Sadly, I've never got the hype about Aldi, they might be associated with "bargains" and "low…read moreprices" however I don't really agree, I always find that in ALDI you are paying less for a decreased level of quality, service and in-store experience and this branch here in the Manchester Arndale sums up my scepticism completely. This branch is in quite an unusual condition, it is located on the upper floor of the Manchester Arndale, with enterences from street level from Market Street and from Shopping centre level, where the actual only floor of the store is. The store just didn't feel nice, and it felt like a Pound shop in certain areas, it just felt cheap with the poor level of shelving etc, it just wasn't very nice at all. ALDI and LIDL are very similar in this approach across most of their branches, which are two very similar "discount" brands however another problem with the brand that this branch is a prime example of is the queuing, the queuing system was really badly handled, there are no self service tills, customer service desks or anything like that here, there is just a very low number of tills which don't cope well with queues, I eventually decided to leave and buy my products from somewhere else because of this. I did notice the store manager too who basically stared at me at a comment I made about the poor quality feel of the store and the cheap shelving and layout, he basically rudely stared at me before walking off, he didn't even acknowledge me or try to speak about the problem. Sadly this ALDI branch at the Manchester Arndale is a prime example of all things wrong with the brand especially with the poor, cheap layout and the awful queuing which isn't handled very well at all, so sadly deserves a single one star. which is a shame to start off on a negative foot as this is my first review for an ALDI store.

I'm not prone to depression but spending five minutes in this Aldi definitely made me feel like I…read morewas sliding down a long and bleak hillside. For starters, this store is about ten times bigger than any Aldi I've seen before and looks and feels like a gigantic Iceland. There's no attempt at seducing customers or displaying goods in an attractive manner - everything is just stacked up as easily as possible with horrible signage. The lights look like interrogation strip-lights and there's no music or ambience. In short, the whole focus is on the products and what a mixed bunch they are! One minute you're walking past an aisle of cheap biscuits, crackers and crisps, the next cheap cheap DVD players, walkmans and sat navigation systems. At the back of the store there's an even cheaper fresh and frozen section with perfect looking fruit and veg, meat, fish, cheese, butter, pizzas, puddings and ready meals. Strangely, Aldi seem to sell odd bits and bobs of clothing too from cheap fishing gloves and hats to wool scarves. I'm sure you could pick up some good things if you looked hard enough but frankly, I can't imagine having the time or the inclination to return.

When Chris M and I ducked in here on the way back to his in need of some milk, who'd have thought…read morewe'd be grabbing amazing bargains by the armful. Our first introduction to Lakeland Groceries involved giant bags of Barbecue Doritos for less than a quid, and huge quantities of eggs at criminally low prices (free range before you start finger-wagging!). Wow, where had this place been all our lives? Situated right near Castlefield Gallery, it seems to be operated by one or two friendly staff, and it's a lovely hotch-potch corner-shop-like offering with a surprising range of products. Anything from a stonkingly generous variety of cheeses to pretty much a whole deli counter, snacks and store cupboard essentials and bits and bobs. You can even buy a bit of booze here if you've had a hard day at the office. So, The Southern Gateway eh. Sarah-Anne M's right, this residential area doesn't have a single recognisable retail outlet less than a ten minute walk away. Well forget hopping all the way to Whitworth Street West's Sainsbury's and Oxford Road's Tesco for your essentials and forgottens, if you're in need of a bit of milk, juice or even some cold cuts and nibbles to lay out for guests, here's your spot!

This little grocery store is genuinely worth a visit. I went in today for primarily yelping…read morepurposes and for the first time I was delighted with a convenience store. Not only do they have a really impressive range of everything you could expect, from chocolate and crisps to newspapers to necessities such as ketchup and tobasco, but they also have a cold meat and cheese counter! It's a little mini version of the Cheese Hamlet in Didsbury, with a great selection of different cheeses and cold meats that are much much cheaper than your usual cheese shop prices. A really nice little surprise find. Check it out!

I've been on a mission to discover more of north Manchester recently. Cheetham Hill is one of the…read morereas which holds a lot of interest for me as a foodie with Cheetham hill road being a great example of multi-cultural Manchester. As well as being another central hub of Manchester's south Asian community it's also adjacent to Manchester's Jewish community. This Superstore sits inbetween the two communities and is buzzing with activity all week long. It's probably one of the biggest stores of its kind in the city. The summertime is a perfect time to visit, for me at least because it's mango season! Honey mangos are shipped in all the way from Pakistan and are priced very reasonably considering they are HEAVENLY! There's also a butchers in house and the store houses a library of herbs and spices. In short there are stores like this littered aross the city in smaller denominations. And in all honesty they probably cater for all the things that are available here. But if you want that remote spice from a youtube recipe or want a faluda flavour ice cream like I do, this is the only place to go.

