The one thing that strikes you about the shops in Teignmouth is the lack of the high street brands which dominate town centres today. They are there – WH Smith, Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy, New Look – but the main stock seems to be independent, with a broad range too. Toys, music, fishing, a florist and many more specialists shops populate the centre, with plenty of food suppliers including a deli, butchers and greengrocers.
Speaking of food, there is a newly opened Tesco Metro on the outskirts of the town, but in the centre there are 2 smaller Co-operative supermarkets. For a larger shop, the nearest supermarkets to Teignmouth are in Newton Abbot, a few miles away where you will find a Sainsburys, Asda and Tesco.
It’s not up there with Dartmouth in terms of quality, but still offers an interesting alternative to the larger neighbouring centres of Torquay (10 miles), Newton Abbot (5 miles) and Exeter (15 miles). And the layout means you have to explore the streets to find small cafes or gift shops, which is an adventure as you come out on the back beach looking up the estuary or on the Den at the front with the sea in front of you.
The number of banks is an indication of the size of Teignmouth with Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and Natwest all present amongst others, all with cash machines.