Shopping in Manchester

Manchester's shopping offers something for all tastes and budgets.

Key areas

Befitting a city that oozes urban cool, Manchester offers visitors great shopping experiences with the main shopping area spreading out west from Piccadilly Gardens. Mainstream shops tend to be in the area around Market Street and the Arndale Centre on Corporation Street. For more alternative purchases, head back east towards the Northern Quarter, where most of the hip and fashionable stores can be found including the incredible Afflecks Palace - a labyrinth of independent shops offering four floors of fashion, accessories, homeware, vintage, memorabilia and cafés.

Markets

Manchester boasts the Arndale Market for food-lovers. Church Street Market offers fruit and veg, clothes and music, plus a vintage fashion market once a month. There’s a relatively new food market at Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 11am and 5.30pm, which coincides with the flower market. St Anne’s Square is also the location for themed markets throughout the year – look out for the vintage and fashion market in June, arts and crafts in August and Christmas markets in November and December.

Shopping centres

Manchester's flagship stores are Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, while the Manchester Arndale offers over 240 retailers.

Heading farther west towards Exchange Square and on to Deansgate are the designer shops, one-off boutiques and big department stores. The Exchange Square development even contains a branch of one-stop luxury store Harvey Nichols.

Close by on Oak Street in the city’s Northern Quarter is the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, a series of studios and retail spaces for local craftspeople selling everything from jewellery, ceramics and textiles to furniture and clothing. Formerly the Smithfield Victorian fish market, it is topped with a striking glass roof.

On the outskirts of Manchester but within easy reach of the city centre is the Trafford Centre, offering over 200 stores, 60 restaurants plus cafes and bars. Combine shopping with a trip to the neighbouring Trafford Quays Leisure Village, which has an indoor ski slope, soccer dome and a golf facility.

Opening hours

Shops are open Monday to Saturday 0930-1800, with some open until 2000. Many open Sunday 1200-1800. Late-night opening (usually until 2000) is on Thursday.

Souvenirs

Everything from vintage fashion to football memorabilia and arts and crafts is available in Manchester.