Primark has put pop-up Hello Kitty cafes inside two of its biggest Greater Manchester stores to celebrate 50 years of the iconic character.
Can you believe Hello Kitty is turning 50 this year? Time really does fly.
To properly mark the five-decade anniversary, Primark has teamed up with Japanese entertainment company – and Hello Kitty creators – Sanrio to unveil a brand-new collection inspired by the pop culture icon that features more than 100 exciting items across the womenswear, kidswear, and homeware sections.
The fashion retailer says the new range “embodies the timeless charm” of Hello Kitty that all generations know and love.
From cosy loungewear, and playful accessories, to graphic tees, collectable bags, adorable nightwear, and so much more, each piece of the extensive range is said to be “infused” with the signature kawaii style of the beloved character, according to Primark.
Primark has teamed up with Sanrio to launch a new collection celebrating 50 years of Hello Kitty / Credit: Primark
As part of Primark’s commitment to “providing affordable choices for everyone”, prices for the new collection start at just £1 for accessories, and go up to £25 as the maximum.
In a bid to celebrate the collection and launch it into stores, Primark has also announced the opening of the ‘Hello Kitty Café’ in select locations across the UK – with Primark’s stores in Manchester on Market Street, and at Trafford Palazzo, being two of the locations chosen.
Customers at the pop-up cafes will, apparently, have the opportunity to be “immersed into the vibrant world of Hello Kitty”.
Open now right through until June, the cafes feature Instagram-worthy décor and serve up an array of limited-edition treats inspired by Hello Kitty, such as sweet waffles and savoury ‘bow’ buns, alongside themed beverages like bubble teas and shakes.
And, if you’re lucky, you might even get to meet Hello Kitty herself when she makes a surprise appearance at the stores over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.
“Hello Kitty has been a cultural phenomenon since her debut in 1974, captivating hearts around the globe with her cute aesthetic,” commented Sarah Jackson, who is the Director of Licensing at Primark, as the new collection was unveiled this week.
“At Primark, we pride ourselves on our extensive license offering, and we’re thrilled to reveal our new collection and mark another exciting chapter in Hello Kitty’s enduring legacy.
“We want to offer our customers an unforgettable in-store experience and we’re delighted to once again transform our Primarket cafés into a Hello Kitty haven in five locations across the UK.”
Featured Image – Primark
Shopping
New Haribo shop to open in Trafford Centre with pick n mix station featuring over 40 varieties of sweets
Emily Sergeant
HARIBO UK has announced plans to open an exciting new store here in Greater Manchester.
The store – which will be the confectionery giant’s thirteenth location in the UK – is set to be celebration of HARIBO’s ‘spirit of childlike happiness’ once it opens its doors over at the Trafford Centre, and Manchester fans will soon be able to shop a delicious selection of all Haribo treats.
There’ll be everything from familiar favourites like Starmix and Tangfastics, to exciting new products such as Nostalgix and Alienauts.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy international varieties of Haribo too, all without having to venture to another country – whether it be Haribo Favoritos and Watermelon from Spain, Haribo Dragibus and Tagada from France, or Haribo liquorice Schnecken from Germany.
A new Haribo shop is set to open in Trafford Centre / Credit: Dan Cristian Padure | Jacqueline Brandwayn (via Unsplash)
To bring back the old-fashioned pleasure of being in a sweet shop, there’ll even be a ‘Pick Your Mix’ station, featuring more than 40 varieties of HARIBO and MAOAM treats to choose from, and in addition to the sweets themselves, the store will also be filled with exclusive HARIBO merchandise, such as plushies, stationery, candles, and more.
Haribo’s most recent opening was in Bluewater, and there’ll be a new site popping up in Glasgow later this month, before the Trafford Centre store opens its doors.
“We’re thrilled to be opening a HARIBO UK store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre,” commented Rebecca Fox, who is the Head of Retail at HARIBO UK.
“Our stores are a way to share even more moments of childlike happiness with HARIBO fans and we can’t wait for Manchester’s HARIBO-lovers and visitors to join in the fun.”
There’ll be a ‘pick you mix’ station featuring over 40 different varieties of sweets / Credit: Luis Aguila (via Unsplash)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “We’re excited to welcome HARIBO to Trafford Centre, with a store that promises to deliver a super-sweet experience that cannot be matched online, delighting visitors of all ages.
“We’re confident that our visitors will love this new brand-new store, which will prove another fantastic addition to the centre.”
There’s no opening date for the Trafford Centre store confirmed just yet, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Supplied
Shopping
Aldi has launched limited-edition gender reveal Cuthbert caterpillar cakes
Emily Sergeant
Is it a boy or a girl? No it’s a limited-edition Cuthbert.
That’s right, in an ode to the ever-growing trend of gender reveal parties, and to coincide with September being the month that most babies are born in, Aldi has decided to give its iconic Cuthbert Cake a very special makeover for a limited time only.
Designed to offer expectant parents the ultimate way to reveal the gender of their child, this special Cuthbert is now available via an exclusive shopper competition.
The limited-edition cake will be completely free for those lucky enough to get their hands on it.
Decorated with blue and pink chocolate beans, the exclusive new cake has two versions of filling, just as you’d expect – one with pink buttercream icing (for a girl), and blue buttercream icing (for a boy).
The launch of the gender reveal Cuthberts comes after recent research from Aldi has revealed that 58% of millennial Brits have celebrated gender reveal moments, and 48% of Gen Z having attended an average of three gender reveal parties in the last five years – with cake found to be the most popular method of revealing a baby’s gender.
Cake was found to be more popular than balloons, confetti, or fireworks, making it twice as popular much as any other gender reveal option.
And that’s not all either, as following the news that traditional baby names have been seeing a decline in popularity among expectant parents in favour of more unique options, 5% of Brits even admitted that they would consider naming their child Cuthbert after the budget supermarket retailer’s icon.
Aldi has launched limited-edition gender reveal Cuthbert caterpillar cakes / Credit: Aldi
Want to win a gender reveal Cuthbert then?
Shoppers just need to send an email detailing their full name, why they or a loved one would be the ideal recipient of this cake, the address of their closest Aldi store, and the gender of their baby to [email protected].
The competition will open until 11:59pm on 14September, and the lucky winners will be notified of their win via email by 28 September.
Emily Sergeant -
14th March 2024 
