Tired of visiting the same designer boutiques, venerable chains and fluorescently-lit retail centers? So are we. That's why we decided to scour the globe for unique shopping spots; in these retail heavens, you'll find an eclectic array of boutique haunts, stylish department stores and secret discount venues.

Sure, the elite athletes competing in the Games are the focus, but on the sidelines sits a worldly city ripe for exploration. If you're traveling to London this summer, don't forget to pull your eyes away from the athletic events long enough to amble about the city's most stylish neighborhoods.

After news broke Tuesday that The Travel Bookshop -- a real London store made famous by the the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill, in which Hugh Grant...