There are many things London has in abundance. Dog poop on the walkways. Shops that sell fried chicken in all shapes and forms. Barbers, for some weird reason. And Charity shops. Lots. Of. Charity. Shops.
Charity shops are thrift stores that are run by, as the name implies, charities. It can be the British Heart Foundation, the British Cancer Foundation, groups that care about dogs, if you can name it, it exists. People bring in their donations, receive a receipt (probably for tax deductions) and the store evaluates the items and puts them up for sale. And they don’t accept anything people would like to dump on them, the quality of the items is usually quite good. With a little bit of patience you will find designer brands in great condition for just a fraction of the original price.
And of course you will find books. In most cases 90% of the selection is similar to what you would find at any airport store: A random collection of paperbacks; romance novels, crime, mystery. Lee, Patterson and RR Martin. While the selection of books in these shops might not be as eclectic and quirky as what you would find in a regular secondhand book shop, you will still be able to find great deals. Books hardly cost more than £4, even if it is a brand new (!!!) hard copy. And thus it is the perfect place to look for some easy reading material.
The book section rarely cover more than what you could fit into an Ikea Billy book shelf but remember, there are looooots of charity shops in London. You can easily find 3 or more of them within a few 100 meters from each other. Exception: Oxfam runs charity shops that sell nothing but books.
Regardless whether you are a local or a tourist aimlessly strolling around: It’s a fun way to kill time if you have time to spare.
Location
Pretty much everywhere. As soon as you leave the most touristy areas you will see a few.