Whether you’re super organised or a last minute gift-giver, shopping is an essential part of Christmas. Luckily, the North and Scotland are jam-packed full of fabulous shops to help you find the perfect gift for everyone. We’ve rounded up the most spree-worthy spots in the North and Scotland to match your shopper-type and help you finish your Christmas shopping in no time. Head to Liverpool for luxe department stores, Leeds for quirky independent boutiques or take a stroll around Manchester’s Trafford Centre for everything from high-street stores to speciality retailers.
If you’re still scrambling to finish your Christmas shopping on December 23, the intu Trafford Centre in Manchester is a one-stop-shop to get all your Christmas shopping done in one go. With 4 floors and 280 shops under one roof, including everything from magical toyshop Hamley’s to upmarket Michael Kors, you’ve really got no excuse to find the ideal gift for everyone. Don’t worry though, there’s 44 restaurants to choose from to help you recharge after all that exhausting shopping.
If you’re well known for giving unique and thoughtful gifts and need a bit of Christmas inspiration, Leeds Corn Exchange is for you. Leeds is legendary for its shopping, and the Corn Exchange is no different. Head to Culture Vulture for cards, gifts, sweets, clothing and jewellery with an emphasis on the offbeat and unusual, or Summerhouse for handmade gift ware. Yellow Sunrise is an eclectic store offering a range of soft furnishings to spice up the home, and Mia-Bella Candles sells hundreds of gourmet cleaner-burning candles (and let’s face it – who doesn’t love a candle?). To make Christmas shopping in Leeds even easier, the Corn Exchange is holding a “unique gift” fair every weekend in the run up to Christmas.
If you enjoy the finer things in life and won’t settle for anything less than luxury, Liverpool is where you need to be. Grab a Lavazza coffee on the train in – you’ll need it! Liverpool ONE, right in the heart of the city, is a huge open-air shopping district that is home to more than 160 famous high street and designer names including Hugo Boss, Reiss and Victoria’s Secret – a Christmas shopping haven. For something a little bit special, head to Harvey Nichols which has the only Beauty Bazaar in the country. Browse the endless beauty brands for hours, and you can even order some champagne whilst doing it! Continue the luxury on your Transpennine Express train home by ordering some prosecco from our on-board catering.
For Christmas shopping on a shoestring,York Designer Outletis the best place to grab a bargain – or three! With over 120 leading brands including Adidas, Ben Sherman, Ted Baker, Vans and UGG, there’s so much to choose from. The Designer Outlet also hosts plenty of events to get you in the Christmas spirit, including an entire Winter Wonderland and a visit from Santa himself.
No matter your style of Christmas shopping, you’re safe in the knowledge that you can relax and beat the Christmas traffic on the journey home on one of our trains. Wherever you go on our network, you’re guaranteed to be spoilt for choice.
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