The gay shop manchester
Whatever happened to Manchester's first and only 'gay shopping centre?'
Twenty years ago ‘the world’s first gay shopping mall’ opened on the edge of the village. It received widespread national media coverage. So what happened?
In 1996, a couple of months before the IRA bomb would thrust the spotlight onto Manchester for all the wrong reasons, the municipality centre made national news for something else entirely.
A gay businessman called Terry King opened Europe’s – or the world’s, depending which article you read from the time – first ever gay shopping centre.
In interviews he promised a gay hairdressers, thirsty cleaners, florists, video rental and record shops, glass and chinaware store and travel agents.
Gay people wanted a safe space to shop, he said, and were sick of what mid-1990s Manchester had to offer.
“Manchester has a huge shopping centre called the Arndale , and frankly it’s an awful, yellow carbuncle adj of old women elbowing you out of the way to get a bit of inexpensive crockery,” he said at the time.
“Gay people just don’t need to go t
The Village
AXM Bar & Club
AXM opened its doors in 2004 and offers a delayed night clubbing experience with DJs, cabaret shows and…
MAYA
Situated at the bustling intersection of Chorlton Street and Canal Street, the 20th-century…
Napoleon's
Friendly bar over two floors with a varied crowd.
New Union Hotel & Show Bar
Built in 1865, the New Union was one of the first ever gay establishments in Manchester and has been…
Oscars
Oscars is an intimate, theatre style bar showing classic and modern musical film clips in glamorous…
Salon Madre
Manchester’s much loved Mexican restaurant, Madre, has expanded and opened a tequila…
The Eagle Bar
Men only basement bar with industrial and well-dressed décor open seven nights a week with a faithful…
The Molly House
The Molly House is a charming, rustic, vintage bar over two floors with outdoor smoking terrace…
Via
A Gay, gothic labyrinth bar serving quality dishes with specials, in a unique relaxed environment…
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The UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ store in the heart of the Northern Quarter!
Fed up with high street shops and online businesses only really selling items during gay pride, as well as giving nothing back to the LGBTQ+ community here in Manchester, Ian & Jason created the UK’s Biggest LGBTQ+ Store in the heart of the city’s iconic Afflecks Palace.
Starting off selling festival products, such as glitter, cosmetics, face paints and hair dyes back in 2014, Ian & Jason have created a massive store, with almost 4000 items in stock – all supporting independent businesses in Manchester and the UK.
In those early days, Ian and Jason were pioneers of biodegradable materials, sourcing products free from all micro plastics at a time when nobody was even thinking about the damage they cause, and they quickly cornered the market as a result.
“We were in the right place at the right time” Jason adds, and, apart from the severe difficulties brought on with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic – contain never looked back.
Providing support for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the year,
Gay Pride Shop Reviews
About Gay Pride Shop:
The UK's largest LGBTQ+ Accessories & Book Shop. Shop online or visit us in Afflecks (Manchester City Centre)
See WebsiteEmail:
info@gayprideshop.co.uk
Location:
52 Church Street, Manchester
M4 6FG