Shopping

Do people only do their shopping in the towns?

No , they don't. There are lots of big out-of-town shopping centres where there are many shops in a large indoor area. The most obvious feature is the car park because people drive to the centres.

This is Bluewater near London. It's the largest shopping complex in Europe with over 330 different shops and three big department stores.

That's big! But do people just go there to shop?

No, they don't. There are also 40 bars and restaurants and a thirteen-screen cinema.

For a lot of people'going shopping' doesn't mean they are going to buy anything. Many people never spend any money. It's a social event. Shopping centres are open late most nights of the week and from 11 o'clock until five o'clock on Sundays. So you can go shopping just about whenever you want.