A new vintage and pre-loved clothing store has opened in Manchester city centre, selling some seriously big labels for £20 or less.
Catch My Thrift isn’t all about the designer goods either, with plenty of high-street names like ASOS and Levi’s being sold alongside Burberry, Nike and Armani.
But if the item falls under the ‘fast fashion’ umbrella, founder Scott Joseph will donate the money from the sale to the Forever Manchester charity.
The shop has opened at Great Northern Warehouse on Deansgate (down towards Beetham Tower), with rails upon rails of flannel shirts, band tees, denim, sportswear and sweatshirts.
Catch My Thrift is promising to take the ‘musty’ out of vintage clothes, with gender-neutral items sold washed, ironed, and ready to wear.
For less than £20, you could be shopping for a classic Burberry shirt, a Kenzo sweatshirt, or a pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans.
Scott, whose background is in luxury, high-end fashion, including Armani and Harvey Nichols, started buying vintage clothes for himself, selling on anything that wasn’t the right fit.
A Patagonia flannel shirt for only £16 at Catch My Thrift vintage shop in Manchester. Credit; The Manc GroupA wall of brightly-coloured vintage shirts at Catch My Thrift, Manchester. Credit; The Manc GroupA beer shirt at Catch My Thrift. Credit: The Manc Group
It didn’t take long for him to realise there was huge demand for ‘quality thrift’ – and the business has flourished.
With Catch My Thrift, he’s hoping to make this sustainable alternative to fast fashion more accessible to a wider audience.
The stock is replenished weekly with new garments on display at every visit.
You’ll find a wall of band t-shirts, featuring the likes of Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Def Leopard (as well as Doja Cat and Ariana Grande), in addition to cotton, denim and flannel shirts, jeans, corduroys, casual bottoms and sweatshirts.
Catch My Thrift vintage store in Manchester.Catch My Thrift vintage store in Manchester. Credit; The Manc Group
Scott’s chosen to price everything by category, rather than label, so designer brands rub shoulders with high street labels in the same price brackets.
Scott says: “Vintage and pre-loved clothing has a story to tell, and it’s a shame that they often end up in landfill. I wanted to create a platform that makes vintage wear more accessible to people, gives them the opportunity to express their own unique style without fear of imitation and at the same time, help the environment by reducing waste.”
He plans to host classes on up-cycling and capsule wardrobe planning in the space, plus a series of talks and roundtables.
Mark Schofield, centre director of Great Northern Warehouse, said: “Catch My Thrift is a great addition to our thriving community of independent businesses at Great Northern Warehouse.
“The pop-up store highlights the step-change in consumer purchasing behaviours, with Deansgate Terrace, now increasingly recognised as a hub for independent businesses offering a range of services including vintage clothing, coffees to go, and even tattoos, in addition to great restaurants and estate agents.
“We’re committed to supporting local businesses in the early stages and look forward to seeing Catch My Thrift grow and thrive on Deansgate.”
To celebrate its new home on Deansgate, Catch My Thrift will be hosting a weekend of partying across Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September from 1pm each day, with complimentary refreshments.
A petition has been created to make Prestwich’s Oasis-inspired ‘Aldeh’ sign permanent
Danny Jones
We love how Greater Manchester, the UK and, indeed, the whole world have been gripped by Oasis fever – even brands like Aldi, who recently renamed one of their local shops ‘Aldeh’ in honour of Oasis and Manc accents everywhere; in fact, there’s even a petition to make it permanent.
And it’s already starting to gather some steam…
That’s right, the Aldi in Prestwich – or ‘Aldeh’ as we shall hopefully refer to it from now until forever – has seen not just local shoppers in and around Bury, but Oasis fans and even just curious Mancunians visit the location to see it for themselves.
In case this silly but oddly satisfying bit of news somehow passed you by, here it is in all its (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory:
A slightly caricatured and over-the-top impersonation of the most Gallagher-esque voice ever? Maybe. Fun to record? Definitely Maybe.
The sign itself has stood outside the branch located near Heaton Park for just over a fortnight now in honour of the Live ’25 reunion gigs and has drawn plenty of attention.
As described by the creator of the petition, Ella Curtis – a Manchester native herself – “photos of the sign went viral, because it tapped into something meaningful: pride in where we’re from, and in what this city has given the world. In short, Prestwich got its own Blue Plaque.”
