The Best Independent Shops in Brighton
A flea market with 90 stalls, a record shop, a comic shop open 363 days a year and the city's oldest bookshop: where to spend money in Brighton without feeding a chain.
By Only Brighton Editorial
The best independent shops in Brighton are packed into North Laine: Snoopers Paradise for vintage, Resident for records, Dave's Comics on Sydney Street, Infinity Foods on North Road and Vegetarian Shoes, which has made animal free footwear since 1990. Beyond North Laine, Kemptown Bookshop on St George's Road is Brighton's oldest independent bookshop, Brighton Open Market on London Road is open seven days a week, and the Lanes are full of jewellers and small boutiques. Opening hours were checked in October 2026; independents change hours more often than chains, so check before a special trip.
Snoopers Paradise, Kensington Gardens
Brighton's indoor flea market, at 7 to 8 Kensington Gardens in the heart of North Laine, has 90 stalls under one roof. Vintage of every sort, and the kind of thing you did not know you needed until you saw it. On the day we checked, Snoopers Paradise was open 10.15am to 5.45pm. Give yourself an hour, minimum. Two if you are with someone who likes lamps.
Resident, Kensington Gardens
A few doors along at 27 to 28 Kensington Gardens, Resident is the record shop that makes Brighton a music city. It picks an album of the week, champions local bands and is very good at talking you into something you had never heard of. It opens 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 5.30pm on Sunday, with changes around bank holidays, Record Store Day and Christmas. If you saw a band at the Green Door Store last night, this is where you buy the record.
Dave's Comics, Sydney Street
At 5 Sydney Street, Dave's Comics sells graphic novels, comics, posters, children's books and manga, with new comics in every Wednesday. It is open seven days a week, 363 days a year: 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 5pm on Sunday, closing only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. A brilliant shop to send a teenager into while you get a coffee.
Infinity Foods, North Road
A co-operative wholefood shop at 25 North Road with one of the largest selections of organic and natural vegetarian and vegan food, cosmetics and household goods in the South East. Infinity Foods has baked bread on site since 1976, and its fruit and veg is all organic. It is open 9.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. Brighton in a shopping basket.
Vegetarian Shoes
Established in 1990, before vegan was a word on every menu, Vegetarian Shoes makes animal free footwear in the UK and Europe and runs a shop in Brighton alongside its mail order business. Heads up: the shop and the mail order office close on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November 2026 for the annual stocktake.
Kemptown Bookshop, St George's Road
Over in Kemptown, at 91 St George's Road, Kemptown Bookshop calls itself Brighton's oldest independent bookshop, and has marked its 50th anniversary with a specially commissioned anthology, Love Letters to Bookshops, priced at £10. Pair it with a wander along St George's Road, which has the feel of a proper village high street.
Brighton Open Market, London Road
Right in the middle of the London Road community, Brighton Open Market mixes food stalls, fresh produce, makers and studios. It is open seven days a week: 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm on Saturday with stalls from 10am, and from 10am on Sunday. Come for lunch, leave with more than you came for.
The Lanes
South of North Street, the Lanes are the old twisting alleys of the original town, full of jewellers, small boutiques and cafes. It is more polished than North Laine and a good place to look for a ring, a gift or an excuse for lunch.
A shopping route
- Start at Brighton station and walk down into North Laine via Kensington Gardens for Snoopers and Resident.
- Cut across to Sydney Street for Dave's Comics, then North Road for Infinity Foods.
- Cross North Street into the Lanes for lunch.
- On another day, take the bus to Kemptown for the bookshop or up to London Road for the market.
Bring a tote bag, wear comfy shoes and do not try to do it all in one go. The joy of Brighton shopping is that every visit turns up something different.
