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*

This store really has improved with its refurb becoming a modern store which also houses a barbers,…read morerestaurant, Costa Coffee and Paperchase. While I so feel much of there fashion is catered to a more older market and the staff could be a little more helpful, I do still feel this is becoming one of the better stores within the Manchester Arndale to warrant an upgraded rating as it is one of my favourite stores within the Next chain. 4*

Remember that scene in Fight Club where Tyler Durden makes a frantic speech about advertising,…read moreconsumerism and branding? Well, whenever I walk past Next's flagship store in central Manchester I imagine him ranting and chuckle out loud. It's not that Next is worse than other global brands, it's that this gigantic shop aims to sell everything idyllic couples and families could need from beds, comforters and lamps to dining tables, chairs, sofas and rugs. The majority of it looks bland and forgettable but the fact it's in neutral colours and restrained patterns means it probably flies out of the store. For those desperate to buy into the whole Next brand / lifestyle, there's also two floors devoted to casual, smart and evening womenswear, menswear and childrenswear. If I was the kind of girl that looked at catalogues and imagined buying a matching dress and kitchenware, I'd probably enjoy shopping here. As it is, I find it a soul-less and ungratifying experience. To paraphrase Tyler: "I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say....let the chips fall where they may."

Debenhams are quite a large chain of department stores in the UK, on the more affordable range…read morecompared to the likes of Harvey Nichols, and Selfridges who are more high-end, and the latter actually have one of the anchor stores in the Traffor Centre it is located in, which as I recall are three department stores being John Lewis, Selfridges and Debenhams. As mentioned, being an anchor store for the intu Trafford Centre, this branch of Debenhams is quite large, with a fragrance hall as well as a selection of both male and female clothing over the two floors. I'd also like to comment, as this is such a large store in such a busy location, I'm surprised it has only received 15 reviews, most of which being in 2009 and the most recent being in 2011, I'm not going to say all the things that have happened since then, including Gary Lineker being forced to present Match Of The Day in his underpants, following Leicester City's Premier League win, previously dubbed impossible. Moving on to my original review, this is quite a nice store, it is quite large and does look quite modern, but as you go into it, it sadly feels less modern, albeit it does have quite a nice, cool staircase towards the end of the store. Sadly, most of the clothes here just seemed poor quality, and honestly look dreadful, which proves it isn't the most fashionable place to buy clothes, unless you like to buy things which look like curtains and towels. The staff here didn't seem too friendly, they just seemed average. Overall, this store is okay, it is nothing more than that but I sadly feel it hasn't done enough to earn three stars, with one of the only positives being the size and location of the store.

I don't mind Debenhams to be honest. It's a good department store. Whenever I come here it's always…read morethe men's wear department that I visit. You'll be heading down some escalators when you come in to find it. There's loads of famous fashion names on offer, like Levi, Rip Curl and many others. It's always worth a visit as well as you sometimes find things cheaper here than in the labels' own shops. One thing I would say is that it's really difficult to find the escalator to get back up out of the basement floor! I ended up wondering around for five minutes trying to find the bloody thing!

House of Fraser is one of Manchester's oldest and most iconic department stores, it was founded in…read more1836 and the huge, impressive building on the heart of Deansgate is still going strong to its' day, despite being part of the House of Fraser group since the 1950s, and having its' current name since 2005, I like how they've stayed true to the roots and history of the store, by having its old name "Kendal, Milne and Co", still being clearly visible at the store's entrances, or Kendalls as it was known to locals. At Christmas, the decorations help light up and add to all of Deansgate, bringing a festive feel which even a Scrouge like myself can appreciate (but come on, just not in November - that's too early!) The facilities inside the store are good, for me with the fragrances, and high-end brands, as well as multiple lifts in the lobby, this feels like one of the Big American department stores, which I've only ever seen before in NYC, and London. The store isn't as good as it used to be, with some facilities/businesses located inside here closed, including a whole floor. With The Restaurant at House of Fraser gone, all that remains is a San Carlo Cichetti, which strangely is located directly opposite their main location in the city on King Street West. 4* - Pretty cool department store, it is sad to see the store deteriorating up until the inevitable closure which has been talked about for the past couple of years. This is currently one of the few branches remaining with many HOF stores closing down.

There's a touch of 1970s sitcom Are You Being Served? about House of Fraser. It's not just the fact…read moreit's the oldest and grandest department store in the city, it's the slow elevators, the confusing floor layouts and the fact you have to buy your clothes from the area you picked them up rather than any till. Trust me, I've tried and failed on different occasions! The thing that really makes me feel I'm wandering around Grace Brothers department store however, is the staff. They're not quite as camp or witty as Captain Peacock, Mrs Slocombe or Mr Humphries but there's definitely an element of disdain and snootiness when you approach them. This might infuriate some people but it always tickles me and makes me wonder if it's part of the staff training! There's beauty products on the ground floor, furniture and electronics on the top floors and lots of men, womens and childrenswear inbetween. Some of it I wouldn't be seen dead in but I usually see at least half a dozen things I like from one of their emerging or established designers. The only problem is, is there anyone to serve me?!

