There’s nothing like a good bout of retail therapy to make any visitor to a new town feel welcome and visitors to Liverpool will find that the options available to them have never been greater!

For a long time for shoppers Liverpool City Centre was a functional, enjoyable retail experience. There were plenty of shops for sure and there was plenty of choice, from the biggest names in retail down to the locally run outlets that you cannot find anywhere else. However the city lacked something, a focal point, a place which would rival some of the great shopping centres around the world. That changed in 2008 with the opening of the fantastic Liverpool ONE (0151 232 3100, www.liverpool-one.com).

Liverpool ONE is 1.65 million square feet of shopping and leisure opportunities, slap bang in the middle of one of the greatest cities in the world. The site includes a 14 screen cinema, a five acre park, over twenty bars and restaurants (with more opening every day!) and over 160 shops, including some of the biggest names you can find in the world of retail. Situated just off what was the main city centre, it is in the perfect place for visitors to the city and any visit to Liverpool simply must take in a day spend wandering around the wealth of big name outlets, such as Radley, Swarovski, Habitat, Adidas, Ted Baker and Gap, that the city can offer to any keen shopper.

Dotted throughout Liverpool city centre are some small shopping gems for the keen buyer. Clayton Square (0151 709 6627, www.claytonsquare.co.uk) is one such place. A large, airy indoor shopping complex that houses many top fashion houses as well as several large stores such as Boots as well as an internet cafe in opulent surroundings. A little further on from Clayton Square brings you to Mathew Street, home of the famous Cavern Club and now home to Cavern Walks (0151 236 9082, www.cavern-walks.co.uk) which is a particular favourite for the big names in fashion, such as Cricket, Vivienne Westwood and Drome Couture. Also worth a visit is the Albert Docks (0151 708 7334, www.albertdock.com) which has its own small shopping area which is the perfect place to find that quirky gift or to pick up something a little more unusual to remind you of your visit to Liverpool. There are plenty of shops here that sell quirky, artistic items as well as shops that celebrate all aspects of the cities maritime, musical and sporting heritage. All set within the magnificent Albert Dock complex that also hosts three museums (Tate Modern, the Maritime Museum and the Beatles Story). If you are a real bargain hunter, why not take at look at St John’s Shopping Centre (0151 709 0916, www.stjohns-shopping.co.uk), which not only houses a wealth of shops, but also a huge indoor market offering bargains galore!

What is remarkable is that all these fantastic shopping opportunities are literally right on your doorstep in Liverpool’s bustling City Centre! However you can travel slightly further afield to discover whole new opportunities for a spot of retail therapy!

For example, why not head to Southport or Chester, whose historic city centres offer some of the best shopping in the North West only a short drive away? Or you could head under the River Mersey through the Wallasey Tunnel and down the M53 to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Shopping Mall (0151 348 5600, www.cheshireoaksdesigneroutlet.com) which houses a huge selection of shops, ranging from Burberry to Nike, Bose to Jaeger, Next to Molton Brown.

Given all these opportunities right on your doorstep, it is easy to see why any visitor to Liverpool would be forgiven for thinking that the city truly is a shopper’s paradise!