Can you guess how often someone buys a bottle of perfume at London Heathrow? Ok, we’ll tell you – it’s every 20 seconds. That’s a lot of eau de toilette.
It’s no wonder, then, that the west London aviation hub has been named a high-flyer when it comes to retail services. In fact, Heathrow has been ranked the best airport in the world for shopping opportunities at this year’s Skytrax World Airport Awards.
Every year, Skytrax surveys travellers on everything from baggage delivery times to airports’ cleanliness and staff friendliness, assessing more than 575 airports across 100 regions. Now, the shopaholics have spoken. Heathrow claimed the title over airports including Singapore Changi (which ranked second) and Abu Dhabi (which came sixth).
As for the London hub’s credentials, it’s home to 57,000 square metres of retail space – equal to around 10 football pitches – and more than 300 shops. Bougie brand names abound, from Louis Vuitton and Hermes to Burberry and Harrods. There’s also a dedicated Toblerone store, because what overseas trip would be complete without a bar of triangular chocolate?
As well as claiming the top spot when it comes to retail therapy, Heathrow also ranked 16th on Skytrax’s list of the best airports in the world in 2026. Pretty good going for an airport which was also one of the busiest on the planet last year.
And if you thought Heathrow’s retail offering couldn’t get any better, think again. Because from May the hub will also include Waitrose meal deals, snack pots and pastries. Yep, a collab with Relay is bringing the swanky supermarket’s goods to T2. Just try not to miss your flight while deciding on a sandwich.
Did you see that the top 10 busiest airports in the world have been revealed for 2025?
Plus: this major north London shopping and dining hub is getting three new retailers.
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You can check out the full list of best airports for shopping and dining here.
