The place feels like it has got left behind. I prefer the Trafford Centre or Liverpool ONE.read more

Over priced £1 for pva glue what on earth caused such money…read moregreed not to mention is maze like structure and the so called reusable bags that I'm sure are recycled condoms

Yes the store is VERY nice and very upmarket. The Selfridges store (huge!) in London's Oxford St is…read moreIconic in many ways - it was the FIRST department store in the UK and founded by an American who wasn't able to do his thing in the US - there is a TV series about it. It was the first store where women of the day felt comfortable and safe shopping alone.... Growing up in the UK my parents would take me there at least once a year (almost every time we visited London actually - so maybe 3-4 times a year. Yes there were upmarket things, and recently we were there and sure there are many expensive brands with absurd prices. But there are also more "normal" goods for sale. Not so much in Manchester - all Louis Vuitton and simile booths all around. A good friend who knows London very well explained that the smaller Selfridges don't have the room for affordable goods and it is all for the very affluent. So come prepared to go home broke or enjoy a window shop! Even the restaurant upstairs seemed very toffee nosed to be honest- not fun :( Review #4 2020

This is a large Selfridges store, although I do prefer their Birmingham location and their flagship…read moreLondon Oxford Street location (this location appears to be much more basic and laid back than those two, which are both in stunning buildings which stand out massively). I do think this is a good department store, it is one of the largest and more high-end department stores in the city centre, which is a fading game with Debenhams on Market Street closing and House of Fraser on Deansgate soon to follow. The store looks pretty good and is opposite Marks and Spencer in the Manchester Arndale, sadly Selfridges doesn't have a Food Hall similar to their other branches, at this location, this is a real shame - perhaps that is due to the Basement level of Marks and Spencer (a different business) having a large food section? There are two different San Carlo restaurants in terms of eating or drinking inside, I would have loved to see at least a different brand to add something a little more different, similar to what you see in other department stores such as Harrods etc. They do have some unique experiences here occasionally, Manchester City did bring the Premier League and Carabao Cup trophies here a couple of years ago which was super exciting for me as a big City fan. It can be pretty difficult to navigate at first, but they do have a store plan which is somewhat helpful, the store remains modern and clean. Some of the staff seemed a little snobbish and unhelpful, this was mixed as other staff members seemed great and happy to help. 4*

Ever wanted a frying pan that makes heart-shaped eggs? How…read moreabout a grill that makes toast with religious figures engraved on? Or a polka dot suitcase with a smaller polka dot case inside? In short, Oklahoma's Gift shop is a living and breathing homage to the art of Kitsch ahd Colourful accessories. There's big items like lampshades and clocks hanging from the walls and ceiling, wallpapers and posters behind the main counter and dozens of shelves and tables stacked high with all kinds of weird and wonderful nonsense. One of my favourite items is the old American Popcorn Machine filled with jewellery and the desk overflowing with stationary, plastic moustaches and candy cigarettes.

I have wanted to go to Oklahoma for at least a year now and just never got around to it! Eventually…read moretoday was the day...and I was not disappointed at all! This quirky and cutesy store was everything I dreamed of! I couldn't wait to let my purse loose and I was didn't leave empty handed! This place is great for knick knacks, xmas presents and homely decor for those (like me) that are obsessed with kitchenware, signs and much much more! I was careful and only bought a little Christmas tree decoration (part of a family tradition) I buy my Mum one each year and this winter it will be an addition of a cute glass bottle with a wish and fairy (glitter) floating around inside! Picture to follow...

The Printworks is a cool entertainment complex in Manchester city centre, it is home to a large…read morenumber of restaurants including Hard Rock Cafe, Nando's and Chiquito, there is also a couple of bars/pubs including Wetherspoons, and a VUE cinema with IMAX. It is located in a large, old building which does look good in the city centre, the inside is a little dark but that's part of the quirk behind The Printworks. There's always a large security presence, probably down to the bars/nightlife atmosphere here, with multiple entrances. It is across the way from Manchester Arndale and Victoria Station, so it can get pretty busy! It is a shame to see many businesses close here during the years, they have tried their best to re-occupy the vacant units to the point where it doesn't feel empty. 4*

Dear lord, where do I start... okay, I shall begin by dividing the Printworks into a list of pros…read moreand cons to show just how divided one can be upon a visit here. Pros Wasabi, Wagamama, Nando's, great cinema, Henry J Beans and Hard Rock Café for junk food and cocktails, Papa G's, a little fish and chip shop, a newsagent that's open until stupidly late Cons Hen parties, Waxy O' Connors at the weekends, Opus, hen parties, Opus, Pure, Café Rouge, shaven-headed oiks in shiny shirts, hen parties, Opus, over-zealous security guards, coming out of the cinema sober when everyone around you is drunk, Opus. The Printworks looks impressive, we can't deny it. It's interestingly put together, if a little Trafford Centre-esque fake. It's meant to be a Mecca of entertainment but the fact that so many of its clientele are less than discerning kind of puts a dampener on it for me, so I pretty much duck, dive in, get the stuff out of it that I want and ignore everything else. I adore the cinema here and always feel weird going to any other one so I have to keep coming back. At least with Wagamama you don't actually have to enter the Printworks itself to pull up a bench and slurp some nice noodles. And I've only just realised that Becca's review matches mine exactly - I promise I wrote this before I read it. Great minds!

