Market Street in Manchester

Market Street is a retail street that's packed full of shopping opportunities appealing to those looking for high-end items and those who are more interested in finding a deal. The street stretches from Piccadilly and Mosley Street all the way to St Mary's Gate and Deansgate. The street features several eateries as well, with most of them being cafes and coffee shops.

The whole family can find fun on Market Street, as there are stores for kids and adults alike. Most of the shops offer clothing, but you'll find some other items available as well like housewares. With so much to do, you could easily spend all day along this street, though most visits are typically around 2 or 3 hours. Just keep in mind that it takes much longer to check out everything considering the sheer number of shops along the street.

Market Street in Manchester - one of the highlights of 11 Best Places to Go Shopping in Manchester (Read all about Manchester here)

Market Street Highlights

Market Street is home to some of the best clothing stores in Manchester. You'll find AllSaints and Urban Outfitters here along with fast-fashion boutiques like H&M and Primark. This street is also home to several Spanish stores like Zara and Mango. You can find a Marks & Spencer, Tesco and TK Maxx here as well.

In addition to fashion offerings, you'll find a few speciality stores as well. British Home Stores offers household items, furniture and electronics, while HMV is the best place on the street to find music and film items, including more obscure films and records that are hard to find elsewhere. For your convenience, you'll also find an Aldi here if you're looking to grab a bit of food before you call it a day.

photo by tom_bullock (CC BY 2.0) modified

Market Street history

Market Street began as Market Stead Lane, where it was still predominantly used as a retail haven in Manchester. The path was originally part of the A6 Road, but that is no longer the case. As Market Street increased in popularity and began to see more and more traffic, the road was pedestrianised. The major road for vehicles disappears once Piccadilly and Oldham Street meet. Later, it reemerges in Salford as Chapel Street.

While pedestrianisation happened quite a while ago, there used to be 2 Metrolink tram lines that ran through the area. Eventually, however, the tram lines were removed, making the area officially pedestrian in all cases with the exception of motor vehicles and deliveries to the various shops.

photo by Mikey (CC BY 2.0) modified

Good to know when visiting Market Street

When you visit Market Street, it's important to remember that the shops in the buildings on either side aren't the only places to shop. On the street itself, you'll often find traders offering various goods from kiosks. Additionally, Market Street is popular with entertainers, so expect to find street dancers, buskers and additional acts putting on a show in an effort to get some tips.

Getting to Market Street is notably easy. With the Market Street tram stop in place since the early '90s, getting to the area is easy from virtually everywhere in Manchester. Additionally, several bus routes can take you directly to Market Street. If you're planning on driving yourself, the parking lot at Arndale is likely your best bet. Not only is it relatively affordable, but it's just a 7-minute walk to Market Street.

photo by Alvin Leong (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified

Location: Market St, Manchester M1 1PW, UK

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