A huge new city centre treasure trove of vintage garments and reworked items has been causing a stir on social media. Bare Necessities, located just opposite the Arndale Centre on High Street, has been attracting TikTokers and influencers from around Greater Manchester for all the right reasons.
For fashion-lovers and the eco-conscious like, the shop is a dream come true. Upon entry you'll find piles upon piles of vintage clothes, cheap prices, new deliveries every day, funky crocheted blankets...sorry, where was I?
Buying second-hand is in - and it's easy to understand why thrift shopping is so appealing. Awareness of the detrimental impact of fast fashion on our environment is growing, and, coupled with the current cost of living crisis, this chain of stores is capitalising on the compelling reasons to ditch traditional retailers in favour of those selling pre-loved garments.
Bare Necessities is a small Manchester-based chain of thrift stores, with the large High Street opening joining a branch in Salford Precinct and one on Oxford Road. But it's their latest addition that has been going viral on TikTok - for its massive site and huge selection, which has been praised by fashion lovers on the app.
Manager Jack Hogan said the shop had 'blown up' since being featured by popular TikTokers, including @francescapaerks, who branded the shop the 'best thrift haul of my life'. Her video now has over 300,000 views.
Shoppers raved about the prices, which are undeniably low. For items with some damage, trousers can start as low as £4 - but even for garments in good condition, you can find skirts from £1.99, dungarees from £8.99, shorts from £8, and coats from around £20.
"It's completely organic, and you can tell that when you watch the videos," he said. "Trade has been really good so far. We're in a great location, as we get the foot traffic from the Arndale, as well as the people coming to the Northern Quarter."
Jack said the store has around 20,000 items for sale at any given moment, and the store gets at least one delivery every day - meaning the stock is constantly being replenished.
The shop is currently a temporary pop-up, which will stay until the end of December. But Jack said he is hoping to find a permanent city centre location, depending on the success of the next few months.
But if the shop's first couple of weeks are anything to go by, the store will have no trouble attracting and keeping customers. One shopper, Akemi, told the Manchester Evening News that she keeps coming back and showing friends the shop - and each time she comes back, she finds something new.
"It's nice to have something like this in Manchester," she said. "It's very affordable as well for vintage items, because they can often be very expensive. I definitely don't need more clothes", she added, "But I keep coming back!"
Akemi and Emily said they were shopping for winter clothes and had found plenty of options for 'autumn layering', at a relatively low price.
And they weren't the only happy shoppers. Sophie Martin told the M.E.N she found out about the store on TikTok, and made plans with her friend to check it out.
"When you go to charity shops, it can be hard to find real gems," she said. "It's always good to see new vintage shops, as I usually have more luck in them.
"In America, they seem to have lots of 'thrift shops' - it's exciting that we're getting them here too." Sophie said she was shopping for winter outfits, and had found a couple of jackets to add to her wardrobe.
And Niamh, 22, said that like Sophie, she found out about the shop over social media. She had previously walked past it as she works around the corner, but it was the TikTok and Instagram videos that made her pay attention and decide to come in.
"I've just seen some Carhartt trousers being sold for £4 - which is ridiculous!", she said. "You can't complain about the prices."
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