Always my go-to when in need of essentials. Nice affordable…read moreclothing selection (at select stores) Food is very reasonably priced and good selection.

In keeping with our pattern of behaviour on our tour of England it's M&S cafes for great coffee and…read morecake, WiFi, clean toilets, iced drinking water and air con which was useful today as the weather improved a tad. Another two weeks touring ahead. Hey ho.

Cool shop the products are good quality but it's slightly more expensive then it should be would…read morerecommend asian supermarkets for the japanese snacks it's much cheaper

KENJI is a gift store specialising in Japanese style culture and items, they have beverages and…read moreother items associated with Japan, it is a pretty new store to the mall. I was drawn in by a post which claimed they sold hand sanitisers and due to the current situation regarding Coronavirus (CONVID-19) it seems every pharmacy, drug-store or anywhere which would sell hand gels have been sold out however - They were advertising a product they did not sell - They were overpricing them heavily at £2.50 for a small one, which although isn't as bad as merchants on online giants such as eBay it still is around double the price it would be usually, which Boots and Superdrug still charge nearby if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one. The store also is so narrow, they've crammed so much stuff in a small place meaning it's so hard to walk around the store or find a specific product or even stop to look at something, the store did look good but even if the store is quiet, it isn't really made with the customer experience and ease of getting around the store in mind. Looking good and delivering a good customer-experience should go hand in hand, not one or another. Strangely, they had a drink selection with writing in Japanese I struggled to read allergen information and they didn't seem ready to drink they were lukewarm, being in a hot mall location without refrigerating them which is a bad idea. A Japanese themed gift-shop is a really exciting concept and it's a shame this store is more dire than exciting and fails to live up to its' great potential. 1*

I have to give a major shout out to Paramount Books - a fantastic independent bookstore nestled in…read morethe sometimes overlooked and forgotten Shudehill area of town. Ok so there may be a million KFC ripoff takeaways and a few random shops that have seen better days around it but Paramount stands out as a well looked after 2nd hand book store with loads of character! I was pulled in on a wet and windy Monday by their comic book sale - in fact there's a whole area in the back dedicated to rare comics and graphic novels (fantastic selection) - inside there's a fantastic selection covering everything from music and film to politics, history and philosophy - really good to browse and possible pick up a tome to take home (wow that rhymes...) The best part of this place is the owner who basically is exactly what you'd be looking for if casting this place in a Hollywood movie. With glasses dangling from his neck and a scholarly look as he sorts the shelves - the classical music in the background makes you really feel what a unique place this is in the world of chain stores and amazon. Make sure you check out Paramount soon and enjoy a slip back into yesteryear!

Thank the lord for Paramount Book Exchange…read more One of the few independent bookshops left in Manchester, it's a strictly DIY affair run by a genuine book lover. The sign outside suggests it's only open Fridays and Saturdays but it's usually open Monday to Saturday unless the owner has popped out for something. The lively window displays give a great indicator of what's in store with stacks of new, vintage and secondhand books everywhere. Fans of cult fiction, sci-fi, horror, crime noir, queer fiction, biographies and pop culture will find much to treasure here as the stock leans more towards William Burroughs, Poppy Z Brite and Neil Gaiman than Harry Potter. There's also a small selection of 60s-90s vinyl for crate diggers. All they need is a coffee machine and I'd happily move in!

So a night in the Liverpool Airport Hilton was followed by a Terravision trip which annoyingly went…read moreright past my flat and took me straight into the centre of Manchester. Oh, you can't get it to stop. Only two stops on the Terravision. It gets worse too, the driver seemed content with blasting some kind of compilation of Rock FM's happy hardcore Saturday playlist so loudly that I couldn't even hear my own iPod despite my silencing earphones. So. I was stuck at Shudehill, when I discovered they charge for the loo at that bus station. I needed the loo. It was not pleasant. And my money-saving budget-happy gene kicks in when I see loos you have to pay for. However when on my way to the Arndale to find somewhere to spend a penny, I went past the lovely shiny Co-op food supermarket where I could literally spend pennies. I couldn't resist going in, it looked so nice. This is due to a mixture of enthralling offers and the fact that they're so ethically sound. They do like to tell us about it on the adverts. A LOT. I really needed to get to the Arndale, emergencies and all that, but the fact that I spent a fair bit of time browsing in there proves how good it is. Locally sourced fresh stuff, delicious looking flavoured houmous and kettle chips and specials instructing you how to create a home meal for a pittance. I know a lot of supermarkets are doing this right now but there's just something about the Co-op's hippy demeanour that makes it all the nicer. I'm a Co-op fan, and so should you be. Quit lining the evil Tesco pockets and do your shopping here. Oh and a PS - recently I went to the Piccadilly branch and grabbed a couple of reduced items. My card had expired and I only had loose change, but I was around 18p short. The checkout lady let me off. So not only are they ethical, they're sympathetic too! Now if we could just get rid of those slightly smug adverts they keep bombarding us with, they'd be incapable of doing wrong...

