Manchester Fort is a large retail shopping park, just under a mile away from Manchester city…read morecentre. It does seem a little strange having a retail park so close to the city centre, where other areas of Greater Manchester are left behind but the selection of places to shop is fine, while the selection of eateries could be much improved, due to a lack of restaurants that aren't just fast food. There's a good number of coffee shops here, including Costa, Dunkin and Starbucks, the latter two have opened within the past 18 months or so, so are fairly new additions. Places to eat include KFC, Pizza Hut, Nando's and Subway. There is also a McDonald's right next to the Fort with a drive-thru (The Fort claim this to be part of the shopping park on their website) The selection of stores is okay and includes TK Maxx, Superdrug, Sports Direct, Boots, and Argos. There are also a couple of phone shops, nothing too exciting, but a decent number of stores that could save you a trip into the city centre. A couple of stores have closed recently, but with the aftermath of COVID and the fact the city centre (where many of these brands have stores, many of which are larger) is so close, this has to be expected. It is pretty easy to follow the layout, there are a couple of benches around the shopping park and some shelter to help stay dry if there's a light drizzle. Plenty of parking, meaning you shouldn't struggle to get a space somewhere. I do think the pedestrianisation could be improved for other retail parks, given the fact there are three main areas, which may mean crossing a road or going through the car park, if you're at one end of the Fort, you may have to use your car to get to adjacent McDonald's or Currys across the way. 3*

I have visited Manchester Fort regularly over the years, but I have been far more impressed during…read moremy latest visits over the past weeks, which is due to the discovery that the Shopping Park now has a Nike Outlet Store and a H&M. Since when? Fantastic! Although the H&M was smaller to what one would find in Manchester City Centre, it still has a good range of stock and very well organised, full of stylish shoppers. The Nike Outlet is, once again, smaller to what one would find in other Outlet Malls, but the range of stock, sale items, and discounts are very impressive. Personally I am seeking some new trainers for the gym, and found a great selection at bargain prices. The staff in the store are welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. They certainly have that US Customer Service mindset, which I welcome wholeheartedly. I can see myself becoming a regular here, especially when the Summer of Fitness is upon us. The Shopping Park also boasts a TK Maxx, which I am a big fan of, and I have often found that they have a good range of stock, and I have purchased some excellent items here from clothes to home decorations. The store seems to have had a recent refurbishment to extend the first floor space, which opens out the whole store. As well as, fashion and clothing, one can find a variety of stores at this Shopping Park, and not just clothing and outlets. Manchester Fort has: Halfords Store, for all car, cycle, and motorcycle accessories; B&Q, for all home and garden DIY needs; a technologically modernised Argos, full of tablet-ordering-system and a varied system that the normal Argos shopping experience. Other stores include: Clarks, Mamas&Papas, Boots, Superdrug, M&S Food, Card Factory, Game, Maplin, Sports Direct, Specsavers, Thomas Cook, Shoe Zone, Mothercare, Thomson Holidays, Trespass, and Pound World (you can never go wrong when you have a pound shop to hand. Big fan!) For food, one can visit one of Manchester's many Nando's and KFC establishments here. I love Nando's but I haven't yet visited the one here in the Shopping Park. I think I should, don't you?

Shopping here is great! With plenty of main high street shops you're sure to find what you came…read morefor! The centre is always kept nice and clean and there are benches to leave your hubby at while you shop til you drop There's no river island or primark which is a little disappointing but hey! You can't fit every shop in here can you?! Parking is only £1 for upto 24 hours which is fab!! So no need to worry about ridiculous parking prices Definitely would recommend this place to family or friends, I often meet up with them here to have a coffee and catch up!

A great selection of shops all in one precinct. The large Peacocks store located next door to Boots…read moreis a favourite. Much larger than the Oldham one. Good selection of bargin shops including the pound shop and home bargins. Lots of seating to rest you tired feet and shopping bags in the centre. Everything from cafes to clothes to travel agents.

