headphones break the morning of a flight.

Best for: Headphones, power banks, travel tech.

Traveller

A fashion-forward accessories shop with a curated brand selection. At Traveller you’ll find sunglasses, scarves, bags, and travel accessories from names like Barbour, Radley, and Ray-Ban. The prices reflect the brands, but the selection is focused enough that you’re not wading through cheap filler to find something worthwhile.

Best for: A branded gift, quality sunglasses.

Glorious Britain

If you want to take something genuinely British home or pick up a souvenir that has more thought behind it than a fridge magnet, Glorious Britain is worth a few minutes of your time. Expect British-themed gifts, heritage goods, teas, biscuits, tartan, and London keepsakes. Popular with international travellers on their way home, and a solid choice for last-minute gifts.

Best for: Souvenirs, British food gifts, heritage accessories.

Food and Drink at London City Airport

LCY genuinely punches above its weight on food and drink. Here’s what you’ll find once you’re airside:

Pret A Manger

Quick, reliable, and fresher than most airport alternatives. Pret at LCY does sandwiches, wraps, salads, pastries, and their well-known organic coffee. Morning business flights can make Pret surprisingly busy. if you’re travelling on an early Monday departure, it’s worth getting there a few minutes ahead of the rush rather than joining the queue right before boarding.

Best for: Breakfast on the go, a proper coffee, a quick lunch.

The City Bar & Grill

LCY’s main sit-down dining option, and worth it if you have time to slow down. The menu covers breakfast, all-day dining, and drinks, burgers, fish and chips, salads, and a decent selection of beers, wines, and cocktails. It’s the kind of place where you can actually have a conversation rather than eating standing up at a counter.

Best for: A proper meal before a longer flight, a relaxed glass of wine.

Brick Lane Brews

A nod to East London’s café culture, and it shows. Brick Lane Brews has more of a neighbourhood coffee shop atmosphere than a standard airport chain quality coffee, craft beers, pastries, and breakfast baps. If you want somewhere to sit that doesn’t feel like a departure lounge, this is the closest you’ll get at LCY.

Best for: Specialty coffee, craft beer, a genuinely pleasant pre-flight hour.

Cabin Bar

If you’re looking for runway views while enjoying a drink, Cabin Bar is generally considered one of the nicest places to sit before departure. It has a lounge-style setup that faces the apron, so you can watch the planes taxi while you work through a cocktail or a glass of wine. It fills up quickly on evening departures, so if you want a window seat, arriving early pays off.

Best for: Cocktails, wine, runway views.

Arrivals: What’s Available When You Land

LCY’s arrivals area is streamlined which suits the airport’s business-traveller focus well. Here’s what to expect post-landing:

One thing that regularly surprises first-time LCY passengers: how fast the arrivals process is. You’re often through baggage reclaim and out of the terminal within 15–20 minutes of landing, significantly quicker than Heathrow or Gatwick on a typical day.

Marks & Spencer Simply Food

Worth its own mention. M&S Simply Food in the main terminal stocks ready meals, sandwiches, fresh produce, and quality snacks a cut above the average airport food offering. Useful both for departing passengers who want a proper meal deal and for arriving passengers picking something up on the way out.

Best for: Quality meal deals, fresh snacks, arriving passengers who want something decent to eat.

Before Security: What’s Available Landside?

Not everything requires clearing security first. Before the checkpoint, you’ll typically find:

• WHSmith (landside location) books, magazines, snacks, and essentials
• Travelex currency exchange before you fly
• Check-in desks and airport information

The landside options are limited by design. LCY moves passengers through check-in and security efficiently, and most of the retail experience is intentionally placed airside.

London City Airport Terminal: Quick Overview

Smart Shopping Tips for LCY

1. Give yourself 20–30 minutes airside if you want to browse. The terminal is compact, but Aelia gets busy around peak morning departures. You won’t need more time than that but rushing through duty-free is rarely satisfying.

2. Pre-order duty free before you arrive. LCY’s click-and-collect service saves you time at the counter and knocks 10% off your purchase. Worth doing for spirits or fragrances especially.

3. Pret gets busy on early weekday mornings. If your flight is before 8am on a Monday or Tuesday, the queue can be longer than you’d expect. Factor that in if you need to sit down with coffee before boarding.

4. The Cabin Bar fills quickly on evening departures. A window seat with a runway view is worth having but you’ll need to claim it early on a busy evening.

5. Use Boots for emergency travel kit. Forgotten your toothpaste or need paracetamol? Boots airside is the most reliable place to restock basics without paying the premium you’d pay at some airport pharmacies.

6. Unlike Heathrow, LCY focuses more on convenience than luxury shopping. Don’t come expecting a high-end fashion mall but do expect a well-curated set of shops that covers everything you’d actually need before a flight.

FAQ’s

Can I buy full-size liquids at London City Airport and take them through security?

Yes, and this is genuinely different from most UK airports. LCY uses CT security scanners which allow liquids up to 2 litres in your carry-on, so the usual 100ml restriction doesn’t apply here. You can buy full-size toiletries, drinks, or anything liquid before or after security without worrying about confiscation. Worth knowing if you’re used to the rules at Heathrow or Gatwick.

Is there anywhere to eat or shop if I’m arriving rather than departing?

Yes. M&S Simply Food is accessible in the main terminal to arriving passengers solid for a meal deal or fresh snacks on the way out. The arrivals hall also has currency exchange, car hire desks, and taxi and private hire booths. Don’t expect a full retail experience on arrival though LCY’s shopping is almost entirely designed around departures.

How early should I get to LCY if I want to actually browse the shops?

Build in 20–30 minutes airside after clearing security. The terminal is compact so you’re never far from your gate, but Aelia Duty Free gets busy around peak morning departures and Pret queues on early weekday mornings can be longer than you’d expect. If your flight is before 8am on a Monday or Tuesday, factor that in don’t leave browsing until the last minute.

Can I pre-order duty-free at London City Airport and does it actually save money?

Yes on both counts. LCY’s official shopping page offers click-and-collect on duty-free items with 10% off every pre-order. It’s worth doing for spirits or fragrances especially, where the saving is most noticeable. You collect at Aelia airside after security no queue, no risk of the item being out of stock on the day.

What’s the best spot at LCY if I just want to sit somewhere pleasant before my flight?

Cabin Bar is the standout lounge-style seating facing the apron with runway views, cocktails, and wine. It fills up fast on evening departures so arriving early is worth it if you want a window seat. If you’d rather have coffee and a more relaxed neighbourhood feel, Brick Lane Brews is the closest thing to an actual café rather than a standard airport chain.

Getting to and from London City Airport

Shopping sorted, flight booked, all that’s left is getting there.

LCY is just 6 miles east of the City of London and 3 miles from Canary Wharf, making it one of the most central airports in the UK. Options for getting there include:

• DLR: direct connections to Bank, Canary Wharf, and Stratford. The most popular option for central London travellers.
• Private airport transfer: the easiest choice if you’re travelling with luggage, have an early departure, or need to be somewhere specific on arrival. You can read more about London City Airport transfer options here.
• Taxi/minicab: available from the arrivals hall, though prices vary.

Planning to use the lounges too? Our London City Airport lounges guide covers what’s available and whether they’re worth it.