I ADORE this shop! I'm a sucker for designer bags (don't judge me..) but can't always afford to get…read morethem new, designer exchange sells pre loved bags and accessories at a fraction of the original price. Some of the bags are literally as good as new. The older the collection the cheaper the price usually (unless it's Chanel...of course). I'm not bothered about the 'latest season' look, I look for quality, design and craftsmanship so this place is heaven for me. They also buy directly from customers. All bags are checked for authenticity so you can rest assured you're buying a genuine item. The staff couldn't be nicer, and they're not pretentious or overbearing so I often just go in for a browse without any pressure to buy. Golden purchase - a hand embroided, leather Dior bag. As good as new. Originally sold for $1700, bought for £90. Can I get a hallelujaH?!

Now the name of the company is describing the scale of the operation rather than just talking a…read moreload of street bollocks. It is always a good sign of the quality of the goods on sale if a shop is extending and the new 2nd floor edition to this hugely popular store proves it to be amongst the best vintage jewellers and party accessorizers around. With the new store selling all of the silver, heavy metal, glitz, punk, glam and hand made jewellery that made the first one so popular, big things can be expected from this chain store in the making.

You see I liked the first shop's name 'extreme largness' but with this second shop the owners have…read morebeen pretty lazy. How about 'The extreme largest'? Anything but 'Extreme largest 2'- sounds like a sequel. Great jewellery shop with pieces for every occasion/outfit/gift you can of. Staff are sooo friendly and prices are fantastic for such a small independent shop.

This new store has just opened less than 5 mins from me…read more Its huge. They sell a variety of items from toiletries, drinks, snacks, toys, household items, storage boxes, a large selection of pet foods and accessories. There seasonal isle is great they have decorations from 79p. I picked up quite a few and some stocking fillers to. Would recommend dropping in if your passing

Not much you can really say. This store is very cheep and They seem to sell everything. Staff are…read morevery friendly and helpful. And they have a good gardening section as well.

This M&S Outlet store is certainly not the best or most exciting of stores from the Marks and…read moreSpencer brand, it is an Outlet store which mainly gets rid of old, out of fashion clothing which even the bigger stores wouldn't sell anymore, and often might have put on sale with no success in the past, still around sale prices. This is a slightly small branch in the Lowry Outlet in Manchester, they do seem to have made effort to improve it slightly such as with a nicer, slightly more modern and welcoming sign, and I presume this is a new addition for this store especially since it was last reviewed in what is nearly four full years ago. The staff didn't seem to stand out in anyway. I don't normally like Outlet stores and most of the fashion here was nothing great and more out of date rather than modern, which people would want to wear and the prices were just average sale prices and didn't stand out in particular, so I sadly feel this store does deserve a single one star rating.

Peddlers of pricey clothing with a penchant for food porn…read more The rise of supermarket clothing and budget store Primark has seen the once untouchable snobbery and borefest that is the mighty M&S slip sharply from it's perch. The elderly won't be around forever you know! Where's Take That when you need them?

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!

And the prize for the most random shop in the whole of Afflecks Palace goes to…read more...... Seriously, the people who run this place must have used folded up pieces of paper, a hat and blindfold to help them come up with their business strategy as the links between the things sold here I'd describe as tenuous at best. Mooching around Rowfers I've come across jewellery, stripy tights, piercing, oil burners, candles, mirror balls, ornaments, bandannas, makeup, badges, studded belts, hair dye and incense. Luckily I'm thinking of throwing a stripy tight and bandannas party and don't have any electricity in my tree house. There's going to be a guess the smell competition where you get the chance to win a pair of really baggy trousers but the loser will have to wear a badge that says "I'm incensed."

As a regular shopper in Afflecks and particularly Rowfers i can say that the previous review by…read moreJames B accurately describes the products available in Rowfers. Though why he has to sound like such a childish, sarcastic know-it-all is beyond my grasp. I'm old enough to remember Afflecks opening in the 80's and Rowfers has been there most of the time since then. So i'd say their "business strategy" was working just fine for them. As for links between products being tenuous at best? Poppycock! If James B actually took time to look around the shop properly he might recognise two product ranges; 1) Alternative clothes and accessories. 2) Fairtrade crafts and home-wares. Thus the products James described, Jewellery, Stripy tights, piercing, bandannas, make-up, badges, studded belts and hair dye all fit into range (1) and perfectly compliment the large range of alternative clothing they primarily sell which james conveniantly omited from his review and causes the review to be inaccurate. Oil Burners, candles, mirror balls, ornaments and incense sit nicely next to their african wall masks, crystal balls, crystals and windchimes for product range (2). I wonder if James would be equally confused in TK-Max as they also sell both clothes/accessories and home-wares? Although i respect James has the right to review shops and express his opinions i just found his review lacked accuracy and was overladen with un-needed sarcasm. On the plus side i think Rowfers sells some great stuff, often hard to find in the high streets and theyre cheaper than the competition (even their rivals in afflecks such as Sohos and Extreme Largeness). The staff are always friendly and chatty without the hard-sell and the music in the shop is always weird and wonderful. On the down-side i'd say the stock is poorly lit, the location can be hard to find for those who aren't regulars to afflecks and often the sizes are a little on the small size. this might be ok for the hordes of teenagers who regularly flock to afflecks but for those of us with a middle aged spread- we need a bit of give!

Got to be honest, I'm actually getting pretty sick of bleating on about how quirky, quaint and…read morefolksy every shop in the Northern Quarter is. I'm not a fucking pixie. I'm not setting up home with an elf. I'm not planning a vacation in Narnia- I don't need bricka brack, I don't need keepsakes, I don't need fecking chintz- that's why it's called chintz, if it was any use to me it would be called 'the essentials'!! The NQ has sold us a hippy dream that can never be. Being a boho mash head who sits in coffee shops talking about Neil Young, collects dolls and Japanese backpacks and is generally too arty to care about 'the system maaan' is an expensive past time so either these fakers are secretely high flying lawyers or daddy is a patient and giving man because the good ol' NQ is one of the most expensive and business minded monsters in Manchester! Sell me a dream I can achieve Thunder Egg!!

Until I checked out their website, I had no idea that Thunderegg was a shrine to all things…read moreJapanese.. but now it all makes sense. It is a cute little shop in the Northern Quarter selling clothes (Cutie, Gorgeous - brands like that- yes please), vinyl toys, plastic headbands and jewellery. The till area and near the fitting rooms are like if a harajuku girl started up her own branch of Accessorize. They sell Hello Kitty, Paul Frank, Emily Strange and the clothes aren't even that expensive - I tried on a spotty grey/ purple dress for £18. There was a fair amount of the old leopard print and plenty of sequins and sparkle for autumn parties ahead. Also towards the back I found a Herve Leger style bandage dress with an exposed zip. Ok, fair enough all the 'slebs were wearing those six months ago but I think in Normal-Time that's still a good buy.