A huge second-hand shop has opened in Manchester city centre and has already become the talk of the town.
Bare Necessities has taken over the former LOFT showroom on High Street, where you’ll find up to 20,000 items of pre-loved clothing on sale at any one time.
The thrift shop specialises in sourcing high-quality used clothing, which is then expertly cleaned and put back on sale as an affordable price.
And it really is affordable – prices start from just £1.
You’ll find row upon row of denim, coats, knitwear, t-shirts, skirts, and accessories, including a rainbow display of tops that greets shoppers as they come in.
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There’s even a whole section of ski clothing, crochet blankets, and fancy dress items.
Brands like Carhartt, Tommy Hilfiger, Dickies and Barbour are all stocked alongside items like patchwork crop-tops, that have been repurposed from other fabrics.
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Bare Necessities says: “Our mission is to source our forward-thinking customers with the highest quality of used clothing at the lowest possible price.
“Slow fashion shouldn’t break the bank, and only when second-hand fashion becomes more affordable will there be a larger shift towards the used clothing industry.”
The team who work there individually source clothes from piles of second-hand items that are heading for landfill.
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The items are given a full facelift, from de-bobbling knitwear to fixing zips and pockets to being washed and ironed.
Bare Necessities will also rescue damaged clothing and reuse the fabric as much as possible.
Inside Bare Necessities / Credit: The Manc Group
Since the pop-up shop opened in the last few weeks, dozens of people have been sharing TikToks and social media posts of their hauls.
TikTok user Francesca Perks’ video from the store has now gained hundreds of thousands of views.
She described it as the ‘best thrift haul of my life’ and said it was ‘like no other’, before revealing two bulging bags containing a £30 coat, a knitted red jumper, and one of the aforementioned crochet blankets.
One person commented: “Omg this place seems magical,” and another said: “Literally no idea where this place is but we must go for my sanity.”
Someone else said: “I’ve been debating going but now I’m SOLD.”
Bare Necessities is now open on High Street in Manchester city centre.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Shopping
Everything inside the Sephora VIP goodie bags worth more than £1,000
Daisy Jackson
Sephora opening in Manchester has been causing a bit of a stir, with more than 2,000 people queueing up this week to try and nab a free goodie bag.
And while the presents being handed out to the public are pretty impressive, it’s nothing compared to the VIP goodie bags given out at the store’s official launch on Wednesday.
A number of celebrities, influencers, press and other special guests were invited to have a sneak peek of the huge new shop at the Trafford Centre before its official opening to the public.
At the glittering celebration, VIPs were given a glimpse at the huge range of products on offer inside Sephora’s first UK store outside of London.
Those in attendance included actor and TV presenter actor Katie Mcglynn, TV personality Caroline Thomas, actress Alex Fletcher and radio one presenter Natalie O’Leary, Real Housewives of Cheshire, Love Island personalities, and professional footballer Courtney Duffus.
Special guests of Sephora were then sent home with the goodie bag to end all goodie bags, stuffed full of full-sized cult products.
And having totted up the value of everything inside, we can confirm that each goodie bag is worth more than a grand (£1092.93, to be exact). Wowsers.
Olaplex No.3Viral hair product minisBrazilian Bum Bum CreamJust a few of the cult items inside the Sephora VIP goodie bags. Credit: The Manc Group
Viral products inside include Makeup By Mario lipstick, Olaplex, Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Glossier You perfume, and MorrocanOil hair treatments.
There are also TikTok sensations like the Dr Jart Tiger Grass treatment, which comes out of its tub green but magically turns beige on the skin, cancelling out redness.
And Tarte’s take on the revolutionary tubing mascara, which comes off your lashes with only water and a wipe, was also chucked in.
The most high-value items in the Sephora goodie bags were an Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream worth £64, Caudalie’s brightening serum at £52, and a Neom candle for £38.
Bargain shop B&M is finally heading to Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Great news coming in for bargain-hunters this morning – B&M is finally opening in Manchester city centre for the first time.
The British retailer is famed for its affordable prices on everything from food to cleaning products to furniture, and has a few locations dotted around Greater Manchester.
B&M has now announced plans to swoop into the unit in Manchester Arndale that was previously home to Wilko.
And not unlike Wilkos, B&M is loved by shoppers for its wild range of items – where else can you buy wallpaper, stationery, KitKats, pick-and-mix, a fluffy rug and a nice new kettle all under one roof?
Think the middle aisle of Lidl, but super-sized.
After Wilko collapsed into administration last summer, B&M announced plans to buy up 51 of its stores in reportedly a £13m deal.
Hoardings are up for a new B&M store in the Manchester Arndale
The discount retailer is due to open later this year on the upper concourse of Manchester Arndale, with its familiar blue and orange B&M branding now plastered outside the space.
When it officially opens, there’ll be a comprehensive product range including home goods, groceries, electronics, alongside an array of seasonal items.
Steve Gray, Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, said: “We’re delighted to welcome such a strong household name like B&M to Manchester Arndale.
“We place great importance in having a truly mixed offer and its fantastic to be able to bring in a retailer that offers a wide array of products at accessible prices.
“From high-end fashion brands to discount retailers, its clear operators across the board have long-term confidence in the centre as Manchester Arndale continues to cement its reputation as the North West’s leading retail destination with a varied line up of exciting retail, F&B and leisure.”