Shopping South Woodham Ferrer's main shopping centre is located smack bang in the purpose built centre  of town with reasonable parking provision and pedestrianised walkways. There is also a parade of shops at the station end of Clements Green Road, and various other individual shops scattered about the town.

The main shopping centre is dominated by a large Asda supermarket, which provides almost all daily essentials at competitive prices. It can occasionally be difficult to find a car parking space unless you shop in the late evening. The store is now has 24 hour opening excluding Sundays, when it closes at 4 p.m. The staff are generally helpful and friendly - greeting customers is very obviously part of their training programme. The store also offers a 24 hour petrol filling station with payment by card only.

A diverse variety of specialist shops, restaurants, banks and offices can be found in the pedestrianised streets beyond Asda. Some of these are real gems that provide goods and services to equal or surpass the competition elsewhere.

Market day is held on Thursdays and Saturdays. A large banner is usually displayed on the road in to Asda, directing people to the market place in front of the Oaklands Hotel. The number of stalls has dwindled over the years due to a lack of support with only a remnant now appearing together with second-hand stalls. The strange thing is that although turnout is still low, the Lazy Bones car boot sale in Rettendon on Saturday and Sundays at 11 am is thriving.

Certain shops close at mid-day on Wednesdays and the occasional one still closes for lunch between 1 and 2 p.m.

There are still two working post offices in South Woodham Ferrers.

The town is also within easy driving reach of a number of other shopping centres, each offering a huge selection of shops:

• Basildon 20 minutes by car
• Chelmsford 25 minutes
• Southend 30 minutes
• Lakeside 35 minutes
• Bluewater (over the Dartford Crossing) 50 minutes

Some of the shops looking onto Queen Elizabeth II Square: (from left to right) shoe shop, chemist, dry cleaners, Sweethearts Bar, Asda George Store

One of the tragedies of South Woodham Ferrers is the diffulties faced by shopkeepers in attempting to trade. There is a steady turnover of shops - very few survive for very long because of high rents and the tendency of the local population to jump in a car and go to one of the near large shopping centres where they have a better selection of good on offer.

There is a good selection of charity shops in South Woodham, both in the town centre and also an excellent charity shop supporting Muscular Dystrophy in Warwick Parade (near the station). This shop has one room at the back of the shop dedicated to 2nd hand books - all 4 walls are lined with them. Opening hours can be a little unpredicatble depending on volunteers. It can usually be relied upon to open on a Saturday.

Local Shops