Written by Paul Worrall
Wigan’s town centre has been through real upheaval in recent years — The Galleries, one of its two big shopping centres, closed and was demolished back in 2022, which caught me out when I first started researching this guide and found an old listing that no longer reflects what’s actually there. The Grand Arcade next door is still going strong, and between that and a specialist worth the short drive out, Wigan’s options are more solid than the outdated directories suggest.
I’m Paul Worrall. I spent close to a decade running digital marketing for one of the UK’s largest online art retailers, and I now run Discount Art Supplies, a price comparison platform used by artists across the country every week. I know Wigan a little through the wider North West patch I’ve worked across for years, and I know how to separate a genuine current option from a directory listing that never got updated after a shop closed. If you’re heading further into the region, our guides to the best art shops in Manchester and Liverpool are worth a look too.
1. The Works — Grand Arcade
The Works sits inside the Grand Arcade — Wigan’s still-thriving shopping centre, not to be confused with the now-demolished Galleries just up the road. Its arts and crafts range sits alongside the usual mix of books, stationery and discounted essentials, but it’s a genuine option for canvases, acrylics, sketchbooks and pencils rather than an afterthought.
It won’t satisfy anyone after professional-grade materials, and it never claims to. But for students, parents buying supplies for kids, or anyone wanting to top up basics while already in the town centre, it’s a consistantly reliable stop.
Unit 2, Grand Arcade Shopping Centre, Wigan, WN1 1BH.
2. The Range — Chapel Lane
The Range, out at Chapel Lane Retail Centre, has a genuinly substantial craft department alongside its usual mix of home, garden and pet supplies — paints, brushes, canvas and paper for painters, plus a proper card-making and papercraft selection for anyone working across mixed media. It’s the kind of shop that rewards a proper browse rather than a quick in-and-out.
Not a specialist destination, but with over 2,600 reviews and a genuine art and craft range, it’s a solid stop for everyday supplies at prices that make experimenting with a new medium affordable rather than a big commitment.
Chapel Lane Retail Centre, Chapel Lane, Wigan, WN3 4HG.
3. Ken Bromley Art Supplies — Horwich, Bolton (worth the drive)
Wigan itself doesn’t have a dedicated specialist art materials shop, so it’s worth being honest about that and pointing you toward the nearest genuine one. Ken Bromley Art Supplies, in Horwich, about nine miles from Wigan, has been trading since 1989 and is a proper destination for serious materials — paints, brushes, canvases and drafting supplies from major brands, with both an in-store shop and a well-regarded mail order operation behind it.
It’s the kind of independent that’s built its reputation over decades rather than marketing spend, and for anyone in the Wigan area who’s outgrown what the town centre shops can offer, it’s genuinly worth the short trip.
Unit 13, Lodge Bank Estate, Crown Lane, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 5HY.
A quick note: you won’t currently find Ken Bromley included in our price comparison or deals listings — that’s simply a reflection of our working relationship with them rather than anything to do with the quality of the shop itself, which remains genuine and well worth a visit.
The Honest Verdict on Wigan
Wigan’s town centre gives you two dependable, general options rather than a specialist destination, and the genuine specialist sits a short drive out in Horwich. Between the three, artists in the area are reasonably well served, even if the town centre picture has changed significantly since some of the older directory listings were last updated.
For anything beyond what’s on these shelves, Discount Art Supplies compares prices across the major UK retailers in real time, so you can find the best current deal before buying.