Wow, no review for the largest branch of Manchester Superstore - says a lot about the current…read moredemographic of Yelp reviewers in Manchester! There are actually two large premises of Manchester Superstore directly opposite each other on either side of Cheetham Hill Road, and if you are into these kind of stores then you will need to check them both out! It may be the case that the one on the left as you travel out of town is more for a quick shop, but it also has a bunch of stuff upstairs - cookware, and kebab shop consumables! Across the road - on the right hand side of the road as you travel out of town - is a building of impressive architecture, which seems to be the wholesale premises, although it is open to the general public, no problem, and this is where I will be shopping from now on. I go for fresh produce, and freshness was above average plus I think Cheetham Hill prices are a bit lower. Just the usual routine for me - stocked up with okra, drumstick, karela, fresh chickpeas, plus fresh herbs which are the bargain of the century at 2 huge bunches for £1. Always good for a bit of ethnic atmosphere. Not quite as much of a feeling of a well-oiled machine as say Worldwide in Rusholme and not as busy at the tills, but the manager is a bit more friendly here on my visit, and opened up another till to get me through quickly. Really love my Desi supermarkets!

Morrisons at Piccadilly Gardens was rebranded as Morrisons Market Kitchen following a renovation…read morelast year, I really like the new store, which is massively improved and it is a welcome addition to Piccadilly Gardens. As you enter the store, there is a modern area with stands selling freshly cooked hot food, cakes, beverages and even smoothies, the choice is unique and unlike any other store of its' kind in the city centre, I would like perhaps a choice of two hot meals compared to a rotating one daily, as some of the choices are questionable, and a small seating area would be awesome, but of course, there are limitations as it is only a small store. In terms of the groceries, the selection is OK, they have a decent selection of most items you'd expect to find with a good stock of the essentials including bread, butter, milk and other cupboard items. The staff in the store seem friendly enough, and they have a large number of checkouts so you never have to wait too long to pay and leave. The longest wait seems to get into the store, they still seem to be managing the number of people allowed in the store at one time, even after the ending of COVID restrictions. I do think a mobile payment app, similar to Marks and Spencer would be useful here, hopefully, it will come in the future as Morrisons are trialling it in a couple of stores in the UK. 4* - A pretty good store which has improved dramatically since the refurb.

I was shopping in morrisons piccadilly store manchester, when I noticed the security guard, was not…read moredisplaying is SIA license. when I asked him why, he said I cannot be bothered. Surely this is not right and should be looked into by morrisons management

Marks and Spencer recently opened their Piccadilly Station location, it is a useful store if you…read moreare looking to pick up some essentials before your train, I do find it a little frustrating that this store seems to be hidden away, tucked in the corner of the upper level of the station, compared to Sainsbury's Local and WHSmith, two similar stores located right on the concourse. This is a small store, so it is pretty much only for essentials, if you are looking for a larger store, you may wish to head to Piccadilly Gardens or Market Street. The store had a good-to-go food and drink section, as well as stocking basic staples like milk/bread/meats. The staff seemed friendly enough and the store had a nice enough feel to it. There is a fridge that is broken so the overall stock in the store was reduced, which considering the stock is already reduced compared to other locations around the store anyway, is a little frustrating. 3*

What's a girl to do when she arrives in Manchester and has the munchies?…read moreHead to M&S of course and stock up on their divine chocolate covered brazil nuts and chocolate covered raisins. I would offer to share them but alas, they've already gone!

This store has a George clothing department. They seem to sell everything. Staff are very friendly…read moreand very helpful they have 10 self checkout tills which is good if you just have a couple of items but it can get very busy as it is on the retail park. There is plenty of parking for cars and there are lots of other shops around.

