A little independent lifestyle store tucked away on Northern Quarter side street is marking a milestone birthday this weekend.
And there’s freebies up for grabs for 20 lucky shoppers.
It’s been six years since Form Lifestyle Store moved into its unique space on the hidden Bradley Street, just around the corner from the bustling Stevenson Square, and what a six years its been – so, in a bid to properly mark the occasion, the small independent business is planning to thank customers for their support with a day of celebrations this weekend.
The first 20 shoppers who head on down to the Northern Quarter store tomorrow (30 September) will be given a free goody bag full of handmade items and thoughtfully-made goods.
Form says these items “embody the belief” it’s always held of supporting independent makers.
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Popular Manchester lifestyle store to celebrate its birthday with FREE goodie bags / Credit: Form Lifestyle Store
The shop will be open from 11am to 5pm tomorrow, and is inviting all customers – both returning and new – to join for the celebrations.
As well as the birthday celebrations, some new arrivals from independent makers will also be on show for the first time, and Form’s long-awaited ‘Found Forms’ collection of vintage and pre-loved homewares will also be making their way onto the shelves.
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This means that anyone visiting on Saturday will have first dibs on these treasures too.
While you’re feasting your eyes on the stunning collection of homewares and lifestyle goods, there’ll also be an actual feast, as Form has organised for there to be a wide range of refreshments from local businesses on offer for shoppers to tuck into.
Remaining true to its ethos of “supporting small”, you can expect natural wine from Isca, and locally-brewed Kombucha from Laid Bear, as well as tasty handmade baked treats from The Palms Bakery and Companio.
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“We’ve been in our beautiful space for six years now and we’d love for our customers to join us in the shop for a little celebration,” said Form’s founder Elly ahead of the milestone event tomorrow.
“If you’re a regular customer, one of our makers, someone who hasn’t visited in years, or someone who has never quite found our hidden little street, we’d love for you to join us”.
If you’re keen to join the celebrations, you’ll want to head on down to Form Lifestyle Store on Bradley Street in the Northern Quarter tomorrow from 11am.
You can find out more about the little gem of a shop here.
Featured Image – Form Lifestyle Store
Shopping
Tesco confirms it will review ‘unfair’ Clubcard rule after shopper complaints
Emily Sergeant
Tesco is said to be ‘actively reviewing’ one of the rules of its Clubcard loyalty scheme.
Following shopper complaints and long-term campaigning by consumer champion Which?, Tesco has announced that it will be looking into the rule that prevents shoppers under 18 years of age from signing up to its popular Clubcard loyalty scheme.
Which? research found that shoppers must be 18 or over to join loyalty schemes at Tesco, and other major supermarket chains like Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose, whereas at the at Co-op, you only need to be 16.
And then at the Co-op again, and also Sainsbury’s, if you’re added to a parent or guardian’s account, you can be even younger.
Meanwhile, over at popular high street drugstore chains Boots and Superdrug, you only need to be 13 to sign up to their popular loyalty schemes.
Tesco has confirmed it will review its ‘unfair’ Clubcard rule after shopper complaints / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This discrepancy is why Which? has been urging supermarkets to lift ‘unfair’ restrictions on who can sign up to their loyalty schemes, saying it has ‘repeatedly called’ for action after revealing that millions of people are excluded from accessing lower prices at some of the UK’s biggest retailers due to age, address, or digital access requirements.
Tesco has said in a statement that it is ‘actively reviewing’ Tesco Clubcard with the intention of making it available to under-18s ‘this year’.
According to Which?, Tesco has been rather ‘vague’ on exactly when the change for under-18 shoppers might come into effect, but says customers who don’t have a Clubcard can still find value using its Aldi Price Match and Everyday Low Prices schemes.
“Which? research shows that the savings from Tesco Clubcard can be really significant, which is why access to them matters so much for shoppers trying to make ends meet,” commented Reena Sewraz, who is the Retail Editor at Which?.
“We’ve been putting pressure on Tesco for years now over its unfair policy of excluding young people, many of whom are struggling with the cost of living, so we’re glad [the supermarket] has listened.
“This is a big step in the right direction, provided it moves quickly to fully implement these changes.”
Featured Image – Tesco plc
Shopping
Asda launches red shopping baskets in stores to help singles meet the love of their life
Emily Sergeant
Asda has decided to launch red baskets in stores to help single shoppers meet the love of their life.
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that dating in the modern world isn’t easy, right?
According to new Asda research, 94% of Brits say modern-day dating is hard to navigate, but what’s also clear is that face-to-face interactions still hold a special place – with a resounding 87% of people saying it’s better to meet someone in real life than on a dating app.
In fact, 77% of singles saying they’re not currently active on a dating app at all, and to top it all off, 64% say they fancy someone at their local supermarket.
So, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner now, Asda has decided to take matters into its own hands by placing special red baskets in select stores, giving singles a simple way to signal they’re open to a chat while picking up bread, browsing the bakery, or grabbing a few treats.
Unfortunately for us Mancs, the baskets will only appear in Leicester, Liverpool, and Glasgow, as this is where the research revealed people are most actively looking for love.
While the supermarket admits there’s no one ‘right’ way to meet someone, its research does suggest that 62% of couples who met face-to-face describe themselves as being ‘extremely happy’, compared with 51% of those who met online.
And that sense of connection goes beyond romance too, as among those couples who met in real life, 71% of them say they ‘trust their partner 100%’, while 66% describe their relationship as a ‘deep friendship’.
“We know people are craving real-life connections, but we also know our customers are busy and don’t always have the time to put themselves out there,” a spokesperson for Asda admitted.
“That’s why we’re turning the weekly shop into the ultimate meet-cute. These red baskets are a fun, light-hearted way to help people connect while they’re already doing their everyday shop – a simple, playful nudge to start a chat and maybe even spark a little romance.”
Emily Sergeant -
29th September 2023 
