Living in a vibrant city, bustling with colourful and exciting shops, cafes, clubs and pubs, you’d expect most Mancunians to be able to reel off a list of their favourite haunts. However, we found that one in five people couldn’t name an independent retailer in the city, whilst 57% don’t think their local shops offer the range of goods they’re looking for. As a result, 30% of people choose to shop in large chain stores because they don’t know any independent alternatives.

To showcase the variety of local independent retailers in the city, this weekend (27 and 28 October) we’ll be setting up stall in Manchester’s Exchange Square and offering local shops the chance to pitch their wares to the public and show Manchester residents just what they have to offer. Come along if you’re in the area to see what’s on your doorstep.

Ahead of this weekend, we asked three Manchester bloggers about their top independents. Read about their favourite places in their reviews below:

We’ve now made Priority Moments available to all of the estimated quarter of a million local independent retailers around the country, at absolutely no cost. This means that they can put their stores on the map, whilst you can find a hidden gem in your local area at the same time.

Journalists can contact the Virgin Media O2 press office on:
press@virginmediao2.co.uk 01753 565656
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