When this Co-Op opened their doors last year, I felt like high fiving every single member of staff…read moreand joining them in a victory dance. Originally, this site was rumoured to become yet another soul-sucking, money crunching, Tesco Express. Luckily, the local community intervened with residents and MPs actively complaining to the landlord and local council. They obviously listened and decided to rent the space to the more ethical Co-op Group who promote fairtrade and organic farming. Open early til late, it's a great addition to the Northern Quarter and a wonderful reminder that sometimes the good guys get to kick the bad guys where it hurts!

Had a really pleasant evening here with friends. For £45 we got a cocktail master class where were…read morelearnt how to make a tom collins and a classic mojito as well as tasting the different spirits they contained. Then we had a 3 course meal in the restaurant. Food was good and there was a good choice of starters, mains and dessert. Service and sides were added to the bill. This is the second cocktail master class I've done in the 2nd floor restaurant and I've enjoyed them both very much

I made a reservation at the Harvey Nichols Brasserie for my own birthday meal, as to go somewhere a…read morelittle more special than usual and was not disappointed. They were offering a deal through Manchester Confidential for 3 courses and a cocktail for £20. Sounds too good to be true. It wasn't! The experience starts well with the side entrance, which has an elevator to whisk you straight up to the Brasserie and by-passing the rest of the store. A warm welcome awaits, and they will hang your coat up if you wish. The best tables in the house are arranged so that the seats are facing the windows with spectacular views over Exchange Square. Obviously, at the price, the menu isn't going to be too extensive, though I did enjoy the options I chose. For a starter I had Chicken and Mushroom soup. This was the perfect addition to warm up a cold January evening. A tasty soup with whole mushrooms and a good amount of chicken. I ordered a side of bread & butter which was sufficient for 2 people. For my main course I had Ox Cheek with straw potatoes. This was the most tender beef I think I've ever had, it was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful. My dessert was a Rice Pudding Dim Sum. This consisted of little pastry parcels with rice pudding inside, topped with some strips of Rhubarb. I really enjoyed it, perhaps more than I expected! Service was attentive, but not pushy. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening there, it made my birthday feel really special. I'd definitely recommend for a special occasion. I would also recommend anyone to book ahead, as I had done. I was surprised that for a Monday evening in mid January, at one point every table was taken. To finish the meal off I ordered coffee and a brandy, which are obvious additions outside of the special offer deal. Despite this, the total bill was less than £63 for 2 people.

Poundland in Manchester Arndale, on the lower level, next to Costa and opposite Deichmann is one of…read morethe few pound-shops remaining in the city centre, following rival chain Poundworld collapsing, it is a pretty good store, it was refurbished since my last review in 2016, so the store does look better. They have a decent selection of items, it's a typical pound-shop, you're not going to find something too exciting, but you can spend a couple of quid and hopefully get something useful. The store was a little like a jumble-store, without much organisation, that is typical in pound-shops but with it being hard to find a staff member too, it made it even harder to find the batteries I came in for. Self-service tills for ease of checkout. I would say some items can be found cheaper elsewhere if on offer occasionally, but all in all, it's a decent store which sells basic and mostly cheap items, but most items operate on limited stock when they're gone, they're gone. 3*

I worked in an office in Spinningfields once. I apologise, regular followers (those of you that…read morethere are...?) as you've probably heard this about eleventy billion times already but one day I made myself the most popular girl in my department. How did I achieve such an accolade? Occasionally a staff member would pop out at lunchtime and bring back goodies for everyone. This usually involved those mini Swiss rolls and caramel shortcakes you get in Sainsbury's. One day I was trundling around Poundworld in the Arndale Centre and came across a 'chewy selection' for, of course, a quid, with Drumstick lollies and Snap n' Crackle chews and Refresher bars. I grabbed a few and brought them back to the office, declaring, 'There's retro sweets for everyone.' They were gone within seconds. You forget how much people like to regress to childhood. The next time I added a bag of mini Wham bars into the mix, again, a mere quid. These made the whole thing even more successful. For this reason and many others, I love Poundworld. One of the nicer side effects of the recession, shops like this have been cropping up all over the place in Manchester and they're a welcome addition. I've never had a single problem with a single household product from there, including multipacks loo roll and kitchen cleaners. I bought an enormous Tupperware from there too, great for transporting my amazing cakes. I am a talented baker and will not be modest about my creations. You can save a lot of money in here. That goes without saying. But its easy location and large size make for a very good shopping experience. And what clinched it for me? Four cans of sugar free fizzy Vimto for a quid. Be still my beating heart. No wonder I'm such a regular here. So should you be.