CVS is Boots, Kroger is Tesco, and TJ Maxx is literally the same company. A shop-by-shop translation built from our verified London equivalents data.
By WentLocal Editorial Team · Published 2026-08-04
Landing in London from the US is disorienting in a very specific, very boring way: you know exactly what you need — cold medicine, a phone SIM, a cheap breakfast — and none of the signs say the name you are looking for. This guide is the translation layer. Every pair below comes from our verified London equivalents data for US travellers, with our own similarity score attached, so you can tell a near-identical swap from a rough approximation.
CVS → Boots (similarity 90). Boots is on practically every high street, and like CVS it is three shops in one: dispensing pharmacy at the back, beauty aisle at the front, and a meal deal in the fridge. If you only learn one substitution, learn this one.
Walgreens → Superdrug (similarity 80, and cheaper). Superdrug is the budget alternative — fine for toiletries, sunscreen, plasters and basics. Prescription-adjacent needs go to Boots; everything else can go here for less.
For the corner-shop run, 7-Eleven splits in two: Tesco Express (85) is the grab-and-go mini supermarket on every corner, and Co-op (80) is the ethical-chain version with genuinely good sandwiches and ready meals. Both are open late; neither has a Slurpee.
Dunkin'' → Costa Coffee (85, similar pricing) is the closest match: the UK''s number one chain, affordable, everywhere, and unbothered about being fashionable. Starbucks → Starbucks UK (95) is the same brand at slightly higher prices, so it is a safe fallback rather than a discovery. If you are a Peet''s person, Black Sheep Coffee (75, pricier) is the fast-growing London specialty chain — robusta-focused and self-consciously trendy, which is either the appeal or the problem.
Chick-fil-A → Greggs (80, cheaper) is not a like-for-like swap and everyone in Britain will tell you so — but it is the correct one. Greggs is the country''s grab-and-go king: sausage rolls, pastries, cheap coffee, queues out the door at 8am. McDonald''s → McDonald''s UK (95) is itself, with slightly smaller portions.
T-Mobile → EE (80) has the best coverage in the UK and sells tourist SIMs at Heathrow, which is the path of least resistance on arrival day. If you are staying longer than a week and can wait for delivery, Mint Mobile → giffgaff (80, cheaper) is the budget MVNO locals recommend: order the SIM online, pick a data bundle, cancel whenever.
Chase → Barclays (80) is the major high-street bank, with cashpoints — not ATMs — everywhere. Bank of America → Monzo (75) is the UK''s top neobank; if you are staying long enough to want a local account, the app is genuinely better than anything you have at home and it charges no foreign transaction fees.
It will rain. TJ Maxx → TK Maxx (95) is not a coincidence: same parent company, same chaotic discount racks, one letter different. H&M → Primark (80, cheaper) is ultra-budget fashion in stores the size of department stores — useful when you underpacked for the weather, which you did.
For electronics, Best Buy → Currys (85) covers TVs, phones and laptops, while Micro Center → Argos (75, cheaper) runs the catalogue model: browse, order, collect at the counter. It feels like 1998 and works perfectly.
Uber → Uber UK (90, pricier). The app you already have works in London, but it costs more than you expect and Bolt is usually cheaper for the same trip. Black cabs remain the fastest option in central traffic because the drivers know the bus lanes.
Everything above is drawn from our London equivalents rows for US travellers. Similarity scores are ours; treat anything under 80 as "same job, different feel".
All WentLocal guides
WentLocal helps travelers act like locals in 65 cities across 8 languages. Find brand equivalents (the local Starbucks, the local Uber, the local 7-Eleven), tipping norms, visa & entry rules, driving laws, packing tips, and an AI city concierge that answers questions in seconds.