Stanley Square is a small shopping centre, serving the town of Sale in Greater Manchester, the…read moreinside area is outdated and the centre is full of empty units, it feels like the only thing which has changed in years, is the name, being renamed Stanley Square at the end of 2020, where it was formerly known simply as, The Sale Shopping Centre before-hand. There is a Tesco store (small location, nearby Sainsbury's Superstore is larger), a couple of pound-shops and discount shops, a Boots and a Post Office, many brands located here are ones you'd pretty much find in any small town. Certainly one to watch for a future, if they can make changes other than the name, it could be one to watch, right now it's a run-down, dead shopping centre full of empty units, which doesn't have a functioning website, to the point if you google the name of the centre without adding further information, it redirects to an Indian takeaway. 2*

Aww, poor Stretford Mall. It's not a place for high street fashion but if you're in need of some…read moreessentials or some tat, you've come to the right place! And you'll be surprised by how little money you spend (partly cos it's mostly bargain shops and partly due to lack of good shops). It has charity shops - the best one here being British Heart Foundation who are happy to take donated stuff and has a high turnover of preloved clothing. My favourite shop here though, is Quality Save. It's a nice spacious one with cheerful staff and constantly updated stock, perfect fit browsing before hitting the new Pure Gym that opened in spring this year. There are the essentials - a Superdrug, Boots, WHSmiths (which house the Post Office), Specsavers, Tescos, Holland and Barrett, Iceland, and Greggs - yes, the newly redecorated cafe-style Greggs! If you live in the area and don't know how to drive, I'd recommend a visit the mall. It's slowly changing - new cheap chains are opening there - a Pep and Co this year, Aldi next Spring, and a slowly updating market hall with lots of room and potential to house some pop ups. It gets three stars for now, four when Aldi opens and five when they push the closing time to 7pm or even 6:30pm. I have hope.

My fellow Yelper Sarah Anne has summed this place up perfectly. I do feel a tad disloyal speaking…read morebadly of Stretford Mall because I have been coming here for years so in order for me to put my Yelping family in the picture, I must describe its glory days to demonstrate its decline. This precinct used to be a bustling shopping mecca for the people of South Manchester. The market was packed full of bargain stalls and every teenage girl would flock there for their next outfit. There was a busy McDonalds, a great cut price sports shop and the Post Office which is now a dying breed, was an important factor for Stretford folk. No Arndale centre is complete without the obligatory Ethel Austin and Au Naturel and although Stretford Mall had its fair share of young mums pushing prams of toddlers eating meat and potato pasties, the general vibe was one of office workers on their lunch breaks, pensioners on their days out and regular people rushing around Tesco to do their weekly shop. Move forward five years and the Credit Crunch has decimated this place. McDonalds jumped ship, Woolworths met its untimely end- R.I.P Pick n' Mix- and the Post Office was obliterated, ending up in the less salubrious W.H.Smiths where queues are endless. Dorothy Perkins has run away with Au Naturel, Sommerfield became Quality Save and the market is a ghost town. Quite sad really and for those without a car, it is a real loss. It is now an underprivileged abandoned town of closed units and empty parking spaces and it is only a matter of time before I can see the whole place shutting and being turned into the biggest Primark in the world. Stretford Mall can change its name but it cannot change its fate and I would not go there unless I absolutely had to.

If you're looking for a bargain in Sale, and who wouldn't be in a town called Sale, then Quality…read moreBargains is a veritable treasure trove of reduced priced goodies. They sell all sorts of toiletries, household items, food, pet food, drink and more and I swear it's impossible to visit without coming out with a bargain or two in your bag. The stock seems to rotate quite regularly and although there are items you'll be able to pick up week in week out, a lot of the things on offer are sold on a when it's gone it's gone basis so if you find something you like, you need to stock up quickly before it disappears from the shelves altogether. The Sale branch is well laid out and, although the queues can be big at times, service is still relatively swift. The staff will even pack your shopping for you which is a nice added bonus. Quality Save is definitely my favourite Aladin's Cove of bargains in Sale.

quality products at quality prices lolread more

Not a lot to say about this Aldi which is different to any other really but if you love Aldi then…read morethen there is definitely no reason not to stop off at this one for your random gadgets for the home whilst doing your weekly shop.

Passion Fruit coffee roasters has been on my radar for a little while, due to the fact that it…read moresupplies coffee to places such as the coffee shop in Altrincham Market, but for some reason, I hadn't realised that they have a shop of their own in Chorlton. We were however lucky enough to stumble past the Barbeque coffee shop (apparently the sign is still up from the previous tenant- a meat shop) on a rainy Saturday afternoon. As you walk in past the fabulous brass roaster placed royally in the window, the wooden counter and tree trunk lampshades give a little twist on the usual third wave coffee shop, that I like. With retro tables and a second level with comfy chairs, I immediately felt relaxed and like this was a place that I would certainly be visiting frequently...if the coffee was good. And by jingo, it was. So good in fact that I had 2 of their flat whites. We also grabbed some home roasted beans to take home, and not only did we leave feeling warm and fuzzy from the coffee, but also from the feeling at supporting such a great local business.

Great addition to Chorlton, infact something which has been sorely missing. There's a bunch of good…read morecafes if you're after a tidy breakfast, but little to no focus on really good coffee. I can think of one or two places but they are a bit of a walk from the 4 banks hub, and yes you're damn straight I'm not counting the Costa. They've retained the shops original signage so look for the big BARBECUE sign if your not familiar with the location on Wilbraham Rd in Chorlton. Passion Fruit Coffee Roasters have been on the scene for a while appearing at lots of festivals and market stalls, but as far as I'm aware this is this first permanent store front. The focus here is on the drinks. They have a few tidbits like slices, cakes and lite bites style food, offering specials of the day. The place is done out in exposed brick, reclaimed wood and corrugated metal and there is a great feel that you've walked into their work space. The large roastery is set right in the window and their plank and construction frame shelving is used for equipment storage as well as selling their selection of beans (ground in store if required) and home brewing accouterments. There's some outdoor seating if the weather is fine and a window bench if it turns a little as Manchester is want to do. There's also a small seating area out the back if you want more privacy. This is likely to become a regular stop whenever I'm in Chorlton during the day, hell, I've already left work early once to stop by on the cycle home to grab a bag of beans before they shut at 5:30pm