Retail shops across Manchester are preparing to open for the first time since March this morning (15 June).
Non-essential stores have been gathering dust for the best part of three months due to the ongoing pandemic, but the government has given owners the green light to welcome back customers from today – provided they make premises “COVID-ready.”
Shoppers heading out to the likes of the Trafford Centre and Market Street today will need to prepare for a rather different experience.
A wide variety of social distancing measures will be intact across all stores, including floor markings, one-way systems, till screens and contactless payments.
Large queues are expected.
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Those travelling to shops today via train, tram or bus must also wear a mask – with face coverings mandatory on public transport from 15 June.
Masks are not compulsory in stores.
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Many big brand names are back in action from this morning, and whilst a large number of stores have confirmed they’ll be operating as early as 9am, opening times do vary depending on branch, so be sure to visit their website to confirm.
Here’s a list of the major stores reopening in Manchester from 15 June.
Wikipedia
Stores currently open in The Trafford Centre include:
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Abercrombie & Fitch
Beaverbrooks
Bodyshop
Clarks
Ernest Jones
F Hinds
Foot Asylum
Footlocker
Game
Goldsmiths
H&M
Hollister
Hugo Boss
Indulge Fragrances
Jack and Jones
Kids Cavern
Lovisa
Lush
Marks & Spencer
Michael Kors
Miss Selfridge
Nespresso
Next
North Face
Pandora
Primark
River Island
Samsung
Scotts
Selfridges
Skechers
Sunglass Hut
Superdry
Ted Baker
Tessuti
Timberland
Timepiece Watch Repairs
Topman
Topshop
Vans
WHSmith
Zara
According to the Trafford Centre website, KFC, McDonald’s and Spud U Like will also be open for click & collect and takeaway services.
Steven Haslington / Geograph
In the Arndale Centre, the current list of stores set to open as as follows:
Archies
Auntie Anne’s
Beaverbrooks
Bobo Tea
Body Shop
Boost Juice Bar
Boots
Build-A-Bear
Burton
Card Factory
Chisholm Hunter
Deichmann
Dorothy Perkins
Dune
EE
EE – Market Street
Eurochange
Evans
Five Guys
Footasylum
Footlocker
Fuel Juice
G Star
Game
Gap
H&M
Holland & Barrett
HMV
Home Sense
Hollister
Hotel Chocolat
Imzi
In Time Watch Services
iSmash
Jack & Jones
JD Sports
Kenji
KFC
Over the Rainbow
Lego
Lindt
Luke
Lush
MCR Souvenir (Post Office)
Metrobank
Miss Selfridge
Mobile Technicians
Natwest
Newspoint
Next
O2
Pandora
Pastiche Couture
Paul’s Hair World
Pret a Manger
Rituals
River Island
Ryman
Samsung – Market St
Scotts
Shoezone
Sock Shop
Subway (Winter Garden)
Superdrug
Specsavers
Starbucks
Swatch
Tablites
Tessuti
The Fragrance Shop
The Perfume Shop
Timberland
Timpsons
TK Maxx
Topshop/Topman
Trespass
TSB
Vans
Vision Express
Waterstones
WH Smith
Wilko
Yankee Candle
Yours
Zamblya Wellness
New Cathedral Street Stores:
Burberry
Hugo Boss
Michael Kors
Paul Smith
Ralph Lauren
Ted Baker
Zara
Reiss
Anthony O’Neil / Geograph
Several stores in The Royal Exchange are also reopening, including:
Scribbler
Jenny Jones Jewellery
Swiss Watch Shop
Nigel Rayment boutique
Designer Exchange
Amaranth natural health & beauty
The Body Shop
The Whisky Store
Fjallraven
Michael’s coffeehouse in the Arcade is offering drinks to go, whilst Vertigo plant-based eatery and TGI Fridays are currently working with delivery partners. The Remedy Kitchen is already open for collection and Meal Plans.
News
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home
Emily Sergeant
The Council is now offering financial help to support people moving into a smaller and ‘more manageable’ property.
Ever heard of ‘rightsizing? Well, according Manchester City Council it’s a process where a tenant in a larger social rent, Council, or Housing Association property, that may have more rooms than they need or perhaps are struggling to manage a big house as they get older, can be supported into a smaller property that better suits their needs.
The benefits of this process include cheaper bills, lower rents, and overall, just homes that are easier to clean and manage.
The aim of it is also to free up larger Council properties for families who are on the housing register – of which there are said to be around 20,000 of them currently at this time, with larger homes having some of the most significant wait times.
Are you struggling to look after a big Council or housing association home? We can help!
We are offering £2,500 to help people move into a smaller more manageable home, freeing up larger homes for families that need them.
It’s also estimated, according to the Council, that a third of all social rented family homes are thought to ‘underoccupied’.
This is why financial support and grants are now being offered.
Last year alone, 109 households were helped to ‘rightsize’ and were supported in the process by a dedicated team of Council officers, as well as benefitting from the Rightsizing Incentive Scheme – with a further 432 households having expressed interest doing so in the future.
Residents interested in ‘rightsizing’ could get a cash incentive of £2,500, which can be spent on anything they like, along with moving costs.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“Rightsizing could be a brilliant option for older people who are renting a Council home who may have spare rooms they don’t need or would benefit from looking after a smaller property,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development.
“Often a barrier to moving is the cost, but the Council will take care of the financial burden to help a resident move into a new home.
“The benefit for the city is that we can free up more larger homes for people who are waiting for a property that properly meets their needs. We think around a third of Council tenants could be under occupying their home, which means they could be paying more than they need to or they could be hit with the bedroom tax.”
Does this sound like you? Are you ready to ‘rightsize’? Find out more and begin the process via Manchester City Council’s website here.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
News
Trailer released for Netflix’s new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’
Emily Sergeant
The trailer for Netflix’s new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby has been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby – the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital – hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film – simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby – is described as being the most ‘comprehensive’ look at one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given ‘unparalleled and exclusive access’ to those central to the story.
“This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility,” commented director, Dominic Sivyer. “Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case.”
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions – who produced the documentary – added: “The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone’s perspectives with care and understanding.
“We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story.”
The Manc -
15th June 2020 
