Editing Kingston upon Thames (section)

==Economy==
[[File:The Bentalls Bridge, Kingston-upon-Thames - London. (16118786081).jpg|thumb|Bentalls Bridge]]
[[File:Eden Walk, Kingston upon Thames.jpg|thumb|[[Eden Walk]] shopping centre]]
Kingston has many pubs and restaurants and several public houses in the centre have become restaurants or bars. The more traditional pubs tend to be in the northern part of the town (Canbury) and include The Canbury Arms, Park Tavern, The Wych Elm and Willoughby Arms. Further south are found the [[Druid's Head, Kingston upon Thames|Druid's Head]], the Spring Grove, The Cricketers, The Albion Tavern, The Duke of Buckingham, and several small local pubs around Fairfield. The Druid's Head is notable as one of the first taverns to make [[syllabub]], the famous dessert, in the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Find Best Restaurants in Kingston Upon Thames - Eat and Drink in Kingston Upon Thames What's on in Kingston Upon Thames|url=https://www.whatsoninkingstonuponthames.com/eat-drink/|access-date=26 May 2021|website=What's On In Kingston upon Thames|language=en-GB|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526085810/https://www.whatsoninkingstonuponthames.com/eat-drink/|url-status=live}}</ref> There are several Chinese, Indian, Thai and Italian restaurants.

The local newspapers are the weekly ''[[Surrey Comet]]'', which celebrated its 150th year in 2004,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/comet150/intro/ |title=Comet 150 |work=Surrey Comet |publisher=Newsquest |access-date=2 March 2012 |archive-date=26 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226131144/http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/comet150/intro/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the ''[[Kingston Guardian]]''.

In 2010 retail footprint research, Kingston ranked 25th in terms of retail expenditure in the UK at £810&nbsp;million, equal to [[Covent Garden]] and just ahead of [[Southampton]]. This puts it as generating the fifth highest level of retail sales in [[Greater London]], passing [[Croydon]], with just four West End alternatives ahead.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caci.co.uk/492.aspx |title=Retail Footprint 2010 reveals Britain's shopping successes and strugglers |access-date=12 February 2010 |work=CACI |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618210926/http://www.caci.co.uk/492.aspx |archive-date=18 June 2010}}</ref> In 2005, Kingston was 24th with £864&nbsp;million, and 3rd in London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caci.co.uk/msd.asp?url=lsp-retailfootprint.htm |title=Retail Footprint 2005 |access-date=5 October 2005 |work=CACI |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020003313/http://www.caci.co.uk/msd.asp?url=lsp-retailfootprint.htm |archive-date=20 October 2007 }}</ref> In a 2015 study by CACI, Kingston was ranked 28th in the UK in the Hot 100 Retail Locations - and the second highest in Greater London after Croydon.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gra.world/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/02/00002208.pdf?x18661 |title=Hot 100 UK retail locations 2015 |date=13 November 2015 |website=[[Property Week]] |access-date=22 April 2020 |archive-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612025902/https://www.gra.world/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/02/00002208.pdf?x18661 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, Kingston was ranked joint 5th in the UK by [[Knight Frank]] in the "High Street Investment Ranking", only bettered by [[Cambridge]], [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Chichester]] and [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://content.knightfrank.com/research/1359/documents/en/retail-news-issue-7-the-high-street-redundant-relevant-or-resurgent-5017.pdf |title=High Street Investment Market |first=Alastair |last=Bird |date=2017 |journal=Retail News |issue=7 |page=26 |access-date=22 April 2020 |archive-date=26 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326172741/https://content.knightfrank.com/research/1359/documents/en/retail-news-issue-7-the-high-street-redundant-relevant-or-resurgent-5017.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2013 Kingston became the location for a [[local currency]] scheme, designed to boost and strengthen the local economy in Kingston,<ref>[https://www.lovemoney.com/news/26492/kingston-pound-own-currency "Kingston upon Thames to get its own currency"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726143218/https://www.lovemoney.com/news/26492/kingston-pound-own-currency |date=26 July 2023 }}, lovemoney.com 13 December 2013</ref>
<ref>[https://riveronline.co.uk/kingston-to-roll-out-its-own-currency/  "Kingston to roll out its own currency"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726143217/https://riveronline.co.uk/kingston-to-roll-out-its-own-currency/ |date=26 July 2023 }} The River Online, 8 December 2015</ref> as part of the [[Transition towns]] initiative. The Kingston pound began as a [[digital currency]], and from 2018 existed in paper format, with denominations of K£1;K£5;K£10;and K£20 designed by graphic design students from [[Kingston University]]. These were taken out of circulation in 2021, but have been sold to many collectors all over the world. The Kingston Pound is a 'tagged' sterling that can be exchanged either way on a 1 for 1 basis without any penalty.<ref>[https://www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/about-us/kingston-pound/  Kingston Pound Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726143727/https://www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/about-us/kingston-pound/ |date=26 July 2023 }}, Kingston Chamber of Commerce; retrieved 26 July 2023</ref><ref>[https://kingstonpound.org/ Kingston Pound official site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726143217/https://kingstonpound.org/ |date=26 July 2023 }}; retrieved 26 July 2023</ref>

As of 2011, Kingston upon Thames has the fourth highest retail turnover for comparison goods in Greater London, £432 million annually, only bettered by the [[West End of London|West End]], [[Shepherd's Bush]] and [[Stratford, London|Stratford]]. As of 2012, Kingston has {{convert|276438|sqm|sqft}} of total town centre floorspace, the 3rd highest in London.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/2013%20TCHC%20report.pdf |title=2013 London Town Centre Health Check Analysis Report |date=March 2014 |website=Greater London Authority |page=24 |access-date=22 April 2020 |archive-date=12 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612033625/https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/2013%20TCHC%20report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>