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

Middleton Shopping Centre is an old, run-down mall in the town centre of Middleton (a town in…read moreManchester), it's been becoming worse and worse every year now, to the point actually having to visit here feels like a chore. The set-up and management of the mall is terrible, after a certain time you have to buzz in to get in when only the gym and Health Center are open, and I've been made to wait outside in the cold and the rain ignored, the bell just doesn't seem to be monitored all the time, which meant I was late to a medical appointment... this is a regular occurrence which has been going on since way before COVID. Very few branded stores are left now, there are stores from Wilko, Boots, EE and WHSmith (which includes a Post Office) and a Costa Coffee, many of which are brands which seem to be in 99% of towns anyway. The interior is boring and dated, it feels like it hasn't been improved in years, the whole vibe is depressing of a mall which was once OK which has fallen and continues to do so. It isn't even worth visiting as a Middleton resident, let alone from further afront. A real shame. 1*

Good choice of shops, coffee shops /restaurants and you can get your basic food shopping done in…read morethere too. Good parking facilities and it is next to the bus station. Tesco is at walking distance in case you need more food. The market is just outside the centre, I was slightly disappointed with the amount of stalls but maybe some had already packed up. Will go earlier next time.

Elk Mill Centre Retail Park is located in Royton, Oldham and is easily accessible on a slip road…read morethrough the M60 . This isn't the place you would go to shop, it does have a few shops like Currys PC World and ASDA Living but for big names, they isn't loads, This is in a nice location however and does have some good places to eat, even though most of them are fast food, places include Mcdonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC as well as Frankie and Bennies and Nando's. The retail park also does have a garage inside of it, but I would recommended just getting your petrol from Tesco, due to their Petrol Price promise for clubcard holders where they knock off 20p at most a litre depending on how much you have spent in store. The retail park, unlike Manchester Fort for example does not have a website stating their current stores, news and whats going on, vacancies etc, what for a professional retail park with so many places, should be a must. This retail park does have shops, a few large ones like a Currys PC World and an Argos but to be honest it is somewhere you would come to eat, rather than shop so I can only give 2 stars.

Having grown up just around the corner from ELK MILL retail park I have seen it grow and change and…read morebecome a Oldham town staple and necessity. It's perfect for those looking to make a quick errand or go on a mini shopping spree with a mix of stores ranging from next to Asda George, Boots to Maplin, DW Sports Gym to Smyths toy store and many more! They also have your standard chain restaurants and fast food vendors. There really is EVERYTHING you could ever want and need somewhere in this retail park. I haven't been for a few months and found today that they have re-done the car park making it easier to get around and actually find a spot - it's a huge improvement! I won't lie, it can get busy especially around Christmas/Boxing Day and of course whenever there's a next sale on but I don't think I've ever been unable to get a car parking spot! Honestly I don't know what I'd do without this place and I actually have some very happy childhood memories from here... Yes I was really cool when I was a kid and hung around on a retail park - who didn't ;)

On way to Ikea few years ago discovered this rather large hidden gem... An old school gardening…read morecentre that's a one stop shop for quite a few things. Well worth a gander!

Unlike Angela, I have bought many a times from here and am surprised that I'm only the second…read moreperson to review, Picture this: you're on a night out, you've spent ages getting ready and you walk into the bar only to find some horror of a girl was thinking the same dress. Ruined. That's what you can guarantee will not happen with a purchase on the Saturday fashion market. Independent designers rework old pieces, create new pieces and voila, you get a truly unique handcrafted work of a one-off. Lying off Market Street inbetween Debenhams and Starbucks, stalls line up the trail to Tib Street where creativity appropriately merges with The Northern Quarter. There's a range of fashion items, purses, jewellery and other funky accessories you can feast your eyes on. I've bought a few gifts as well as a few dresses for the special occasion. Prices are very reasonable for what you're getting, a truly unique piece in support of the local talent. The people on the stalls are especially friendly too. I've bought two dresses which haven't fitted so perfectly but an altering service was offered to me! You have to wait a week though but on these occasions it was worth it as I'd fallen in love with the dress. So I encourage you to give it a go, abandon Topshop and Urban Outfitters and even the various NQ boutiques in support of the local designers.

Manchester Fashion Market is a Saturday staple in the town centre that is worth a visit. Stalls…read morehere are held by up and coming designers and artisan crafters selling everything from clothes, lingerie, gifts, cards, candles. bags, purses, hats and jewellery. I like the fact that you can pick something original up here from an independent designer at a good price, without the middle man, although I have to be honest, as much as I like looking around and I can appreciate the work that has gone into some of the items on offer here, I've never found anything that I'd want to buy myself!

Dear,oh dear,oh dear...it looks like Oldham has come down with a severe case of empty shopitis, a…read morecondition that is taking hold of most town centres these days. Even though it is only about 5 miles down the road from me,i very rarely go into Oldham any more,and on the back of todays experience it will be even longer before I go back again. All that is missing from Spindles and next doors old shopping centre us tumbleweed. I was shocked at just how many of the shops had closed down since my last visit,and with rents and rates being what they are these days it is unlikely they will be filled anytime soon. It seem as though Oldham is suffering from the same things as my home town of Rochdale.How Waterstones is managing to stay open i'll never know, and seeing as HMV has closed down, looking at books was all that was left for me to do. Depressing,very depressing....Shame...

