Memories of Manchester's C&A - the lost low price…

Memories of Manchester's C&A - the lost low price fashion giant where 'everyone used to go'

C&A - or Coats and 'Ats as it was sometimes known - was the popular fashion giant that had something for everyone.

The colourful budget brand was founded in 1841 by German-Dutch brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer - who used the initials of their first names to name the enterprise - before it became a major presence throughout the UK.

Clemens and August’s ancestors had long been successful traders in northern Holland, leaving the family farm in 1671 to sell their wares as travelling linen merchants. And it was in Mettingen in the 1830s that Clemens and August were apprenticed as little more than boys to learn their trade.

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By the start of the 20th century, the foundations had been laid for C&A to play a major role in making the latest fashions accessible and affordable. By 1922, it had opened its first British store and from there the brand continued to grow, opening sites in the likes of Teesside, Hull, Liverpool - and Manchester.

C&A would become the go-to destination for bargain hunters - many will remember the "Man at C&A" and "Woman at C&A" ranges being particularly popular, and the branches which served Mancunians for decades.

C & A, January Sales, Manchester, 1948 (Manchester Archives and Local History)

The brand traded in Manchester from 1928, moving to a three-storey shop in the Arndale Centre in 1978, having previously operated at a building on Oldham Street. It sold everything from suits and sports wear to ski boots and jackets.

Did you shop at C&A? Let us know in the comments section below.

But, after decades of trading, C&A announced it was closing its doors for good in the early noughties. It was once hard to imagine the high street without it - but like BHS, Littlewoods and Debenhams department stores, changing times ended C&A's dominance.

The C&A store in the Arndale Centre was one of 113 sites in the country to go, resulting in the loss of 4800 jobs, as the brand withdrew from the UK, facing competition from newer brands.

Following the announcement the Manchester store was going, bosses had to hire 30 temporary workers to cope with increased demand.

At the time, floor supervisor Rob Lathom said: ''It has been really busy. We have had queues up to the doors. A lot of our stock is being sold at 50 per cent off so it is attracting lots of interest."

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C&A store, Tib Street, Manchester. September 10, 1957 (Mirrorpix)

Shoppers we spoke to at the store at the time spoke of their fondness for the brand. Shani Davies, then 27, of Prestwich told us: ''I've been shopping at C&A since I was a kid. I love a bargain and I'll be sorry to see it close.''
Meanwhile, Mary Lea, then 77, of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, remembered shopping in the original C&A on Oldham Street. She said: ''We like coming here, especially for my husband, because they are very good with small sizes. It is a shame it has to go.''

Mark Benson was buying ski boots for his two children, Morgan, two, and Kiera, six months, back then. He said: ''We regularly shop here. It has got a lot of good stuff for men. Clockhouse is very good and we will miss it.''

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