At weekends, this four-floor alternative shopping institution crawls with disaffected teens - for a leisurely browse, go midweek. You'll find new designers,...

The recently refurbished weekly Arndale Market, which was once a grim repository of cheap tat, now offers speciality teas, organic breads, hot food and...

There are very few good reasons not to give up smoking, but this shop is one of them. Its smell immediately transports you to Havana, and the place offers...

This long-established creative hub continues to draw the best local talent. Each floor is lined with small shops and studios, and many traders design on...

The perfect antidote to chain shops, Den stocks a mixture of its own made-to-order furniture and individual (and often 're-loved') vintage finds - all made...

'Supplying the creative mind since 1861' states the sign. It doesn't sell opium, but Fred Aldous does offer a huge basement packed with everything the...

Though this is a small chain, Magma retains the feel of an independent bookshop, with obscure and glossy photographic and art books. Some of the...

With its hot-pink chaise longue, wooden floors and gargantuan mirror, No Angel could be a high-end boutique. It's much cooler than that, though - and much...

A flower shop with personal service and knowledgeable staff is something of a rarity in a world where the choice is often limited to wilted garage...

Oi Polloi seems to have the menswear market nailed, as the recent move to a new (and bigger) store on Thomas Street would suggest. It offers a selection of...

If a giant piñata were to explode in Manchester, the results might resemble Oklahoma. Defying categorisation, this airy, wooden-floored shop-cum-café stocks...

This huge Oxfam is not a bargain-hunter's paradise - its City Centre location is reflected in the prices. But it does specialise in collectibles, and has a...

A Manchester institution, Piccadilly is a much loved, old-fashioned independent record shop. As well as a huge choice of classic vinyl, it stocks the newest...

Pop is a student institution, selling original and recreated '60s and '70s styles upstairs, including jeans, cute tops and cotton dresses. The basement is...