Manchester Shopping Tips by Ben-UK Top 5 Page for this destination

Next, Withy Grove

The old street of Withy Grove, where it joins Corporation Street, is now home to the impressive 150,000 sq. ft. Next store (opposite the Printworks) -- this development is part of the Arndale Centre and it's good to see an entrance here (and now on High Street) rather than just the Market Street entrance.

With the development of the Printworks, the Triangle, Urbis museum and sometimes the presence of the big wheel, this area of Manchester has come alive again after years in the doldrums -- most of the development coming after the IRA bomb of 1996.

Directions: At the junction of Withy Grove and Corporation Street -- opposite the Printworks.

Theme: Department Store

Market Street

Traditionally the main shopping street in Manchester, pedestrianised Market Street runs from Piccadilly down to Deansgate.

Dominated by the Arndale Centre on the right hand side, the street has the usual stores such as Debenhams, Littlewoods, BHS, Marks & Spencer and at the Deansgate end there's the new development with stores such as Harvey Nichols.

At the Piccadilly end of Market Street, the old Manchester landmark store Lewis's closed a couple of years ago and is now Primark.

Theme: Department Store

Arndale Centre Arndale Centre Review

Th Arndale Centre in Manchester was built in the 1970's and was covered in yellow tiles that were universally disliked by Mancunians -- however, it was the city's first major shopping mall and provided lots of new shops for the city centre -- when completed in 1979 it was the largest covered shopping centre in Europe.

The dreaded yellow tiles have given way to more of a glass structure in recent years and the whole thing looks much better now. The centre comprises 2 floors of extensive shopping plus a multi-story car park.

My photo shows the entrance on Corporation Street.

Directions: The easiest pedestrian access is from Market Street or Corporation Street --
the car park is accessed from High Street.

Theme: Other

Barton Arcade

Barton Arcade is a Grade 2 listed building dating back to 1871. There aren't that many shops in it and to be honest they seem to change hands quite often, but it's a delightful building and is worth passing through if you are in the vicinity -- it's just off St. Ann's Square and Deansgate.

Directions: If you enter St. Ann's Square from the Market Street end, Barton Arcade is about half-way down on your right -- you can walk through the Arcade to Deansgate.

Theme: Other

St. Ann's Square

St.Ann's church, at the far end of my photo, dates back to the early 18th century -- the church is open Monday to Saturday - 09:30 to 16:45, Sunday - 09:30 to 12:30

The Royal Exchange Theatre is housed in the former Cotton Exchange building and the square itself offers fashionable shopping - don't miss the 2 arcades, St. Ann's Arcade and Barton Arcade.

The statue at the front of my photo is a memorial to those lost in the Boer War.

Location: from Piccadilly walk down market Street - across the junction at Marks & Spencer - St. Amnn's Square is then next on your left.

Theme: Other

The Triangle Triangle Review

Situated in the old Corn Exchange Building which was badly damaged in the 1996 IRA bombing, the Triangle has emerged as fashionable shopping venue, home to the likes of Ted Baker, Henri Lloyd, adidas, Jeffery Rogers.

The area is being developed as the Millenium Quarter with the nearby Urbis museum and the Printworks a very popular venue for shops, restaurants, bars, nightclub.

Location: Exchange Square -- from Piccadilly, go down Market Street and turn right at Marks & Spencer -- Exchange Square is just along there.

Theme: Other

King Street

Fashionable King Street is home to shops like Armani, DKNY, Jaeger -- definitely not the cheapest street to do your shopping ...

King Street runs from Deansgate up to Cross Street.

Theme: Other

Deansgate

The main shops on Deansgate are Kendal Milne & Co (Kendals) - this old-established store is now part of the House of Fraser chain -- and Waterstones the bookshop.

There are some nice restaurants, bars and cafes along Deansgate.

Deansgate runs south from the bottom end of Market Street towards the Castlefield area.

Theme: Department Store