Manchester is famous for being a shopping city but our high streets once looked very different with many much-loved shops now lost forever.
The MEN has looked back at some of the stores which once proudly stood in our city, with many Manchester shoppers missing them dearly. If only we could step through their iconic doors one more time and browse the shelves and aisles piled high with their offerings.
From iconic department stores that were around for decades, to smaller stores that offered specific items, this list includes six of the shops that people miss the most. Some sold one type of product, such as clothing or records but others were treasure troves where shoppers could lose hours perusing what was on offer.
READ MORE: Manchester's oldest restaurants that locals and celebrities have dined at for decades
We asked MEN readers in our Greater Manchester history, memories and people Facebook page to let us know which shops they would love to browse one more time, with some sharing their memories of the store they miss the most. Be sure to let us know in the comments section below which Manchester shop you miss the most.
Woolworths
Many people will automatically imagine pick ’n’ mix whenever Woolworths is mentioned, with the adored high street chain being famous for having rows of sweets that people filled their paper bags with.
The first Manchester Woolworths opened on Oldham Street in the 1910s before moving to a huge building on the corner of Piccadilly in 1927. The much-loved store was destroyed by a fire in May 1979 where 10 people tragically losing their lives.
The shop reopened following the blaze, but closed for good in 1986. Woolworths collapsed into administration in 2008, when all the remaining stores across the UK closed. Reader Phil said Woolworths was the Manchester store he would like to browse again, adding: “Missed it terribly when it closed after the fire.”
Lewis's
The huge Lewis’s department store proudly stood in Manchester’s city centre for over a century, so it’s no surprise that it’s the shop that’s arguably missed the most. Many MEN readers were quick to mention Lewis’s, recalling their happy memories of shopping there.
The store opened in 1877 in the building which is now home to Primark. Lewis’s offered shoppers everything they could possibly need, and if shopping wasn’t your thing, Lewis’s had other ways of keeping you entertained, including a large ballroom and restaurant on the top floor, a food hall, and its famous Christmas grottos.
Reader Connie said that Lewis’s was the store they missed the most, adding: “I loved the lifts and escalators as a kid. My mum used to have her hair done there as a treat.” Winifred also mentioned Lewis’s, commenting: “We used to go there on a Saturday afternoon when dad was away in the RAF during the War and end our shopping trip with tea in their café, where a man was always tinkling away on a piano.”
Spin Inn
If spending hours perusing records was your kind of thing, it’s more than likely you visited Spin Inn. The record store had rows and rows of vinyls covering all genres and was particularly popular in the 60s and 70s.
Spin Inn was originally based on Cross Street before moving to Pall Mall. It was known for having the latest soul and dance music, with many records being imported from America and countries around Europe. With its extensive record collection, it’s no surprise that the store is one of the most missed in Manchester.
Join our Greater Manchester history, memories and people Facebook group here.
C&A
Another Manchester store that many MEN readers named as the store they miss most is fashion chain C&A. The budget brand opened its first Manchester store in 1928, and later moved to a three-storey building in the Arndale Centre in 1978.
Shoppers could find all of their clothing needs at C&A, from suits to sportswear, dresses to loungewear. Lots of people were devastated when C&A shut for good in the early 2000s, with its closing down sale causing chaos as hundreds descended on the store to bag themselves a final bargain.
Pauldens
Department store Pauldens is steeped in history. Its beginnings trace back to 1860 when it was a small shop on Stretford Road, but Pauldens went on to bigger things in 1879 when the store moved to a huge building on the corner of Stretford Road and Chatham Street.
The store was said to be the first in the UK to be fitted with electric lighting, lifts and escalators. It was also known to have a farm in the basement at Easter time and frequently had a band playing to entertain shoppers as they browsed the store.
Pauldens was taken over by Debenham's in the 1920s but continued to trade under the original name until 1973. The much-loved shop relocated to the city centre after a fire destroyed the old building in 1957. MEN reader Pauline said: “I have memories of early childhood trips to buy Whitsun clothes there.”
Henry’s
Another iconic department store that many MEN readers would love to browse one more time is Henry’s. Founder Henry Cohen, who was from Russia, opened the store in 1923 after turning down an offer to join Marks and Spencer.
Henry’s was located on Market Street and was seen as a cheap alternative to the expensive department stores that were dotted around Manchester at the time. Shoppers could buy everything they could possibly need at the store, which expanded in the 1960s due to its huge success. Henry’s was later acquired by British Home Stores (BHS), but was sadly demolished in the 1970s to make way for the Arndale Centre.
Which Manchester store do you miss the most? Let us know in the comments section below.
Love Greater Manchester's past? Sign up to our new nostalgia newsletter and never miss a thing.
Read next:
Manchester's oldest and most historic pubs that our city wouldn't be the same without
The iconic 'haunted' Manchester pub originally built in another city
Eerie photos of Manchester's abandoned Belle Vue Stadium that's like a zombie apocalypse film
21 fascinating photos of Manchester's Oxford Road through the decades show lost shops and pubs