This is the first time I've ever been to Oldham. and I went to the shopping centre it was ok lots…read moreof chain shops. It has a carpark attached to the shopping centre which was free on a Sunday for four hours.

Magma Magma books is possibly one of the coolest shops I…read morehave been into in a long time! Why you may ask? Because it sells MOOMINS merchandise and books!! They sell all sorts of cool things here like books, magazines, swirly notebooks, cuddly toys (moomin ones!), eco friendly stuff which comes in the shape of recycled objects made into something else uselful, the mother board coasters are pretty snazzy! Like the other shops on Oldham street, its only small but the layout is perfectly set out to seem like there is so much space! I love it!

Situated on Oldham Street, but a hop and skip from the Night and Day Café lies this fantastic…read morebookshop. I've been visiting this place for ages, even if it's just to browse through the store and short list future gifts. I've recently acquired some American Film Making/Studies from there (the Steven D. Katz shot by shot/cinematic motion - books that are usually pretty hard to get hold of unless you're on the net. This is one of those places where the staff know what they're talking about and can help either find what you're looking for or influence you enough to take a punt on their own expertly led recommendations in the vast array of different books and magazines in this store (increasingly rare in the accountant led 'United Chaindom'). It's a shame many more shops were as enthusiastic and passionate as the folks behind magma...I know they can't all be this way but it's currently unfairly balanced. One large chain book store dominates now (and with unfortunately less choice, more celebrity led airport reading fodder) and with supermarkets getting in the act of the book market (albeit with a truly disturbing 'array' of 'books') we should be thankful that places like this are still open in our cities. A large section of this shop sells magazines which are more like the aforementioned coffee table books the higher echelon of mags if you will. Film, Architecture, Typography, Illustration, Photography, Graphics, Fashion, Art, Design, Cities all these creative acts and scenarios collude together in the books and magazine range. They sell a top mag called 'Specialten' which is a 'bi-monthly collection of short films, music videos and exclusive interviews' which comes with a DVD for the media. Just reminded myself to pick up the next edition as I type this... This shop (alongside one or two in London village possibly the other two Magma's as it happens) was the only such store to stock Daniel Johnstone's graphics/drawings books (and as such is referred to in the fantastic Daniel Johnstone documentary). Reanimate your creative synapses and spare at least half an hour to imbibe the glorious fractions of the arts world we don't see as much as we should. It's always a pleasure to walk into a store like this, find what you're looking for (or see something jump out at you which grabs your interest by the book ends) and after downpiping your debit/credit details into the 21st Century piggy bank walk from the shop, freshly acquired book in hand. Rifling through the pages of a new 'Ilva Table book' in a nearby boozer/café is one of life's great, small pleasures.

The new All Saints store in Manchester Arndale is located on the top floor balcony in-between Five…read moreGuys and the Apple Store, the store does look good from the outside looking at it straight on, but it also looks really weird, considering it is located in the newer part of the mall where all the stores are big and glass such as the stores previously mentioned, to have big black windows if you will in-between the glass, makes this store look a little odd and like it doesn't fit in, maverick if you will - and not in a good way! This store not only differs in terms of how it looks compared to nearby stores but this is the only store in the Manchester Arndale to have no access to people with mobility equipment including scooters and wheelchairs or prams, they have a huge disco-style light which isn't in use in the way, everywhere else they have stands of headless models broadcasting their so-called fashion, which I still can't work out if they're for men and women leaving no room for one to get past unless in single file - for me this is unacceptable for a store and it isn't accommodating or welcoming. The staff member just let customers walk past him without offering assistance, he seemed to be doing everything he could to avoid making any contact with the customer - very rude. Rude staff and standing out for all the wrong reasons make the new All Saints store a huge downgrade on their old store, formerly located on Market Street which is being converted into a Metro Bank in the near future. 1*

From the owner: Founded in East London in 1994, AllSaints breaks through the noise to offer something different…read more Cult leather jackets and signature biker boots - it's what they do. Prints you weren't expecting, and accessories you'll keep coming back for. It's about innovation, about turning your back on the trends and making your own rules, a uniform without uniformity. AllSaints is an attitude, wear it your way.