We like to think we have a pretty good shopping scene in Manchester, especially when it comes to vintage, second-hand and antiques. Now, we’ve been well and truly vindicated as according to new research, Manchester has been named one of the best UK cities for vintage shopping.
New research from jog it on (which happens to be Manchester-based, but promises no bias) has identified the UK cities that are hotspots for second hand shopping, according to the number of charity shops per capita, as well as taking into account social media posts about the topic.
Glasgow emerged as the number one of the UK cities for second-hand shoppers and vintage lovers, followed by Manchester and then Edinburgh, in a list of 20.
Manchester was only just behind Glasgow, scoring 69/80. It has the third highest number of charity shops per capita as there are 83. Manchester was the second most posted on TikTok, with 75 uses of hashtags about the city’s charity shops. On Instagram, ‘#VintageManchester‘ was used 14,746 times.
One of Manchester’s most famous vintage shops is Pop Boutique which opened in 1984 in (then) Afflecks Palace. It’s still there today, stocking handpicked vintage clothes as well as upcycled one-off pieces, but now there are Pop Boutique shops on the high street in Leeds, London, Liverpool and even Sweden.
You can also find vintage shops including COW Vintage, Blue Rinse and Bionic Seven in the Northern Quarter, alongside countless charity shops from Oxfam Originals to RSPCA, and plenty of record stores selling second hand vinyls, CDs and casettes, if you’re into that.
Outside the city centre, it’s just a few miles to Pear Mill Vintage Emporium in Stockport to find a huge range of stalls selling antiques, clothing, furniture and other second hand items. You can also find Top of the Town Vintage in the lovely town centre.
What’s more, just a stone’s throw away from town you’ll find Failsworth, which has a charming and pretty massive antiques quarter. Whether you’re a magpie looking for something shiny, or desperate to find the perfect mid-century piece of furniture, there’s plenty to browse.
The biggest city in Scotland, Glasgow, is the UK’s capital of second hand shopping, scoring a total of 70/80. With 102 charity shops, it has the sixth highest number of charity shops per capita in the ranking. In 2021, two of Glasgow’s charity shops were highlighted by British Vogue in a list of the UK’s best spots for fashion finds – non-profit thrift store Glad Rags and Shelter on Great Western Road.
Glasgow is also rich in second-hand book shops. One of the most popular is Voltaire & Rousseau Booksellers in the West End, where you can warm your hands by the fire and catch a glimpse of the cute resident cats while you browse.
Other northern neighbours in the top ten were Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool, so if you ever fancied venturing outside of Manchester for your vintage needs (although, you really don’t NEED to) you’re pretty well covered with trains to all three taking under an hour from the city.