Afflecks remains the independent beating heart of the Northern Quarter

Every city has buildings that shape its character, and in Manchester few have done more than Afflecks. The rambling Northern Quarter emporium has been a home for independent traders for more than four decades.

The building has a long retail history. Afflecks takes its name from Affleck and Brown, which began as a drapery business on Oldham Street in the 1860s and grew into a department store once described as the Harrods of the North.

After the department store closed in 1973, the building faced an uncertain future. In 1982 James and Elaine Walsh signed a 25-year lease, reopened it and renamed it Affleck's Palace. Their aim was to give fledgling businesses the chance to open their own space with low rents.

That idea proved transformative. Despite the hardships and high unemployment of the 1980s, the venue not only survived but helped bring about an entirely new neighbourhood, the Northern Quarter, now one of the most creative parts of the city.

Afflecks has faced many challenges along the way, including economic downturns, two fires, changes of management and the disruption of the pandemic. There was also real uncertainty about whether its lease would be renewed, until property company Bruntwood took on the building and secured its future.

Today it remains a launchpad for small businesses, with dozens of independent traders selling vintage clothing, records, art, jewellery, gifts and much more across several floors. For many local entrepreneurs, a unit here has been the first step towards a business of their own, and for shoppers that means every visit turns up something new.

The building has also begun to share its own story. Confidentials has reported on a behind-the-scenes Secrets tour exploring its stairwells and hidden histories, and a self-guided audio tour is available too, a sign of how much affection Mancunians hold for the place.

Afflecks is a short walk from Piccadilly Gardens, and its website lists the current traders, opening times and details of tours, making it easy to plan a visit.