Shopping in Manchester
Manchester is home to a fantastic range of places to shop. Manchester town centre is a shoppers paradise with hundreds, if not thousands, of shops of all types and descriptions. Visitors appreciate the variety of shops all within a relatively compact area, no more than a mile square. With plenty of car parks nearby it is easy to see why this area is so popular with shoppers.
Starting at the northern end of Deansgate near the Manchester Arandale shopping centre (well worth a visit)and you will find shops, cafes, bars and restaurants to suit every taste and budget. King Street is agreat place for fashionable clothing. Walk from the beautiful St.Ann’s Square on to New Cathedral Street and you will pass many great shops selling the latest fashions. Carry on and you can find Marks and Spencers and Selfridges department stores and you can finish your journey in the Triangle shopping centre.
Across the Greater Manchester area there are great shopping experiences. If you have time visit the prosperous town centres in Oldham, Rochdale, Bolton, Bury, Tameside, Trafford, Stockport, Salford and Wigan. Each have their own history, identity and distinctive characters and are are easily accessible by public transport. They all offer a great day out both in terms of shopping and sightseeing opportunities.
Manchester also has a number of shopping malls that are well worth a visit. These include:-
Manchester Arandale
Mancheser Arandale is Britain’s largest in-town shopping centre, attracting over half a million visitors weekly. Manchester Arandale is situated on High Street, a city centre location at the heart of Manchester’s retail and commercial area. The shopping centre offers over 200 shops and cafes which together, offer an exceptional and unforgettable shopping experience.
Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre is a massive shopping mall in the Trafford area of Manchester. The Trafford Shopping Centre has to be one of the first stops on any tourists shopping expedition.
The number of shops there is truly staggering. There are over 200 stores including department stores including Debenhams, John Lewis and Selfriges. There are 60 restaurants and cafes such as Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Cafe Nero and Starbucks. If that is not enough there is also a cinema complex, amusement arcade and bowling alley.
In 2006, The Trafford Centre welcomed over 30 million visitors. In April 2008 the Centre won ‘Tourism Retailer of the Year’. The year before the Centre won the prize for having the overall best toilet at the Loo of the Year Awards!
The centre itself is on two floors and a lot of attention has been given to the appearance and decoration. The other good thing is that the are public transport links to central Manchester and drivers will appreciate that there is free car parking.
Triangle Shopping Centre
Based in central Manchester next to the Millennium gardens in between Victoria train station, the Arndale centre and Exchange Square, The Triangle Shopping centre is a popular venue for the fashion conscious shopper. The Triangle is on three floor and includes cafes, restaurants in addition to shops selling quality fashion.
Lowry Outlet Mall
The Lowry Outlet Mall is a factory outlet providing a wide range of discounted goods. The Mall consists of over 80 stores, cafes, bars and restaurants. It includes a Marks and Spencer Outlet and 7 screen Vue cinema. It is located next to the Lowry art gallery and theatre at Salford Quays. The Imperial War Museum North is nearby. It is great for a day out or when you are looking for bargain priced clothes, kitchen ware, and household goods and ornaments.
