Boswells & Co

I really like Boswells. They have pretty much any & all standard house hold items you could want, although within each item the selection isn’t overly expansive. Over the last year and a half I’ve gotten hangers (a little pricey), Christmas cards (decent), a black travel bag (well valued and useful), and a fast dry towel (works like a charm). The staff per my experiences have been friendly and it is definitely my first stop for common items in Oxford.

Boswells is a great store. Whenever I need anything home related I always end up there. Offers a great selection of anything you can think of. May be a tiny bit more expensive than chain stores but call it a premium for friendly and helpful staff and way better shopping experience than the one we grew used to these days…

Very useful independent department store with a wide range of homeware available and a student discount on until the end of October

Great store, lots of variety. I bought too much in UK and needed an extra suitcase for the trip home and found a very nice on sale at a very reasonable price. Sales people were helpful and polite as would be expected in UK. Last time I was in Oxford (’08) I also bought a bag so it is my place to go for luggage type purchases, although they have other things as well.

Boswells is a medium sized department store right in the middle of Oxford at the North end of Cornmarket.
The kitchen department is a wonderfully eclectic mix of the sort of thing which you will hunt high and low for in other shops without success and the toy department is a treasure trove of jigsaws, lego and board games.
A recent refurbishment of has improved many of the displays and seen a major shuffle on the ground floor so be prepared to hunt about if something isn’t where you think it should be.
Having held it’s own for many years against the likes of Debenhams, Boswells will face a new and larger threat with the arrival of John Lewis at the end of the decade. It will be interesting to see if this Oxford Institution can survive.

Boswells is a treasure trove if you’re looking for anything kitchen or cooking related. Just go down into the basement and you’re spoilt for choice on pans, utensils, storage, even unusual cleaning products. It generally has everything you need and things you didn’t think you needed, and is very well priced. Their electrical section is very handy if you’re looking for a bulb, a conversion plug thing, or an affordable lamp. Their beauty section is well worth a browse, too — I buy my Dr Hauschka stuff here and they have some great non-​traditional brands like Weleda, Klorane and Kneipp.

Boswells is a massive department store that sells a huge variety of goods all under one roof. There is a very well stocked kitchen section, that sells everything from pans to plates, from blenders to salt and pepper pots, and from cake boards to colanders. There is a very large toy section that stocks a wide variety of games, crafts and toys for children of all ages. There is alos a large variety of perfume, toiletries and makeup products, along with handbags, cameras and umbrellas. There is also a pharamcy at the back of the ground floor which always offers a quick and efficient service.
All in all it stocks pretty much everything you could need, and is particularly popular with new students (may also be due to their 10% student discount!).
The staff are always friendly and knowledgable about their products. A lovely shop.

Boswells is the only independant department store in oxford, where you can find bed linin to plates, from shampoo to electrical, clocks to pen knives. it does have something for everything. At christmas time it also sells alot of christmas decorations and seasonal goods. there are alot of department from linens to toys, cosmetics, photos, gift, and luggage. i brought a bag from there years ago and its still perfect.
staff are helpful and their lots of tills which is good when its busy. The goods are cheaper than most other department stores and so for that reason its definately worth the visit!

Boswells is unique to Oxford as far as I’m aware, though perhaps I’m wrong! In direct competition with Debenhams, Woolworths, M&S, their range and marketing is aimed at the students packed into Oxford and their offers reflect this. The store has recently undergone a refurbishment. If you need something but are not too sure where you can go to find it, Boswells is probably the answer! It’s located on Cornmarket street, next to Waterstones, with another exit round the corner on Broad St.

Boswells is a GREAT department store where you can find so many varying things that you can do a whole load of shopping all at once. From bed linin to plates, from shampoo to hankies, from alarm clocks to pen knives… it really does have everything. The kitchen dept. is pretty large doing some really unique cutlery, place mats and odds n bobs. At christmas time it also sells alot of christmas decorations and candy goods etc.
The staff are helpful and their are quite a few tills which is good as it can be quite busy. The goods are cheaper than most other department stores and so for that reason alone are worth a browse!

A department store with something for everyone! Whether you are after bed-​linen, cookware or toys you should find it here, reasonably priced. This is a real Aladdin’s cave of a store which is just fun to browse in, as well as doing more serious shopping.

Boswells is the place to go if you’re after anything household related. It’s much bigger than it first looks and even has several entrances. There’s a huge range of kitchen equipment, right down to novelty mini utensils, and a designer range of crockery and cutlery. One word of warning: I went in looking for a bowl; just a normal bowl to eat cereal from. I came out disappointed as the only ones I could find were quirky designer square bowls or very expensive porcelain bowls, neither of which were in my budget or very practical. I’m sure there must be some normal ones out there, but either they have very little choice, or it’s a poor layout. If you’re after designer crockery, though, there is a good range, although this is on the ground floor away from other kitche utensils. Aside from the kitchen, Boswell does bits and bobs for the rest of the house, such as duvet covers, cushions, book stops, and more unusual things like extension sockets. They often have a selection of options for each item, meaning you have to put the extra effort of making a decision in, but also catering for a variety of needs and budgets. It can be hard to find things, and staff range from very helpful to apathetic, but it’s always worth asking. The prices are a step up from Tesco or Primark household stuff, but still cheaper than Debenhams or other large department stores.