We checked 14 Southend shops, from Read on Sea's books to Argosy Toys, for opening hours, addresses and what each sells. Updated November 2026.
Southend has 14 shops worth a Christmas shopping trip in 2026, and this guide puts them in one place with opening hours, addresses and what each one sells. Read on Sea on the Broadway, Toys N Tuck off the High Street, Books-on-Sea on Alexandra Street and Classic Cap Company in Westcliff are good places to start.
These are regular hours. None of the shops had posted Christmas hours by early November, so ring ahead in the last week before Christmas.
Dates for the Christmas shopping diary
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 14 November, stalls from 9am | Christmas in the City market and lights switch-on | Southend High Street |
| Saturday 14 November, 12pm to 2pm | The Grinch, collecting for the Royal British Legion | The Royals |
| Friday 20 November, from 4pm | Festive Friday, with late night shopping listed | Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff |
| Friday 27 November, from 4pm | Light Up Leigh, with late-night shopping and the roads shut 3pm to 8pm | The Broadway and Elm Road, Leigh |
| Saturday 5 December, 11.45am to 4.30pm | Frostbite, stalls outside the independent shops | Southchurch Road |
Our Christmas markets page has all six market dates, and the parking guide lists the car parks and charges.
City centre: books, records, comics and toys
The independents here sit just off the pedestrianised High Street, around Queens Road, Alexandra Street and Clarence Street.
1. Toys N Tuck
A family-owned toy shop that says it has traded in Essex since 1992, and now has this one large shop. It reports winning best independent toy shop at the Toy Trade awards in January 2015.
It also makes personalised sweet cones, and says that in store it will gift wrap items for a small fee even if you did not buy them there.
Open Mon to Sat 9am to 5.30pm; Sun 10.30am to 4.30pm
Call 01702 346234
Address 1 Queens Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1LT
Website toysntuck.co.uk
Good for toys, sweets, gift wrap, online orders
2. Books-on-Sea
Sells second-hand and new books, and what it calls bookish gifts: book bundles, mugs, postcards and puzzles. It also orders new books on request and makes up bespoke book bundles.
Note the short weekday hours, which the shop describes as new, and that it closes on Mondays.
Open Tue and Wed 10am to 2pm; Thu and Fri 10am to 4pm; Sat 11am to 5pm; Sun 11am to 3pm; closed Mon
Call 01702 826730
Address 23 Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1BX
Website books-on-sea.co.uk
Good for second-hand books, new books, book bundles, bookish gifts
3. South Records
An independent record shop stocking new and pre-owned vinyl and new CDs across a wide range of genres. It says it holds thousands of records in store, with new arrivals every Friday, and it also sells online.
It opens every day.
Open Mon to Sat 10.30am to 4pm; Sun and bank holidays 12pm to 4pm
Call 01702 826166
Address 24 Queens Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1LU
Website southrecordshop.com
Good for new vinyl, used vinyl, new CDs, online orders
4. Ace Comics
The Southend branch of a comic shop with a second store in Colchester. It sells comics, graphic novels and action figures, runs comic subscriptions, and sells gift cards.
Bank holidays are closed unless the shop says otherwise, and its Tuesday is short.
Open Tue 11am to 3pm; Wed to Fri 10am to 4pm; Sat 10am to 5pm; closed Sun and Mon
Call 01702 338174
Address 28 Clarence Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1BD
Website acecomics.co.uk/store-locations
Good for comics, graphic novels, action figures, gift cards
City centre: the two shopping centres
These are mostly chains, but they are where the covered shopping is, at either end of the High Street.
5. The Royals
The shopping centre at the seafront end of the High Street. The council puts it at more than 30 stores, with disabled access, toilets and baby changing.
The centre says it has over 400 parking spaces with EV charging. The Grinch visits on 14 November, the same day as the High Street market and the switch-on.
Open Mon to Sat 8.30am to 6pm; Sun and bank holidays 10am to 5pm
Address High Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1DG
Parking over 400 spaces, 24 hours, EV charging
Website royalsshoppingcentre.co.uk
Good for high street chains, covered shopping, parking on site
6. The Victoria Centre
The council-owned centre at the station end of the High Street, which the council describes as a mix of national and independent shops, cafes and leisure venues such as Indirock and Boom Battle Bar. The long hours are for the centre itself, and it warns that individual stores can differ.
Open Mon to Sat and bank holidays 9am to 10pm; Sun 10am to 10pm (centre hours; stores vary)
Call 01702 460931
Address 362 Chartwell Square, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 5SP
Website victoriasc.co.uk
Good for national chains, independent shops, leisure venues
Westcliff: London Road and Hamlet Court Road
Visit Southend describes Hamlet Court Road as a long parade of independent shops, specialist retailers and local services, two minutes’ walk from Westcliff station. Festive Friday on 20 November is its Christmas evening.
7. Argosy Toys
A family-run toy shop on London Road, with a Christmas section alongside its Lego, games, puzzles, dolls and craft ranges. It does not post orders: online sales are click and collect only, and it sells gift vouchers valid for two years.
By early November its site showed £5,331.07 raised for charity in 2026.
