Which cities have good shopping/enjoyable: Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham?

2

As I've said in a previous thread I'm visiting England in August with my family.

We'll be staying in other cities as suggested in previous threads but we want to visit a couple of the above cities for a few days for shopping, so which of these 4 have the best shopping centers, outlets, large downtown, etc.?

Reply 1

EarthQuaker

Manchester :biggrin:

!

we have : Manchester city centre / the arndale
The Lowry outlet mall
The Trafford Centre
Cheshire Oaks

Reply 2

hermaphrodite

15

bham then manchester

bullring>trafford imo and i've been to both

leeds ok never been to lvpool so cudnt comment

Reply 3

Joffy

6

In my opinion the shopping in B'ham is better than Manchester. The bullring has everything you could ever need and I'm quite sure that all the development area is bigger

Reply 4

SFC_FOREVER!

1

Southampton.

Reply 5

gooseymcgoose

11

Manchester is the best place for shopping of those places. Leeds is small but has a nice atmosphere and EXCELLENT shops. Birmingham is kind of nasty and patchy. Liverpool is off the radar.

Reply 6

Jon1412

Birmingham is good, not nasty and patchy at all, and Im not saying that because Im from the West Midlands. The bullring is an excellent shopping center.

Reply 7

bisous

I've been shopping in all of them and the actual shops are all much of a muchness, so it comes down to what you like best. Birmingham and Manchester are the biggest, I like Manchester the most out of the 4. The Birmingham Bullring is really good but venture outside of it and the shops steadily get worse and worse the further you go. Unless you go to the Mailbox.

Reply 8

stranger101

1

Birmingham is good, especially the Bullring. Manchester would be second!

Reply 9

OnlyMe!

16

Manchester, definitely! :biggrin:

I love that place!

Reply 10

AfroChino

Well, I've been to Leeds and Manchester ...and I'd say I prefer Leeds only because it's more compact and everything is together.

Reply 11

midnight

1

I go to both Birmingham and Manchester shopping a lot and I prefer Birmingham for actually buying clothes as everything is more accessible and closer together so it's just easier. Manchester is more fun though as there's lots to explore and you can actually see the city whilst you shop whereas Birmingham shopping is just the bullring really.

Reply 12

Lolly-88

13

Out of Manchester and Birmingham...Manchester wins hands down imo Birmingham is quite rough. :s-smilie:

Reply 13

À la mode

1

Birmingham (Bullring and Mailbox areas) are fantastic, has everything you need plus there is Selfridges (which is a must!). Manchester is good but it doesn't have the wow factor IMO- The trafford centre has no individuality whereas Bullring in Birmingham does.

Leeds is really good as well, it has everything you could want but it has a lovely atmosphere which the bigger chain stores, (Harvey Nichols is brilliant!) plus little unique ones too in the Victorian part. (I can't think of the name but it's stunning).

So I would plump for Birmingham or Leeds because they offer everything that you could want, but has atmosphere/uniqueness too.

Hope you have fun! :smile:

Reply 14

hermaphrodite

15

*Ellen*

Birmingham (Bullring and Mailbox areas) are fantastic, has everything you need plus there is Selfridges (which is a must!). Manchester is good but it doesn't have the wow factor IMO- The trafford centre has no individuality whereas Bullring in Birmingham does.

Leeds is really good as well, it has everything you could want but it has a lovely atmosphere which the bigger chain stores, (Harvey Nichols is brilliant!) plus little unique ones too in the Victorian part. (I can't think of the name but it's stunning).

So I would plump for Birmingham or Leeds because they offer everything that you could want, but has atmosphere/uniqueness too.

Hope you have fun! :smile:

ur meant to be hiding the rah image . . .no mention of harvey niks or selfridges ... :wink:

Reply 15

Sarky

18

SFC_FOREVER!

Southampton.

Southampton is **** compared to the above cities. West Quay? Bargate? They're ok for a small city like Southampton but Birmingham and Manchester are on another level. I've never been shopping in Liverpool or Leeds but i would put money on the fact that they're both better too.

Reply 16

SFC_FOREVER!

1

Sarky, she/he also said "enjoyable". I have been shopping in every one of them cities, and you can't beat Southampton for enjoyment.

Also, for the size of the city, you can't beat its shops.

Each to their own I guess.

Reply 17

AT82

Manchester, the new Arndale is better than the Bull Ring and when you step outside we have lots of classy night life which Birmingham lacks.

There is a reason why Manchester is now the second most visited city in the UK.

Reply 18

Jim-ie

14

Manchester for the reasons above. Arndale can get you out of breath walking around it more than once, or maybe I just need to start working out again.

Reply 19

spiked_elf

1

*Ellen*

Birmingham (Bullring and Mailbox areas) are fantastic, has everything you need plus there is Selfridges (which is a must!). Manchester is good but it doesn't have the wow factor IMO- The trafford centre has no individuality whereas Bullring in Birmingham does.

You're just comparing the trafford centre to birmingham really there aren't you?

Manchester is far superior. For a start there's the city centre which is stunning, has the Arndale (like the bullring) and lots of cute boutiques and you have to go and see affleck's palace and everything in the northern quarter! There's a Selfridges in the city centre as well as the Trafford Centre too.

Also there's Cheshire Oaks which you mentioned wanting a discount place.

All in all Manchester is great and has a lot of character and charm which I think Birmingham lacks.

Which cities have good shopping/enjoyable: Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham?

Related discussions

Articles for you

How The Student Room is moderated