As befits one of the great trading capitals of the world, London's shops have been known to boast, "You name it, we sell it." Indeed, almost any item that exists and is for sale can be found somewhere in London, from the toniest velvet suit to plastic turtles for the bath. If you have a yen to keep up with the Windsors, look for the by appointment logo, which means that this particular emporium supplies Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip, or the Prince of Wales. More fashionable types will prefer to check out the ever-expanding Browns of South Molton Street while the surrounding small stores there and along quaint St. Christopher's Place aren't bad either.

The most ardent fashion victims will shoot to Notting Hill, London's prime fashion location. London's emporiums have gifts in every price range. Head to Bond Street or Knightsbridge if you're looking for the sort of thing you would find in every Rockefeller's Christmas stocking; if you're bargain-hunting, try one of the street antiques fairs (it wasn't so long ago that a Wordsworth manuscript was discovered in Brick Lane Market for less than $50).

If you have only limited time, zoom in on one or two of the West End's grand department stores. Marks & Spencer is one of Britain's largest, and most beloved, chain stores. Selfridges is a splendid pile of '20s architecture that dominates the whole of one block toward Marble Arch and is increasingly fashion-conscious, with independent, hard-to-find labels as well as all the famous names.

Liberty is famous for its prints, which you can buy as fabric or have made into everything from book covers to dresses. Harrods is not to be missed; apart from anything else, it's one of the best free shows in the city. And though Harrods trumpets that it can supply anything to anyone anywhere in the world, you can just pick up one of its distinctive green-and-gold-logo totes -- a perfect touch of class for your marketing back home.