Open Mon to Sat 9am to 5.30pm; Sun 10am to 4pm
Call 01702 346806
Address 553 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 9LJ
Website argosytoys.co.uk
Good for Lego, games and puzzles, click and collect, gift vouchers
8. Classic Cap Company
Describes itself as family-run hat and cap specialists, trading since 2000. The range covers caps, hats and accessories, and it sells gift vouchers.
It closes on Sundays and Mondays.
Open Tue to Fri 10am to 5pm; Sat 9am to 5pm; closed Sun and Mon
Call 01702 430798
Address 48 Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7LX
Website classic-caps.co.uk
Good for caps, hats, accessories, gift vouchers
Leigh-on-Sea: the Broadway, Elm Road and Rectory Grove
Visit Southend calls Leigh Broadway one of the most popular shopping areas in the city, ten minutes’ walk from Leigh-on-Sea station. Light Up Leigh on 27 November is the evening to go, with the roads closed from 3pm to 8pm.
9. Read on Sea
A family-owned bookshop in the middle of the Broadway, with a book club, an events programme and an online shop. Its Sit and Sip menu offers wines, beers, coffees and cakes to go with your book.
The shop warns that books sold online are not always in store, so it is worth asking before you travel for a particular title.
Open Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm; Sat 10am to 6pm; Sun 10am to 2pm
Address 28 Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1AW
Website readonsea.co.uk
Good for new books, book club, wine and cake, online orders
10. Niche Jewellery
An independent jeweller on the Broadway, selling designer brands including Nomination, Swarovski, Annie Haak, Thomas Sabo and Clogau, as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings and watches. Its site also carries a guide to choosing jewellery as a Christmas gift.
Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm (leigh-on-sea.com listing)
Call 01702 480898
Address 6 Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1AW
Website nichejewellery.co.uk
Good for designer brands, rings, watches, online orders
11. Hatton Jewellery
A jeweller on Elm Road that its leigh-on-sea.com listing says has traded in Leigh since 1986, with a workshop upstairs for custom pieces. Its own site lists jewellery, watches, giftware and Disney ranges, plus repairs and valuations.
Open Mon to Sat 9am to 5pm; closed Sun
Call 01702 472535
Address 28 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1SN
Website hattonjewellery.co.uk
Good for jewellery, watches, giftware, repairs, valuations
12. Castle Collection
A bespoke jewellery workshop and boutique that Lisa Castle set up in 2002, where she makes her own designs by hand and sells other independent designers’ collections. It also stocks leather handbags and women’s and children’s clothing.
Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5.30pm (leigh-on-sea.com listing)
Call 01702 711322
Address Stirling Hall, 11-13 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1SW
Website castlecollection.co.uk
Good for handmade jewellery, independent designers, handbags, clothing
13. Piece Gallery
An art gallery on the Broadway selling acrylics, collages, limited editions, mixed media, oils and sculpture, with high-end home accessories including glassware, handmade candles, vases and ceramics. Its exclusive item is a hand-painted ornamental apple.
The gallery says it is accessible for people with limited mobility. It publishes no opening hours, so ring first.
Call 01702 471010
Address 65 Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1PE
Website piecegallery.co.uk
Good for original art, sculpture, candles and ceramics, accessible for limited mobility
14. Two Tree Gallery
A gallery selling original paintings and jewellery from eight local artists, next door to Rectory Flowers on Rectory Grove. It keeps the shortest hours in this guide: Saturdays, or by appointment on other days.
Open Sat 10am to 5pm, or by appointment
Address 3 Rectory Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2HA
Website twotreegallery.co.uk
Good for original paintings, local artists, jewellery
How we chose
We started from Visit Southend’s shopping pages, OpenStreetMap’s shop records and the leigh-on-sea.com directory, kept independents that publish a current address and what they sell, and added the two shopping centres because that is where most people park. Thorpe Bay, Southchurch and Shoeburyness have no entries yet, and Frostbite on 5 December is the way into Southchurch Road’s independents.
Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@southendtoday.co.uk. Taken a good photograph of any of these places? Email it to newsdesk@southendtoday.co.uk and we will add it with your name as the credit.
Staying on for the rest of the day? See things to do in Southend, what’s on this month, the ice rink, Christmas dinner in Southend, Christmas train times and the local business directory. Buying a toy anyway? Both toy shops above take gifts for the council’s Christmas toy drive.
Frequently asked questions
Is there late night shopping in Southend in 2026?
Two evenings are advertised. Festive Friday on Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, on 20 November starts at 4pm and lists late night shopping. Light Up Leigh on 27 November runs from 4pm, with late-night shopping and the Broadway, Broadway West, Elm Road and Rectory Grove shut to traffic from 3pm to 8pm. Neither listing names the shops taking part or a closing time.
Which Southend shops open on Sundays before Christmas?
Read on Sea opens 10am to 2pm, Books-on-Sea 11am to 3pm, South Records 12pm to 4pm, Argosy Toys 10am to 4pm and Toys N Tuck 10.30am to 4.30pm. The Royals opens 10am to 5pm and the Victoria Centre from 10am, though shops inside can differ. Ace Comics, Classic Cap Company and Hatton Jewellery close on Sundays.
Where can I buy toys in Southend at Christmas?
There are two independent toy shops: Toys N Tuck at 1 Queens Road, just off the High Street, and Argosy Toys at 553 London Road, Westcliff. Both also take gifts for the council’s Christmas toy drive.
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