Shopping Hubs
There are two main shopping hubs in Camb: the city center and Grafton Centre. The city center has a mall, Grand Arcade/Lion's Yard, a Sainsburys grocery store, an outdoor food and goods market and other shops. The shops here are pricier than at the other shopping hub, with the exception of the outdoor market. When the tide of tourists is high, there is extremely heavy foot traffic (kind of feels like the Infinite on a busy day). The
The Grafton Centre has a more affordable variety of shops. It's a quick bike ride and a still pleasant walk from the city centre. There is another indoor mall, an outdoor shopping district, a Tescos grocery store (cheaper than Sainsburys), lots of charity shops (aka thrift stores) and more. The shopping crowd here is mostly locals and gives you a brief step out of the Cambridge bubble.
Where to Buy...
Green=Grafton Centre area, Blue=City center
Toiletries + Medicine
Best Price: Poundland
Other Places: Boots, Superdrug (both similar to CVS)
School Supplies
Best Price: Poundland
Other Places: Heffers, Cambridge University Press, Ryman
Dishware
Best Price: Charity Shops (Grafton Centre, city center, + a great one right by Downing College)
Other Places: John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, BHS, Debenhams (all department stores)
Electronics
Amazon (online)
Maplin
Clothes
Best Price: Charity Shops, Primark (UK version of Forever 21)
Other Places: Tons of shops in the city center and Grafton Centre