| Oxford Street is home to major department stores and numerous brands' flagship stores, as well as hundreds of smaller shops. It is the major shopping street in central London, though not the most expensive or fashionable, and part of a larger shopping district with Regent Street, Bond Street and other smaller nearby streets. The other principal shopping area in central London is Knightsbridge, famous for Harrods department store. For many British chain stores, their Oxford Street branch is regarded as their 'flagship' store and used for celebrity launches and promotions. Major stores include:
- Selfridges, a department store that has been on this site for more than a century.
- Marks and Spencer, of 170,000 square feet, on the junction of Oxford Street and Orchard Street.
- HMV, although it moved from its original location in 2000 after 80 years. HMV has three stores on the street including a concession within Selfridges and its shop at 150 Oxford Street, which is Europe's largest music shop at 50,000 square feet.
- Borders, bookshop.
- Schuh, the biggest shoe store on Oxford Street.
- Other department stores including; John Lewis, Debenhams (historically Debenham & Freebody and Marshall & Snelgrove prior to combining following a rebuild in the 1960s when it became Debenhams) and House of Fraser (historically known as DH Evans prior to rebranding as House of Fraser in 2000).
- Virgin Megastore, at the intersection of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, an entertainment retailer.
- The flagship Disney Store
- Topshop, claimed to be "the largest fashion store in the world".
- Primark, their largest store in the UK
- UNIQLO, the clothes store from Japan
- In the centre of Oxford Street where it intersects with Regent Street, Oxford Circus is home to four flagship chain stores; H&M, United Colours of Benetton, Niketown and until recently, Shelly's Shoestore
- Zara and Bershka, flagship stores from Spanish Inditex Group
- Urban Outfitters, home to retro and vintage clothing
- The flagship GAP store
- Adidas, a sports brand, has a store on Oxford Street opposite Selfridges. Adidas are the manufacturers of the football kit of the London-based football team Chelsea F.C.
- There are also a number of stores on Oxford Street which operate on short term leases in empty retail units and advertise themselves as Closing Down Sales. However in some cases these Closing Down Sales can operate on rather a long term or even permanent presence.
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Oxford Street can become congested both on the footpath and on the road due to the number of buses which use the street and the high number of shoppers and tourists on the street. Common sights on Oxford Street include preachers (such as Philip Howard who was at Oxford Circus), political demonstrations (such as the 2001 May Day protests and small scale protests) and Hare Krishnas.
Each Christmas the street is decorated with festive lights. In mid-to-late November a celebrity turns on the lights and they remain on until January 6.
The use of Christmas lights began in 1959, five years after its neighbour Regent Street had begun the tradition. In 1967, as the recession hit London, the lights were stopped and only returned in 1978 when Oxford Street organised a laser display.
Celebrities who turned on the Christmas lights
- 2006 — All Saints (Peter Andre & Katie Price aka Jordan, G4, Andy Abraham)
- 2005 — Westlife
- 1996 — Spice Girls
- 1995 — Coronation Street Cast
- 1994 — Lenny Henry
- 1993 — Richard Branson
- 1992 — Linford Christie
- 1991 — Westminster Children's Hospital
- 1990 — Cliff Richard
- 1989 — Gorden Kaye
- 1988 — Terry Wogan
- 1987 — Derek Jameson
- 1986 — Leslie Grantham, Anita Dobson (Den and Angie Watts from EastEnders)
- 1985 — Bob Geldof
- 1984 — Esther Rantzen
- 1983 — Pat Phoenix
- 1982 — Daley Thompson
- 1981 — Pilin Leon (Miss World, Venezuela)
