Manchester is a shopaholics dream! There is a huge variety of shops, department stores and markets to explore catering to your every shopping need.

There are two large shopping centers in and around Manchester the Trafford Centre and the Arndale Centre. Both are home to a huge range of high street and department stores as well as cafes and restaurants, there is enough under one roof to keep you busy for hours. Remember when shopping in high street stores they often run discounts and provide voucher codes to use in store to save some money on your purchases.

However, high street shopping may not be what you are interested in and Manchester has a great range of alternative shopping areas and vintage shops that will keep you rummaging on the hunt for that great vintage piece.

Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair @ Sound Control, 1 Wakefield Street, Manchester, M1 5NP

Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair is now coming to Manchester for the first time this year. The Vintage Fair started in London in 2005 and has gone on to be a nationwide tour providing fans of all things vintage with a wide range of affordable fashion and accessories. The fair features stalls that have been hand picked by fashion experts who sell not just vintage clothing but reworked or hand made items. The tour arrives in Manchester on 23rd October

The Northern Quarter

The Northern Quarter is an area of alternative culture within Manchester due to variety of shops available, bars, restaurants and music stores. There is a Fashion Market held on Tib Street at the Piccadilly end on a Saturday selling a variety of clothes, bags, accessories and home items. Within the Northern Quarter you will also find…

Pop Boutique @ 34-36 Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JN

Pop Boutique is a store that sells vintage clothing as well as there own label, the first shop appeared in Manchester and has now spread to five other locations in the U.K. The store has two floors and as well as stocking the clothing they also have furniture and kitch and have now opened a new bustling café on the ground floor.

Ryan Vintage @ 46-50 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE

This is a shop that has some great pieces but you need to be prepared to rummage! This is not a shop that you can pop into and come out with a great buy you need to set aside a bit of time to be able to have a good look through everything they have on offer. Don’t let the musty smell and the fact that some of the clothes are more fancy dress than fashionable put you off its well worth a look.

Afflecks @ 52 Church Street, Manchester, M4 1PW

First opened in the 1980’s this is a Manchester institution, there is much talk of it now not being as good as it used to be, but it is still well worth a visit. Spread over several floors it is an alternative shopping emporium with a market feel selling a plethora of products and stalls.

China Town @ 57 Faulkner Street, Manchester, M1 4FF

Manchester’s China town is the second largest in the U.K and is home to a great selection of small shops, bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants, Chinese medicine shops and casinos. It offers an eclectic shopping area and the chance to see the impressive Ming Dynasty Chinese arch that stands proudly on Faulkner Street that was a gift to Manchester from the people of China. The best time to visit is a Sunday when the area is at its busiest.

Written By Rhian Gillam of Moneysupermarket.com

Image c/o ScraggyDog licensed under Creative Commons.