The best independent shops in Manchester for last-minute gifts

The folks at Barbakan have been nose to the grindstone for over 50 years – they were here long before Chorlton became a hip coffee culture destination.

Chapter One is an independent bookshop and café with a huge selection of fancy drinks, vegan-friendly cakes and a well-curated selection of literature.

The Cheese Hamlet is a family-run independent business that sells all sorts of delicious food and drink, as well as cheese.

Emporium M33 is a treasure trove of small businesses, start-ups and indie makers and producers right in the centre of Sale.

The Epicurean Chorlton is a friendly little beer shop. It may be smaller than its sister site in West Didsbury but the fridges are rammed with colourful cans in every hue from independent craft producers all over the UK and further afield.

Fred Aldous is the shop you need, whatever you’re making. If you’re getting artsy or craftsy, or know someone who is, there’s no more comprehensive store than Fred Aldous with three floors of loveliness, from oil paints and wool to everything you need to make your own lampshade, set of earrings or candle. And looking at the neatly ordered full spectrum of coloured pencils is always a soothing experience.

House of Books and Friends is a bookshop with a difference. As well as knowledgeable, friendly staff, a great selection of books and a café with some very nice cake, this place is a bookshop on a mission.

This Manchester-born independent has been selling designer menswear in the city since 1990. It’s seen a lot of trends come and go in that time, and has always been there at the forefront of them. If you’re looking for young, confident clothing from high-end labels, this is your go-to.

McQueen Independent on Chorlton’s buzzing Beech Road is a fantastic clothes shop for cool brands you don’t find on the high street. It’s predominantly geared towards women but there is a menswear section too as well as socks, shoes and some covetable bags.

Mosey down Mosley Street between Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square, and you can’t miss the Greek columns that flank the front of Manchester Art Gallery. It’s one of Manchester’s most visited cultural attractions thanks to its central location and extensive collection of historical and contemporary art.

Moseley Hall Farm is home to 250 cattle, over 2,500 sheep, and in the barn once used for newborn lambs and their ewes, The Lambing Shed Farm and Cafe.

Manchester Museum reopened in February 2023 following a £15m transformation to make it more inclusive and more imaginative in how it tells its stories.

Nordic Muse is the opposite of fast-fashion or Amazon. This beautifully-curated Tib Street store is full of Scandi inspiration and artisan finds, prioritising craftsmanship, simplicity and timeless design.

When it comes to music in Manchester this place is the absolute business. Piccadilly Records is the coolest square footage of retail space in the Northern Quarter (and possibly the world).

Much like the once mighty industrial power of the North, Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has shrunk noticeably over the years. But it’s still well worth a visit.

Tipples of Manchester is a gin specialist store, with 100 bottles and counting – but, as they say themselves, “you can’t have a spirits shop with only gin now can you?”, so the floor-to-ceiling shelves are also creaking under the weight of 700 spirits, liqueurs, bitters, syrups and more.

Any art lover’s trip to Manchester would not be complete without a morning or afternoon spent gazing at the walls (and wallpaper collections) of The Whitworth.