I have to downgrade this ASDA store based on my recent experience for quite a few reasons. They…read moremay still be located in a shopping centre with quite a few other shops and restaurants such as A Card Factory, Greggs and Subway but this ASDA store does not have a Cafe itself making it a nightmare to do all your things in one place, or find somewhere that avoids cross contamination for Coeliacs like me. I may have said for the Chadderton branch, yes this is okay but the Harpurhey branch does not have it, that is right they do have a nice range of products here but still this isn't a great store. I couldn't even get a bottled water, a member of staff told me they did not have any and for me to go over the road. I am sure a big store like ASDA would have bottled water, the staff could also of been more polite in telling me this or checked for me. It is unlucky to have 1 bad incident with a member of staff but another one in 2 constitutive visits is really disappointing. One thing I do not like about ASDA, Despite being cheaper than Tesco for most things is that they do not have a loyalty scheme like Tesco's Clubcard or The Nectar Card of Sainsburys. This ASDA Does have a large clothes section if you need to look for clothes and get your groceries, you can do both of these in the same place. This ASDA store has a nice range of Gluten Free sausage and even had some on sample, they have The Black Farmer, Heck, Butchers Selection and their own Extra Special range (Avaliable in quite a few interesting flavours!) This ASDA does also have a DVD section and follow the traditional ASDA look for most items such as Milk and Starbucks Frappucinio Beverages at the fridge on the back wall near the DVD and Clothes sections, which strech to the back of the store. This ASDA has a partnership with Cresta Cars, if you use the freephone here you can get a token which gives you 75p off your journey and they do come in a few minutes. Due to the range of some products, I can't give this ASDA one star but I really don't think it deserves more than two. This store has no coffee machine either, a few local ASDA stores do but it seems the store that is desperate for one (no cafe£, doesn't have one.

When I first started university this building was an empty shell. My student life involved long…read morewalks to Asda which seemed especially long on the way back after I decided it was a good idea to buy 12 cans of beer, 3 litres of orange squash, 4 cans of beans etc. Thank God for those Germans and their wonderful supermarkets. Lidl arrived. It seems to have inadvertently brought along its own accordionist who is always outside come rain or shine - she's actually pretty good. I disagree with Alfie about Lidl not being the best place for a weekly shop. I often did my weekly shop here, even if it was sometimes necessary to supplement it with items from Worldwide and Tesco. The best things to buy: fruit and veg (really good deals like 29p for an aubergine, 19p for a cucumber), pesto (half the price of Tesco pesto), gin, cloudy lemonade, German beer, frozen pizzas (often half price), mozzarella, frozen Indian snacks, tortellini, antipasti, ice cream... I challenge you to carry more than £15's worth of Lidl's goods home with you.

Omg Lidl is the best shopping place to ever go to, most of the time it has everything i need and…read morethe workers always are kind and ask politely, "Do u need anything Ma'am or Sir?" Best shopping place ever.. Cheap stuff aswell the quality of the stuff are amazing..

Look...... I'm getting a bit bored of this..."oh its so expensive malarky". People need to get…read moretheir heads around the fact that in society there is always gonna be a disposable income gap. Now I understood that when I was a student for example. I never bothered going into Harvey Nichols or any other shop for that matter where I knew it was too expensive for me. There was no point!!!!! So DONT bother going in if its too expensive and whinging about the price!!!!!!! Harvey Nick's Second Floor Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie is actually great, especially with Head Chef Stuart Thomson's award-winning menu. I feel like a kid in a sweet shop everytime I am there, they stock stuff you just can't buy in most other places. Get some food fro the deli and sit and watch the exchange square world go by....ahhhh bliss!!! Right next door is a massive wine colleciton for you should you decide to sample some while you're there. Apparently it's one of the most extensive wine lists in Manchester. So if you do have a disposable income and don't mind spending a few extra pennies on some pistachios from brazil or something, check it....innit!!!

Can anyone spare a few pounds? I wouldn't usually ask but there's no way I can stretch to buying a…read moreloaf of sourdough, a block of Lancashire cheese, a handful of vine tomatoes and a bottle of champagne from Harvey Nichols otherwise! Located on the second floor of the posh department store, the Foodmarket is packed floor to ceiling with thousands of the company's own products packaged in their iconic silver tins and bottles with slick black and white photos. There's everything you could want from whole hampers to tea, coffee, shortbread, pickles and chutneys. At the back of the store, there's a small deli counter that stocks fresh cheese, parma ham, pasta and other delicacies, a luxury wine and champagne counter, a tiny bakery section with freshly baked bread and a wee grocery section selling organic fruit and veg. If they extended these sections I'd probably visit more but as it is, the Foodmarket is too limited and too damn eXpensive.