This place is amazing, you literally have anything you could possibly want for your home in one…read moreplace - and better yet it's really well priced. I've been to Dunelm countless times for all kinds of things from kitchenware (saucepans/frying pans) to bedroom decorations (wallpaper, rugs) and it is pretty much my one stop shop. My visits recently are mainly for coffee related products (new cups, ceramic jugs etc) as I am desperately trying to become a coffee whizz in my spare time, and each time I leave happy and excited to return home and try out my new creamer - yes I am that sad. Price is probably my favourite thing about Dunelm as even though the stuff is high quality, it never seems to break the bank - a useful aspect when you break pots and glasses on a seemingly daily basis like I do. Through clumsiness not anger I might add :)

This store is huge! It reminds me of a similar store in the states, however, the one in the states…read moredoesn't have a cafe inside. Yes, this Dunelm Mill has a cafe inside and it looks quite nice! Instead of aisles, the store is set up with the main aisle leading around the whole store... almost like IKEA, but not quite a maze like IKEA. They have loads of bedding, bath, kitchen, and decor items. I was quite impressed with the kitchen area, which I may have spent a lot of time in taking a look at all of the great gadgets and utensils I might need... or just plain want. This store has been great for our needs as far as setting up my boyfriend's new apartment. We even got some great, fluffy and cozy bath robes. Some items are quite inexpensive, but I couldn't find a "clearance" area (yes, I like to scout out the deals). There is a furniture area at the back of the store near the cafe, but it did look quite bare and it didn't look like there was a huge selection of furniture. It looked like the furniture selection was limited to tables and dressers. Overall it provides a lot of selection for great value and saves you from having to go to a number of different stores to decorate and furnish your home.

I cannot believe how poor the service has been from this store! ordered a bed/desk combination for…read moremy son beginning of July and still waiting for delivery as of today Aug 12th, have the shelves but no actual bed unit... Wait on the phone several times to have promise after promise made but to no avail. Really what can you do? The online chat is not working due to the pandemic, 60minutes waiting time for any kind of response n the phone if you actually manage to get through, so here's a thought... do not take orders if you cannot fulfil them. My son is in a half completed bedroom because of poor service, no delivery, empty promises. If it ever does arrive lets hope the unit is not like the service. I learnt one thing from this, buy local and avoid Ikea.

Me and my friends was lost in IKEA™ and we stayed the night in one of their showrooms, to help…read moreavoiding this conundrum again I have a few suggestions 1. Add a shit ton more arrows there were barely any when I was lost I couldn't find any. 2. Make so many more "short cuts", basically destroy all of the walls apart from the showrooms. 3. Improve your maps, their deffective it's just a line.

IKEA, the huge Scandinavian chain selling ready-to-assemble furniture and housewares, in a…read morewarehouse-like space over a few levels with different sections. Thy sell items for living space, bedrooms, kitchens and almost everything else you would want for your home. It has everything you need for all your home furnishings. There are one or two IKEAS in each big city around the UK and the World. It is very reasonably priced and they are usually very up to date with everything they sell. They also have a cafe in each store which has very reasonably priced breakfast and scandinavian style foods. They also have the IKEA family card where you can get discount on Breakfasts,Complimentary Tea and Coffee and great benefits for this great company. The Ashton IKEA is very easy to get to with great motorway links and a direct tram from the city centre of Manchester.

Normally IKEA would be 5/5 as I love the showroom aspect to seeing what you're going to buy in a…read morereal world situation. Unfortunately I bought the IKEA poang chair and footstool only to find that upon unwrapping there was an incredibly pungent fishy smell!! Half a can of febreeze and two days later its still here!! Not happy. Apart from that I had a nice couple of hours there and picked up some bargains as well as having the Swedish meatballs in the cafe. Top tip: try the apple cider in the restaurant, it's beautiful! Or pick it up in the shop at the end if you're driving you won't regret it.

I told my husband that I loved Fred's and he said Fred's what? Fred's clothes of course darling. He…read morehad every right to be jealous because I have developed an unhealthy obsession for this place. The brother of Six clothes shop in Urmston, Fred's is a plethora of funky, pretty and stylish ensembles and as only approximately three of each garment is stocked, you don't run the risk of seeing clones of yourself about town....is there anything more irritating?! A fresh green exterior leads you into a boudoir of flocked wallpaper and huge ornate mirrors. The store itself is small and can get really crowded especially on weekends, yet the changing room is spacious with two cubicles ( I just whip my clothes off in the area outside them, it beats a long wait). From floral boho maxis to vintage looking 60's lace minis. From cute summer dresses ( I bought a yellow/purple floral creation last year and was never out of it), to sexy sequinned numbers, Fred's has something for everyone. Prices are superb too! Most dresses range from only £18 to £30 with a couple of exceptions. The staff are terrific, Fred is so helpful and amazing at sourcing original clothes, teenage Saturday girls cannot do enough for you. Yes dear husband, another man has entered my life and stolen my heart.

I was immediately drawn to Fred's by their quirky window display. It's a relatively small shop but…read moreeverything is well spaced and displayed to advantage. The clothes are extremely reasonable. The last time I called in they had a rail of chunky knit jumpers going for £20 each. Styles lean more towards the younger market a pretty mini dress with a bunny print and lace collar caught my eye. Other items included cute tops with character prints and stripes and polka dots seemed to be popular. If you buy from Fred's it's unlikely you're going to bump into anyone else wearing the same thing. This is not your average high street stuff. Knowledgeable staff make this a relaxed and enjoyable shopping experience.