10 Best Shopping Malls in Manchester

Trafford Center offers a family-friendly wealth of shopping and dining opportunities, including more than 200 shops, over 30 restaurants and tons of public art installations. This mall is among the largest and most opulent in the entire United Kingdom and boasts one of the largest food courts in all of Europe. You can easily spend days exploring the intricate sculptures and art installations throughout the mall, and shopping in popular stores like Selfridges, John Lewis and others.

Here, you'll find everything from clothes to travel gear, gifts and souvenirs to jewelry and accessories, stationery and specialty eats. The mall is located just a few miles west of the Manchester city centre.

Manchester Arndale is among the largest shopping malls in the UK and a premier destination in Manchester with over 200 stores and well over 426,000 square meters of shopping space. This mall attracts tens of millions of people annually and has been a premier shopping spot in the city and indeed, in the UK, for well over 45 years. Here, you can find the latest upscale and luxury fashions as well as bargain brand name clothes. You'll find housewares and technological gadgets, toys and games, beauty products and jewelry, housewares and decorative art and just about everything you can imagine.

The outstanding food court even has its own built-in street food market. It's right in the heart of the city centre.

Mill Gate Shopping Center is an indoor-outdoor shopping mall showcasing a wide selection of big-name brands covering everything from specialty food to high fashion clothing and accessories. Here, you can shop for such brands as TJ Hughes, Boots, Costa, New Look, B&M and even grab a snack from Tim Hortons. This one even has special amenities for kids, like a free Kids Club and Kiddy Cab hires. It hosts regular live entertainment events, special sales and showcases as well as other promotions all year long. If you're driving, the onsite carpark has multiple levels of parking available.

The skylights offer plenty of natural lighting for an open, airy feel. It's 45 minutes north of the city centre.

Afflecks, formerly known as Affleck's Palace, is an indoor market in Manchester's Northern Quarter city centre filled with indie shops, boutiques and arts and crafts vendors. If you're looking to take home an ideal souvenir or gift to commemorate your trip, this is the place to find that special, unique treasure. It's also a solid spot for the latest in high fashion, urban apparel and quirky t-shirts. This is a solid spot to find great deals and value buys and is often seen as a budget-friendly alternate to many of the more high-end boutique shops.

This market attracts a younger, hip crowd looking for value for their money. It's a vibrant spot with great deals and a public market vibe.

Crownpoint Shopping Park in the Denton neighbourhood offers fantastic shopping at an outdoor shopping mall featuring a wide range of big-box and name fashion brands. Here, you can find such well-known shops as BHS, H&M, Dorothy Perkins, Tesco Homeplus, M&S Outlet and JD Sports, among others. Whether you're looking for sporting goods, haute couture fashion, ideal gifts and souvenirs or any other items, you'll likely find them here. It's open 7 days a week and offers 800 spaces in its carpark with free parking for up to 4 hours.

It's also near to many other local attractions to check out between shopping excursions. You can find it just 30 minutes east of the city centre.

White City Retail Park sits at Manchester's docks area and offers everything from grocery stores to housewares, furniture and beyond, as well as onsite restaurants. Many of the shops here are focused on home furnishing and home décor as well as groceries and prepared food, so for many, it's a good place to walk and browse for your dream home. The outdoor shopping mall has 658 free parking spaces and includes disability access. Occasionally, the retail park showcases local events and celebrations for entertainment.

Onsite eateries include mostly fast and takeout food but you'll find plenty of options to slake your hunger and quench your thirst. It's only 15 minutes southwest of the city centre.

West One Retail Park in the Eccles area offers dozens of stores and shops, focused on fashion, accessories, shoes, sporting goods, electronics and other goods and services. Some of the retail brands you can find at this outdoor shopping mall include The Range, Lidl, PureGym, Tanning Shop, Home Bargains, Smyths Toys Superstores, The Food Warehouse, Jollyes Pet Superstore and TJ Maxx, among others. You'll also have plenty of dining opportunities including fast food from places like McDonald's, Subway and the like.

The shopping mall has full amenities including available Wi-Fi access, disability access and onsite parking. It's an easily accessible shopping mall for a few hours out, just 17 minutes to the west of the city centre.

Stamford Quarter in the Altrincham neighbourhood offers the feel of a modern market town with an array of big brands and indie shops with outstanding food, drink and entertainment. This region is almost a town unto itself with many flats and businesses available among the shops and services, with the shopping and commercial district serving as a town center. Just a few of the retailers to be found here include Barclays, Boots, H&M, Gift + Home, Altrincham Runner and Randalls. Food offerings include Domino's Pizza, Costa Coffee, Greggs, Stutter & Twitch, the Little Dessert Shop and Waterstones Café.

Stamford Quarter is much more than a shopping mall; it's a vibrant Manchester neighbourhood. It's 30 minutes south of the city centre.

Trafford Palazzo offers a shopping mall with unique leisure and main street brands as well as eat, drink and everyday adventures you might not expect in a mall. The Palazzo offers such big-name brands and thrilling experiences as Primark, SEA Life, Homesense, Silentnight, Next Home and even a LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Aquarium for the kids. These spots ensure an entire day of fun and play for the entire family. From housewares and home décor to great deals on the latest hot fashion trends, you'll find just about everything here.

The décor is elegant and upscale but the vibe is completely casual. It's all just 23 minutes west of the city centre.

Urban Exchange in the heart of the Piccadilly Basin offers tons of shopping, dining and entertainment options in an ideal, easy to access location. Here, you can find everything from outdoor adventuring supplies to groceries, gym facilities and furniture outlets. It's an outdoor shopping mall that offers a few big-name retailers like Aldi, Go Outdoors, M&S Outlet and PureGym for your convenience and to stock up on supplies you need. The center also hosts occasional promotions and events to enjoy, so check to see what's going on while you're in town.

An onsite carpark is available for those driving themselves, and the facility has disability access. It's a mere 8 minutes northeast of the city centre.