By MICHAEL LEA

POP beauty Britney Spears makes a brief appearance at the shops — and shows she knows a thong or two about keeping her fans happy.

The cheeky 20-year-old gave a flash of G-string as she walked round New York stores before popping into a hair salon.

She clutched a large cup of coffee on her spree. But one onlooker said: “There’s no doubt it was Britney who was the real hot stuff.”

Ironically Britney — girlfriend of ‘N Sync star Justin Timberlake, 20 — has had to COVER UP in her new movie.

In comedy Crossroads, which she helped finance, she dances in her bedroom wearing only her undies — but that scene has been trimmed.

Another has been reshot so that she wears a shirt instead of just her frillies.

At least she can still hang out at the mall ...