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?

Walkden Town Centre (formerly known as The Ellesmere Centre, but many places still use the outdated…read morename, probably down to habits) is the main shopping centre serving Walkden town centre, while it isn't the largest of shopping centres, it does have the largest Tesco Extra store in the UK, this does take up the big bulk of the shopping centre, at least the indoor part anyway. I think the name change was to add the outdoor part of the shopping centre too. There is a lot of car parking, the indoor area is unusual in the sense that instead of escalators, they use travellators, I much prefer these as they are more accessible for all, and look better too. Public transport links to the centre are OK, I do find it annoying that the 36 and 37 buses which are both on the Manchester to Bolton route, which calls here, actually call at different stands at different ends of the shopping centre, I do think having a small bus station would be easier, as it means having to go to one specific bus stop, rather than being able to wait at the same stop for multiple services. Stores located here include Marks and Spencer, Aldi, Poundland, Pets at Home and Boots, there is also a small number of banks and a Post Office. Food retailers located here include Subway, Nando's and Domino's. 3* - Not too bad, it is nice for a small town like Walkden, the lower floor on the inside part of the mall does seem to be pretty empty as many retailers have moved to the outside retail park area or the main road.

The Ellesmere Centre is starting to improve. The whole place has been refurbished and new parts…read morehave been built to attract that lacking custom and shopping vibe in Walkden. Tesco was completely rebuilt and revamped - though it does feel very clinical and a bit like the Hive out of resident evil at night... It's already attracted new custom - Costa Coffee - which is great! They seem to be doing fairly well too. There are always people inside and hopefully this will inspire more custom from other businesses too. The banks have moved and now have very shiny new spaces; HSBC, Lloyds, Halifax, Santander. The market hall is also revamped with a bigger and better area. There's a good selection of stalls from handbags, to a card shop, to a clothes shop, to a fancy dress shop, to a Polish food stall, to a pet items stall AND best of all.... the old school sweet shop! However, it does cost 10p or 20p to go to the toilet but they are well looked after! A list of other shops/facilities around the centre; JD Opticians Electricians Shoe maker St.Anns Hospice Greggs Computer shop Quality Save Nails Hairdressers Carpet shop Boots Phone shop Key Cutters Subway Tanning shop Dominoes Betting Shop Scents/Candles School clothes Aldi - opening this week! With hopefully more to come!

My wife and I visited Salford quays outlet shopping centre yesterday 1st December 2023…read more We haven't been there since last year and we were shocked to find how poor the outlet has become Nearly all of the upstairs shops had gone! It was like a ghost town. It was also very cold (no heating) probably couldn't afford to put any on ! We won't be visiting again as they are still charging for parking which seems stupid when it's in such a decline. Something needs to be done quickley or I can see it closing down.

The Lowry Outlet is just ok its nothing that special apart from a couple of decent stores like the…read moreGAP outlet and a few others, but it's only really kept open by the Vue Cinemas and the very busy Costa Coffee, There is also a couple of chain restaurants which include Harvester, Pizza Express, Cafe Rouge, Lime Bar and the recently opened Nandos. It does have a lot of potential if it had the right stores in there. Its ok for a browse through if youre around the area or in Media City UK though. Its also very easy to get to from the City Centre with a direct tram heading straight towards to Media City UK.

Think Las Vegas bling with a mix of mall and food court galore. Beautiful mall with tall marble…read morecolumns all over and tropical plants. Very good amount of decent restaurants and stores.

do not buy trafford centre gift card!!!!! 12 months expiry,…read more terrible customer service, i misplaced my voucher and couldn't find it for few months, once i found and i tried to use, i was told is expired. emailed them and they just told me is expired and conveniently kept my credit and blocked my email. extremely unhappy with that. my advice do not buy. mrs ahmed

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

Salford Shopping City is the main shopping center for Salford, and its' only major attraction sadly…read moreseems to be a Tesco across the way, which still then leaves a lot to be desired and it is sad to see a shopping mall like this, run into a bit of a dump and I hate to be rude, but it looks like something off Moss-Side, it looks like a shopping centre situated inside a rather rough area, and is more of a frightening place to shop, than enjoyable and is certainly not somewhere I would choose to go, even when forced to go, I'd kick up a fuss. It was opened in 1972 and really has passed its' prime, it is an old building situated in a run up of shops of less branded shops and more lower class shops which don't look or sound too good. They is a small amount of shops, but all of these you'd expect to see in a small town anyway such as Cash Generator, Greggs, Argos, Heron Foods, a few pound shops, a phone shop (EE annd Vodafone) and Wilko, so certainly it seemed to be nothing special, which meant it would be easy to walk in and out in under a minute, especially with what I presume to be a few entrances to other shops. This shopping centre just seemed a sad place, a depressing place and it didn't even seem like a shopping centre, just a few shops piled together with an ALDI, KFC and Tesco outside.

Salford Shopping City is near where I work. Here is a pound bakery, travel agents, pawnshop ,…read moreindependent cafes, opticians, pharmacy and card shops. So there is anything you (apart from the chain food stores). It is in need of a facelift and there are some shops empty. Next door you have a big Tesco's Extra, Aldi and a Lidl across the road. So you can easily do your weekly or monthly shopping here, budgeting as appropriate

Regent Retail Park is a decent no thrills retail park, the retailers here are mainly focused on…read moreessentials, a large Sainsbury's superstore for essentials, and a JD Sports for sportswear, which also includes a gym. Other outlets here include Costa for a coffee, Boots for a chemist/pharmacy, a couple of discount stores, pound shops and a pet store. It is classed as part of Salford, but it is a short walk from the western edge of Manchester city centre, just head straight down Liverpool Road from the Hilton at Beetham Tower. It's fairly easy to follow and find the stores you need here, but for a smaller retail park, this has to be expected. There isn't anything in terms of food options outside the supermarket, but KFC and McDonald's are across the way. It is easy to access as a pedestrian, and for cars, there is a large car park centred around Sainsbury's. 3*

Not exactly a lot I can write about a retail park. It is what it is, a place of convinience with…read morestores you can use for essentials. Although I still avoid one of the stores like the plague, choosing to travel 4 miles to my nearest equivalent, I do use nearly all the other stores several times a week. With Sainsbury's, Boots, Argos, Home Bargains, Sports Direct you pretty much have everything you will ever need in these stores, not to mention the others. So its a good location and a decent selection of stores. My only downside is the layout, featuring two four way roundabouts in quick succession, it can become rather chaotic at times, especially with idiots and the speeds they drive. But all in all its a good place.

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!