Simply entitled, ‘Make “Aldeh” Permanent: A Tribute to Manchester’s Musical Legacy’, you can find a lengthy and surprisingly inspiring explanation detailing why the petition matters down below.
“1. A Tribute to Manchester’s Cultural Legacy
Manchester’s contribution to music – and to British culture more broadly – is unmatched. Oasis gave the world BritPop and helped define a generation. The ‘Aldeh’ sign reflects that heritage in a way that feels authentic, local, and proud.
2. A Source of Local Pride
As a proud Mancunian, I’ve seen the reaction firsthand. The sign has brought a real sense of community, joy, and identity to the area. People stop to take pictures, to smile, to talk. In a time when towns often struggle to feel distinctive, this simple change has sparked something genuinely positive.
3. A Cultural Landmark in the Making
In just a short time, the sign has become a local attraction and even a landmark – a destination for fans. It is a symbol and reminder of how we, as Mancunians all came together to celebrate one of the biggest reunion concerts from one of the world’s biggest bands happening right on our doorstep!
The ‘Aldeh‘ sign might have started as a temporary campaign, but it’s come to mean something more – to this city, to its people, and to anyone who recognises the power of music and place.”
Of course we’ve signed it. (Credit: Screenshot via Change.org)
Already listed on Google as a ‘cultural landmark’, even boasting 5-star reviews, Aldi themselves have responded by saying: “Boss said we also need 10,000 likes and a comment from one of the Gallaghers.”
It’s your time to shine, folks – we’ll worry about the two later.
The ‘Aldeh’ petition page ends with a simple but moving message: “Sign if you agree – let’s make ‘Aldeh’ a lasting part of Manchester’s story.”
Listen, it’s very rare that you see a city, a country and arguably the entire world taken over by a collective obsession and unified love of music and art; with that in mind, you best believe we’re right behind this.
And if you fancy tacking the ‘Aldeh’ sign onto a tour of important Oasis heritage sights in 0161, then look no further.
Gymshark is opening its first standalone northern store in Manchester this weekend
Emily Sergeant
A huge new Gymshark store is opening in Manchester tomorrow, and it’s the brand’s first standalone store in the North.
The global sportswear and fitness brand will be setting up shop at the Trafford Centre and taking over a large 7,500 ft space on Upper Peel Avenue with all of its iconic Gymshark ranges, including the massively ‘Vital’ and ‘Power’ collections, as well as some exciting new exclusives for Gymshark Trafford Centre.
The store itself is said to have Gymshark’s ‘increasingly trademark’ look and feel throughout it, including mannequins that are created from the image of real people in the community, different destinations for its hero products, and spacious changing rooms with bespoke lighting.
Unfamiliar with Gymshark? Since it was founded by Ben Francis from his garage in 2012, the brand has gone on to become one of the UK’s greatest business success stories of the 21st century – with more than 20 million people across 200 countries now counting themselves as members of the Gymshark community.
Gymshark is opening its first standalone northern store in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Supplied
The new Trafford Centre will be Gymshark’s first standalone store in the UK outside of London, and follows recent openings in Dubai and Amsterdam, as well as coming ahead of the opening of Gymshark’s first flagship store in the US later this year.
Most importantly, it builds on the brand’s long association with Manchester, as one of the first-ever Gymshark meet-ups was in the city, as well as its first ‘Lift’ event post-COVID.
Gymshark also credits the public’s reception to its space inside Selfridges at the Trafford Centre as one of the driving forces behind its choice to open a permanent store within the shopping centre, calling it ‘nothing short of spectacular’ and adding that the new opening genuinely solidifies Manchester’s role as a ‘big brother’ to a Brummie brand.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Gymshark’s first Northern store to Trafford Centre this weekend, joining our growing athleisure and sportswear offering at the centre,” commented Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre.
“We have no doubt that Gymshark will prove immensely popular and can’t wait to welcome them on opening day.”
Gymshark is opening at the Trafford Centre tomorrow (Saturday 12 July) with a grand ribbon cutting at 10am, followed by goody bags, refreshments, and merch being handed out for those waiting in line.
There’ll also be different fitness challenges to take part in too, in true Gymshark spirit.
Daisy Jackson -
1st September 2023 
